--warning: there are some slightly naughty times as you go further down this chapter; don’t worry, it’s not much (you know me, I like to tease you a bit with mentions of what could be :3) but I respect your right to be informed about such topics in any case. Enjoy the guest POVs^^--

“Are you mad?”

“Floating ship, Sehun! What the hell!” Luhan screeches and grabs his heart over his chest to make sure it’s still in there and it didn’t fly out of his open mouth just now. Phew, it is still in place. Sehun gives him a fleetingly judging frown which Luhan returns with a fiery glare.

God, he almost had a heart attack, and he’s really too young to die. No, he means it, he is actually too young to die, this is not a romanticized statement. But he’s not sure he’s not considered part of any health risk groups, because 25 is a quarter of a century, and he’s somewhere around that age, and maladies are so many in this world, ready to pounce on his aging body. Luhan chokes to regain his breath after it got knocked out of him thanks to an awkward certain someone, and he glares at Sehun, feeling his pale face regain its color. On second thought, maybe he’s regaining his color a bit too fast, because he feels dizzy and the blood is thumping in his temples, making him realize just how furious he is, as an aftereffect of his fright.

“Don’t do that! What is it with you and violations of personal space?!” he yells at the other’s face and Sehun finally takes a step back. Sehun lowers his eyes to the ground, allowing Luhan some viable breathing space, as his lungs desperately try to filter some oxygen in his body and aid his heart which has been spooked out of its rhythm.

Still glaring at a remorseful Sehun, Luhan broodingly thinks that this is bad. How is he supposed to survive a whole weekend around Sehun when his mind and heart feel already on the verge of physically exploding, and it’s still only Friday? He didn’t think much about this weekend getaway and its possible implications, because it was offered to him as free vacation, and Luhan hasn’t been on vacation since his age was a single-digit number, not to mention this vacation is free and super luxurious, and he isn’t suffering from any idiocy disease, so, of course he accepted –with a loud, stunned ‘YES!’ followed by the appropriate jumping-in-glee happy dance of the naïve and silly –and he didn’t care much about the rest of the details. Sehun’s presence was definitely not one of the first things he registered when he accepted the invitation; actually, he doesn’t think he registered that information at all.

He should have known the universe is not over with its grudge towards him though. He should have paid attention to the details. Why do disasters happen when for once in your life you decide that you should just go with the flow, stop fussing over things and live a little?

It was a slap in the face when faith reminded him that Sehun would be attending the same vacation, by having Kyungsoo’s car stop in front of his apartment building to pick him up and, oh look, in all his drowsy glory, Sehun was splayed on the backseat of that car. Luhan groaned internally but he planted a smile on his lips nevertheless, because hope dies last, right? Thankfully, Sehun only mumbled a greeting to him when Luhan got in the car seat next to him, and the kid zoned out soon enough, allowing Luhan to enjoy the ride. And he really did enjoy the ride, as much as he doesn’t remember ever enjoying before, with Kyungsoo complaining about the cold morning air and Baekhyun being cute and chirpy, even though the sun wasn’t in the sky yet. Even after they all met at the designated place and Kai replaced cutie pie B in the car, Luhan deemed it safe enough to continue the ride beside Sehun, because the man was still sleeping anyway. He drifted off himself for quite a while.

But when they reached Suho’s place, Sehun woke up. And Sehun is definitely not sleeping anymore. And Luhan’s life has been going from bad to worse since the man opened his eyes to the day’s sun. He gets paired up with Sehun, as roommates. Of all things, of all the people he could be sharing a room with, his luck had to torture him by gluing him to Sehun. In the only bedroom on the ground floor. Isolation doesn’t really help Luhan comfort himself during his quiet mental breakdowns as he arranges clothes in the closet –because he doesn’t really know what else to do with himself when Sehun is in the same, quiet room. Luhan had been relatively successful in blocking Sehun’s existence from his mind while the younger just sat on the bed idly, but when Sehun slyly sneaks up on you to ask right next to your cheek if you’re mad, well, you can’t exactly ignore him anymore!   

“Sorry” Sehun links his hands behind his back and kicks invisible pebbles on the carpet “I was just trying to check if-”

“Yeah, I know, if I am mad; but the way you’re going at it, I would get mad even if I weren’t before” Luhan snaps with a hard expression on his face. His insides are still slightly aflutter from the earlier shock and it’s hard to control his temper while he’s still trying to control his jittery heart. Sehun blinks silently for a while and Luhan is not sure if he’s awkward or purposely giving Luhan a few more moments to calm down.

“So, you are mad?” he repeats and this time Luhan notices his timid, calm voice, but he’s still not feeling kind enough to do something about it, and why does he have to go through all this anyway? He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose exasperatedly.

“Why are we even having this conversation?” he asks in a quiet voice which resembles a sigh.

“Because I’m trying to check if-”

“Don’t you dare say it.” Luhan stops him with a glare. Sehun seals his lips like a good boy and goes back to kicking transparent non-materialistic pebbles. And now Luhan feels bad, like after you shout to a kid, and it might have been fair, but you still feel like it wasn’t, because kids have this way of guilt-tripping you, as one of their many survival mechanisms. If only Darwin and Freud had been friends, Luhan is sure he’d have a theory to prove his point right now.

“No, I’m not mad” he says, trying to keep the patronizing tone out of his voice. But maybe some of it slipped, because Sehun looks at him, raising one skeptic eyebrow; Luhan rolls his eyes and jolts his arms on his sides limply in surrender. Okay, correction: “I’m trying not to be mad”

“Do I really bother you that much?” Sehun doesn’t show any signs of weakness or disappointment, but it’s hard not to link that sort of question with disheartened feelings, even if they are kept well-hidden. Luhan looks at Sehun, but the taller blond refuses to show his face, taking a few steps backwards and sitting on the bed once again. When his face lifts from the shadows, his expression is neutral and calm, and for all the weirdness in this situation, Luhan finds himself more at ease, seeing Sehun like this, although the guilt for treating him badly still hangs heavy in his chest.

“No, I was just…surprised” he says quietly. A silent pause ensues and Luhan can practically feel the tension building up around him, so fast and so dense that he might feel it brush against his skin if he moves.

Luhan is mad at his luck, not at Sehun, and Sehun is not bothersome –although he does bother Luhan in ways he shouldn’t…And the ever present tension he feels around the younger, doesn’t help him keep his mind away from things he shouldn’t be thinking and shouldn’t be dreaming. He wishes he were insane enough to let out a frustrated scream and run away from everything and be able to leave it behind for good. He feels trapped, knowing that the very object of his inappropriate dreams will be laying right next to him throughout the night, while he’s having said dreams in his sleep.

He will be so close, that Luhan will be able to touch him if he reaches his hand out.

But he can’t reach out, should not, must not.

Luhan bites his lips and he did not just glance at Sehun’s appealing collarbones. And did he just- no, eyes, come back from where you dropped further down, what the hell?!

See? Staying with Sehun in one room without supervision is not a good idea in any universe. The very slim, astronomical possibility that he is facing in this realm has Luhan feeling scared as sugar. Why does the universe have to be so twisted when planning revenge on poor humans?

“Because I’m a ‘kid’?” Sehun breaks the silence and Luhan’s daze. He has a frown on his face now, as he marks quotation marks in the air with his fingers around the word ‘kid’ that Luhan calls him so often. Luhan sighs in surrender.

“Quotation marks are unnecessary, Sehun; you are a kid. But no, it’s just that I’m not very used to such predicaments” Luhan lies.

You can’t possibly expect him to tell the truth right? Forbidden attraction has a reason to be called forbidden and Luhan doesn’t even know if it is even legal in his case, but he is sure that it is supposed to be kept as a loathed secret in any case. He hopes nothing can be seen in his eyes because sure enough Sehun is looking for something in there with clear, dark eyes picking apart every inch of his face. Luhan breaks under the pressure of intense eye-contact and retreats first, hiding his face, the thoughts in his eyes and the beginning of a blush on his cheeks behind the door of the closet. He pretends to be busy arranging things behind the door barrier between him and Sehun, but honestly, his fingers just wiggle nervously over the clothes.

He’s such a coward.

“But we’re friends, right?” Sehun asks after Luhan is hidden from sight. Luhan makes a noncommittal hum, loud enough for the other to hear but not too loud, for fear his voice might crack. He can feel his heart beating in his throat as he stares at cashmere shirts. Why is this so confusing and stressful? “I promise I won’t make you uncomfortable” Sehun says after another pause, his tone indecipherable, and Luhan, safely hidden from the other’s eyes, presses his forehead against the shelf of the closet, trying to anchor his patience on something.

He’s already uncomfortable. Why are hearts made of more than two curved lines, why do they have to include muscle and blood and tears and feelings and spaces?

--

Chanyeol opens the door of the room quickly, very aware that he has left Baekhyun waiting for a tad bit too long, since he got held up in the hallway. He wasn’t supposed to be gone for so long. In fact, he wasn’t supposed to leave the room at all, because he had really wanted to help Baekhyun with unpacking their clothes and arranging them in the closet, but he is under the suspicion that Baekhyun needed an excuse to kick him out politely, so he sent him to the kitchen for some water.

Chanyeol can’t exactly blame him, because in retrospect, he might have been like an overeager and oversized puppy, trying to help but creating more problems instead. He still thinks that it is unfair though, because Baekhyun’s offer to unpack their things included that Chanyeol in turn should help him with the higher shelves, but there were all in all two shelves Baekhyun couldn’t reach, and he didn’t allow Chanyeol to do anything else, even though Chanyeol asked in ten different voices. Baekhyun just laughed amused and claimed he was thirsty with twinkling eyes. And of course Chanyeol almost tripped down the stairs to get some water.

Chanyeol still cannot understand Chen’s advice very well, so he’s not sure the delay was worth it, but he guesses things can’t go terribly wrong even without it, because it’s not like he met Baekhyun yesterday; they’re friends and he knows a couple of his habits already, like the fact that his little guy doesn’t drink coffee and he prefers strawberry jam and not honey on his bread for breakfast. Chanyeol is very proud of himself for knowing such stuff, yup, definitely a praiseworthy life achievement. He shuffles inside, trying to control the raging smile on his face.

“Baekh-” he stops in the middle of calling Baekhyun’s name to let him know he’s back, because in a moment’s time it becomes unnecessary and he feels like the breath just got knocked out of him.

Baekhyun is asleep. He is lying in the middle of the bed, looking so much smaller in comparison to the huge furniture with the copious amounts of fluffy pillows and pastel covers. Chanyeol closes his lips, thanking his luck he didn’t shout loud enough to wake Baekhyun up. He’s lying on his side above the covers, curled up in a small tangle of limbs, holding a pillow securely in his grip. With the way Baekhyun’s arms and legs are wrapped around the pillow, as if his life –or sleep, in this case– depends on it, Chanyeol thinks that he now has an idea about what Chen meant, because he’s definitely thinking ‘koala’ right now. He smiles sweetly at the endearing sight without even noticing, and he leaves the glass of water on the bedside table.

In closer proximity, more details of sleeping Baekhyun come into view. Half his face is hidden behind the same pillow he’s cuddling and, as Chanyeol watches the way his shoulders and his sides move rhythmically to his breaths, he wants to fanboy just at that. He frowns, however, noticing Baekhyun’s disregard for the covers; what if he catches a cold in his sleep? He picks a soft comforter from the foot of the bed and unravels it, proceeding to drape it over the small body very carefully and gently, so that he won’t startle the other. He hopes Baekhyun won’t ask how the protective source of warmth found its way on him when he wakes up, because that might be, um, awkward. Chanyeol can’t exactly express in human words why he feels so protective and possessive of his little guy.

Chanyeol finds himself closer to Baekhyun in the process of covering him meticulously to the last inch of his back, and he unintentionally catches a whiff of the brunet’s strawberry shampoo. He smiles a little and blushes, as the better one tenth of his brain squirms and protests that this is not appropriate and it’s remotely creepy. Baekhyun stirs slightly, sighing contently in his sleep, and Chanyeol freezes for a moment. If Baekhyun opens his eyes, Chanyeol will be caught red-handed and he swears he’s going to jump right out that huge window they have for a wall out of embarrassment. But then, he looks at Baekhyun, who looks even more relaxed and comfortable, and he relaxes too, crossing his arms on the bed and resting his chin on them as he shamelessly stares at Baekhyun’s sleeping face; they are in their room anyway, no one can judge him for being here. His lips form a silly smile as his eyes take in the softened lines of the smaller’s face, the shadows on the curves of his face and neck, the tussled tufts of soft hair falling innocently across his forehead and eyes, his plum and moist lips that look so bite-able and his droopy eyes which are rimmed with thick eyelashes.

Yes, he is creepy, no news there.

--

“K-”

Kyungsoo jerks his whole body as if the hands crawling around his waist have caused him a seizure. The frantic chasing of scattered thoughts in his head and his panicked heart are not far from justifying a seizure, too. What’s more alarming though, is the smaller, muffled pain he feels on the back of his head when his back straightens. A yelping cry of pain resounds in the room and Kyungsoo spins around faster than lighting to see Kai stumbling back a couple of steps.

Time comes at a standstill as Kyungsoo realizes what just happened. He was blissfully unpacking necessary stuff from his suitcase, humming a small tune and minding his own business at that, thinking about how larger Kai’s t-shirts look folded next to his; when suddenly, hands appear, tracing the sides of his waist, and arms sliding around him, while he’s still bent over the bed and sorting through clothes. Yes, who else could it be, of course Kai must have come out of the bathroom by now, but that doesn’t trigger Kyungsoo any less, his instinct pushing him to stand straight. Unfortunately, noses protrude from faces, and Kai’s poor nose got the impact of its life against Kyungsoo’s head when the latter stood.

And now, Kai is clutching his face with both hands. His tangled eyebrows and hunched shoulders give away his pain, accompanied by automatic tears that make his eyes glaze as a reaction to the injury. Kyungsoo’s heart clenches uncomfortably at the sight.

“Are you okay?!” Kyungsoo squawks when he finds his mind again. He takes a few steps closer to the taller hurting male, not sure if he wants to fuss over him and nurse him back to health or punch him in the gut to reprimand him in this moment. A loud groan is all that comes out of Kai as a response and, even though it doesn’t sound aggressive, Kyungsoo stops in his tracks a few steps away from him. “What were you trying to do anyway?!” he yells, not sure what other sound he can make to let out his combusting feelings right now, the fright, anger, worry and guilt, all mixing in large quantities in his chest.

“I wanted to surprise you!” Kai yells back defensively and it sounds weird, almost muffled and almost louder with the hands cupping the lower half of his face. He still looks like he’s in pain but the tears seem to have subsided. Kyungsoo feels the blood indecisively running in his system, racing and then stalling in his veins. His body seems just as confused as he is with himself.

“By sneaking up on me?! As if I wouldn’t look up!” Who thinks a surprise like that will end in anything but disaster? But you knew he does things like that, he has sudden inexplicable urges for displays of affection, and you know this first hand, a small part of his brain comments, and that successfully turns the tables inside Kyungsoo, and he feels more guilty than anything else, even though it’s not entirely his fault. His fists loosen on his sides.

“I’m sorry, okay?!” it is Kai’s turn to yell indignantly, removing his hands from his face “Stop yelling at me, it’s ringing in my ears and- Ow, sunflowers, that hurts, flowering hurts” he hisses, touching the side of his nose experimentally and winching subtly, his lips pressing together.

If Kyungsoo has figured Kai at all in the few months he has known the man, he knows that Kai won’t be roaring anymore, because his anger tends to dissipate in just one blink, as if he forgets why he got upset in the first place, and that blink just happened. Kyungsoo should try to get closer and comfort him right now, but he stays frozen in his place instead, staring at Kai wide-eyed, feeling small waves of shock travelling in ripples through his body. Unavoidably, the taller male notices him when he stops testing his nose.

“What?” he asks obliviously.

“It-t-it’s bleeding!” Kyungsoo shrieks horrified, pointing one finger at Kai’s face where he has been staring since the other man retracted his hands. There are two red rivulets lazily sliding on the other’s Cupid’s bow and Kyungsoo wonders how come Kai hasn’t felt them tickling his skin yet. Kai’s eyes open wide in horror as well.

“What?!” he nearly jumps in fright, like a five-year-old realizing there’s a bee in his shoe, and Kyungsoo vaguely notices that yes, now they’re reacting properly, because when someone gets hurt, you’re supposed to fret over the injury, not yell over whose fault it was. Well, it takes them a while but they always get to the normal parts, eventually. They’re just a bit odd.

“Bleeding, like blood, you know! Come on, we need to put ice on it!” Kyungsoo doesn’t hesitate, grabbing the taller’s hand and dragging him out the door, aiming for the kitchen where they can find some ice before that thing swells, so that Kai’s handsome face can get a moment of relief from the pain. Kyungsoo hopes the unfamiliar kitchen won’t give him a hard time finding what he needs to fix his injured idiot.

“Ooof” a muffled sound trips on Kyungsoo’s ears and Kai stumbles behind him, but Kyungsoo is a man with a purpose right now and he doesn’t stop to check what went wrong in the other’s footing; he only keeps tugging at the hand he’s holding tightly.

“What now?” he asks, just to check his idiot is okay. Well, ‘okay’ minding the nosebleed situation.

“Hand-doorframe collision” Kai explains guiltily and Kyungsoo can visualize how that collision might have happened because he knows how Kai tends to be lankier than an octopus on certain days, when his body feels foreign to his brain’s instructions. Anyhow, we’re counting a second minor injury, and this is supposed to be the first day of vacation. Wow, it’s a seriously unlucky day for him.

“Can you please mind your limbs?” Kyungsoo complains, rolling his eyes at the empty hallway in front of him. He can’t grow eyes on his back to watch over Kai who has turned into a clumsy toddler all of a sudden due to some magical alignment of his inauspicious stars!

Speaking of ill fortune, one of the bedroom doors opens, revealing Lay and Suho. The two men stop by the threshold in just the right moment, allowing Kyungsoo to storm by with Kai in tow. Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on the stairs but he is sure the others saw him and Kai and the blood on the latter’s face.

“Oh my god, did you punch him?” Lay calls from behind them and he sounds amused but Kyungsoo blushes all the same. People shouldn’t know about their bickers and the results because it’s supposed to be private couple stuff, but it’s kind of hard to keep a secret in a house with six other men when your luck decides to push two of them out of their room just as you’re passing by.

“No!” he shouts to be heard –they would have heard him just fine, really, it’s just his mortification bubbling in his throat. Kyungsoo is not comfortable with showing his less-than-perfect sides to the world, especially when his inefficient relationship skills are part of the exhibit.

“Long story hyung” Kai feels the need to add, but Kyungsoo so doesn’t share that mindset, and he wants to tell the taller to shut up so badly, because this situation is awkward and embarrassing as it is, but he refrains because the audience is still there and him snapping at the idiot would be even more proof of his inadequate self.

“Is he okay?” Suho’s voice sounds more worried than Lay, but the guy is like a father who worries over everyone and everything, so Kyungsoo doesn’t bother answering. “I think Kyungsoo is mad” he hears Suho’s quiet voice just as he turns for the stairs, and he feels really bad for showing this side of him to a person he just met today and who has a heart made of gold. Kyungsoo thinks it must be his unlucky day too, because he finds more reasons to feel guilty with every step he takes.

“Are you really mad?” Kai asks timidly from behind him and Kyungsoo groans. He practically hauls both of them in the kitchen –which is thankfully empty of spectators.

“I’m gonna kill you for doing stupid things. But after I’ve fixed your nose” he growls and leaves Kai behind without a glance to search for a towel. He fills the towel swiftly with a few ice cubes and turns around, only to find Kai simply standing where Kyungsoo left him, trying to wipe the blood from his face without making a mess. Kai shudders at the touch of his own fingers on his nose and he looks at the blood on his fingers as if it’s something he has never seen before but he thinks it’s gross anyway. He looks so small and lost, panicking with what is happening to him but shyly not wanting to express himself in the same time. Kyungsoo’s heart softens at the edges.

“Sit.” He orders and pushes Kai to sit on a stool as he fits himself between the taller’s knees. Kai bites his lips momentarily, putting his hands awkwardly on the counter so that he won’t stain anything with the blood on them. He looks at Kyungsoo who is frowning at the burgundy mess under the other’s nose; at least it doesn’t look like it’s bleeding anymore. Kai takes a breath.

“You know, I’m-”

“Don’t talk. Hold still” Kyungsoo cuts him off, pressing the ice pack on the side of the other’s nose. He doesn’t want to hear anything from Kai, because there’s high chance he will be receiving an apology from him, even though if anyone should be apologizing, that would be Kyungsoo; but Kai is selfless like that sometimes when Kyungsoo gets mad at him, always saying sorry first. Kyungsoo doesn’t want to hear it. Kai winces when the towel touches his skin.

“Aw” he grumbles and Kyungsoo feels a twist of guilt in his gut.

“I said don’t talk”

“That was not talking”

A small stare-down ensues and, since they’re both so marvelously stubborn, it turns to a few minutes of intense silence between them, judging each other. By the end of it, Kyungsoo is not sure why he’s glaring at Kai anymore. But then he remembers why he wanted Kai to stay silent in the first place and he decides to grab his chance at speaking first. He blinks to end the competition of who can count the other’s eyelashes faster and starts in a calm voice.

“Just to be clear, I’m-”

“Going to kill me later, I know” Kai stops him mid-sentence and he sighs, his shoulders deflating glumly. He lowers the towel from his face to prevent a brain freeze and looks away dejectedly. He looks so much like a kicked puppy that Kyungsoo wants to slap the cuteness out of him. “I had it coming, I guess-”

And that’s Kyungsoo’s limit. His heart feels like it’s melting at Kai’s expression, so soft and apologetic, his eyes downcast and lips set in a pout. It feels oddly endearing that Kai repeats Kyungsoo’s earlier threat, proving that he had been paying attention to him, even in the midst of all that mayhem. When Kyungsoo hears his own words in such a different setting, he regrets shouting them at Kai and he wants to giggle as well, realizing how ridiculously fast they go through emotional states when they’re with each other. He wanted to kill him ten minutes ago and now he wants to kiss him so bad.

And so he does.

Kai freezes in surprise under his lips, his speech cut in half, but he catches up quickly, kissing back and moving his lips a bit. It’s just one small kiss, very simple and gentle, just enough to bring one of Kai’s hands on Kyungsoo’s waist, making Kyungsoo blush, because the touch feels treasuring. It’s these small, tender gestures that push Kyungsoo’s heart closer to Kai.

“Idiot” he mumbles softly when he pulls away, lifting one hand to hold the side of Kai’s face as he kisses the latter’s lower lip a few times in swift succession. “I was going to say I’m sorry this happened” he pulls back properly and looks Kai in the eyes to let him know he’s serious. The brown orbs staring back at him soften and a smirk appears on Kai’s full lips.

“I’m kind of not though” he says and leans forward for another kiss. Kyungsoo can’t help a small smile on his lips, knowing he is forgiven and catching on to the playful mood.

“What’s going on here?”

Sunflowers. Kyungsoo squeals in his head and jumps back at the sound of Luhan’s curious voice. It is fair to say that the mood has been ruined and Kyungsoo feels like the stupidest of all love-struck, starry-eyed teenage girls out there, because he should have minded the place and shouldn’t have allowed himself to get carried away in his moment with Kai. Because they’re in the kitchen, which is a common and frequented area, and they’d better keep their couple moments, good and bad, behind closed doors. He stumbles to the fridge hastily, like a scatterbrain squirrel, and he pretends to be too busy with the contents to notice his own blush on his cheeks.

Once his face is inside the cooling device, he thinks that yeah, this is pretty scatterbrain, because who has the sudden urge to run and stick their head in a fridge? He doesn’t even want to think about what he looks like, his rear sticking out from the huge stainless steel door. Saying hello to a faceful of lettuce which is minding its own business next to the fish, he wonders what possessed him to plunge into the kitchen appliance so fervently, as if he couldn’t find a better way out of his embarrassment. The only upside of hiding your face in the fridge is that the cold air helps reduce the blush on your face.

“Oh, sunflowers, you look horrible” Luhan comments, stepping inside the kitchen, followed by Sehun. He is probably addressing Kai; Kyungsoo fights the urge to wiggle anxiously in helplessness and keeps his mouth shut, despite the kick of guilt his feels in his stomach. Thankfully, no one seems to notice him and his pathetic makeshift hiding place. They probably think he’s really hungry or something.

“Thanks hyung, it’s only a bit of blood though” Kai answers, sounding somewhere between casual and sarcastic. Kyungsoo decides to remove his head from the foreign refrigerator because that expensive thing is so good at its job that his brain has almost frozen. Even after his head is out, no one notices him. Sehun walks closer to Kai.

“Let me see” he mumbles, expertly angling Kai’s face by raising his chin. “Does this hurt?” he presses his fingers on a certain place on Kai’s skin and Kai shakes his head. “This?” Sehun continues, trying a different spot. Kai shakes his head again. They continue like that for a while and Kai only once admits to feeling a sting of pain somewhere near his nose. Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows and exchanges an impressed glance with Luhan, who seems equally dumbfounded after realizing that Sehun is examining Kai, as if he has some medical degree that no one knows of. “I don’t think it’s broken” Dr. Sehun makes his final diagnoses and Kai nods thankfully and tries touching his own nose.

“Does this hurt?” Kai yelps, flailing his limbs at the sting of pain, and Luhan laughs at him, retreating his teasing hand which oh-so-accidentally bumped Kai’s hurt nose. Kai makes a grabbing motion for the ruthless culprit but Luhan sneakily hides behind Sehun and keeps laughing. “Kyungsoo, man, I never knew you had it in you” he breathes in between his cackling fits but Kyungsoo doesn’t feel so amused. He is half judging Luhan for his insensitivity and half burning in embarrassment. “Thank you for finally punching that idiot’s handsome face”

“It was an accident!” Kyungsoo defends and sulks as Luhan goes into another giggling fit. Sehun pats Kai on the shoulder comfortingly and Kyungsoo gets the sudden premonition that he will have to repeat his defense a lot in the future until someone believes him.

--

“Oh my gosh, why are you guys so cute?!” Luhan exclaims, surprising Kyungsoo who is not used to this side of the blond man. He’s seen him in serious business-mode and a few times as a quiet and calm person, but he’s never seen him so childishly care-free before. He thinks it’s a refreshing change and it suits Luhan well, although his heart could use a rest, because apparently, everything this side of Luhan does, has to start with a sudden exclamation that no one sees coming.

Except that right now, Luhan is practically choking and suffocating Baekhyun with a bear hug next to a dumbfounded Chanyeol. Not that Kyungsoo is blaming Luhan. Those guys really are cute, after all. Kyungsoo is like the president of that fan club, duh.

After the small get-together in the kitchen, where they were joined by Suho and Lay after Sehun and Luhan, to admire Kai’s unbroken nose and help reduce Kyungsoo to a puddle of profusely blushing mortification in the corner of the room, they started committing to a purpose in the kitchen by preparing dinner. Little by little, Kyungsoo got over his embarrassment, after a kind, encouraging speech by Lay while they were peeling potatoes together –the potatoes situation was slightly anticlimactic, but it’s a kitchen, what did you expect. Dinner is almost ready now and as mouth watering scents fill the air, cuteness gracious, Chanyeol and Baekhyun decided to make their appearance. And they’re wearing shirts of the same color. Almost couple shirts. Kyungsoo’s brain squeals at how adorable they look side by side, what with the height difference and matching blue t-shirts, Chanyeol looking like a gorgeous supermodel on his day off and Baekhyun looking like the cutest puppy that just woke up from a nap –Kyungsoo makes a note that Baekhyun needs a haircut session soon because his hair is almost in his eyes and yes, it’s his best-friend duty to notice.

Kyungsoo doesn’t even want to compare himself to any aspect of the duo because it hurts his brain. Those two are just too cute for human existence.

“I told you your other clothes were just fine for dinner” Baekhyun mumbles, blushing pink under the attention of the people in the room and shooting Chanyeol a deathly pout. If it’s not only in Kyungsoo’s sparkly imagination, Luhan just wiggled in glee, shaking along Baekhyun in his arms. The motion reveals Baekhyun’s small hand, curled in an endearingly begrudging way around a fistful of Chanyeol’s shirt, and Kyungsoo wiggles himself, feeling the cuteness filling him to his ears and becoming so much in his system that he has to do something to let out some tension. Kai gives him an odd look but Kyungsoo pointedly ignores him.

“Sorry Baek” Chanyeol mumbles with a timid smile and wide eyes, as Baekhyun tugs on his shirt once before letting go. Kyungsoo wants to bang his head on the table after hearing that nickname; you heard it too, right? How can they live so fluffily, it’s just, ugh and aww and kyaaa all at once! How can they not be a couple yet?! “What happened to you man?” Chanyeol’s baritone snaps Kyungsoo out of his daydreaming because the spotlight is on Kai once again, which means he is involved too and he will have to explain every embarrassing detail again. A side glance reveals to Kyungsoo Kai’s smirking face with a slightly bruised nose and Kyungsoo is just so sure that Kai’s next words are going to be so characteristically Kai.

“I’m living the dream with Kyun-awawawawww” yup, he was definitely planning to say something stupid but don’t worry, Kyungsoo’s got it under control by shoving a nearby pillow on the side of Kai’s face, effectively focusing him on his pain rather than whatever witty and embarrassing remark he was about to make. Kai coils to the side, cradling his face, but please, Kyungsoo knows this drama queen.

“Shut up, it doesn’t hurt” he growls, removing the pillow, only to confirm what he already knew; he made sure he’d push Kai’s face in a way he wouldn’t hurt him. He does feel remorse over Kai’s injury, you know.

“Kyungsoo broke his nose, all hail the mighty justice in this world” Luhan throws his arms in the air in a silent prayer to the gods, releasing Baekhyun in the process who, even though he coughs to regain his breath and he has to lean on Chanyeol for support, still manages to shoot Kyungsoo a judging glare. Chanyeol raises his eyebrows at Kyungsoo too, and Kyungsoo feels all the blood returning to his cheeks under the new round of judgment and shame.

“It was an accident, okay! And it didn’t break!” he defends fervently, stomping his foot in indignation. Is anyone ever going to believe him?!

--

After they finished dinner, they all helped clean up after their feast and decided to watch a movie in Suho’s large living room. Kai had warned Kyungsoo that the house is huge and expensive, but Kyungsoo hadn’t guessed correctly the exact amount of huge and expensive. As a result, he keeps feeling surprised every time he sees another huge room, like their bedroom. Now, Kyungsoo is not the jealous type, but Baekhyun and Chanyeol have a room just as big but prettier; their view is a-ma-zing. He doesn’t understand why Baekhyun was a bit apprehensive when Kyungsoo said he was the luckiest to share such a room with Chanyeol.

Anyway, back to their present in the living room, Kyungsoo doubts anyone is actually watching the movie. Even though the screen is as big as a window and the sound system is circling the whole room for better effect, everyone seems otherwise occupied. Suho and Lay are discussing quietly about the groceries they need to do, but they keep their voices low so that they won’t disturb anyone. Chen is more interested in the elegant decoration of the room than in the movie and Xiumin is putting a commendable effort into staying awake, but his eyes keep fluttering close. Luhan is just as sleepy but he doesn’t have to worry about falling asleep, because Sehun does the job of keeping him awake, poking him every so often and smiling amused every time Luhan jolts awake and then glares at him strictly to no avail. Baekhyun, being the cutest of the bunch, is already asleep, leaning his head on the closest thing to him, which just so happens to be Chanyeol’s shoulder. Chanyeol is trying to pretend he is watching the movie but he glances at Baekhyun more often than he glances at the screen. Kai is leaning happily on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, smiling dopily and certainly not watching the movie; he has been in this state ever since Kyungsoo admitted, after being asked, that he is having fun on this vacation, even while he was doing the dishes. Kyungsoo didn’t think it would be such a great deal to answer that he is having a good time, but Kai is an idiot and his brain works in mysterious ways; or doesn’t work at all, Kyungsoo is not certain yet. He wonders if you can get a brain injury from a punch to the nose. Oh my god, you too, myself?! It wasn’t a punch! Only a faint bruise remains of the incident and Kyungsoo hopes it will fade away fast.

When the movie is three quarters finished, Suho and Lay say goodnight and leave to rest, after reminding the rest that they will have breakfast ready by nine tomorrow morning. Xiumin is the one to leave next, unable to fight with Morpheus any longer, and Chen follows closely –probably because he doesn’t want to wake Xiumin later, when he goes in the room. Luhan is next, jumping out of his seat and accusing Sehun of being an annoying, pestering brat that made him lose his sleep, and he stomps his way to their bedroom on the same floor. Sehun giggles amused and then follows Luhan like a puppy to their room. Kyungsoo can hear their door locking, but he won’t even ask if that is dangerous; maybe they will find a dead body in the house tomorrow morning, but if it is Sehun, then he will probably rise from the dead to pester everyone again.

“Chanyeol” Kyungsoo whispers, nudging Chanyeol, whose wide eyes turn immediately to him. “Take Baekhyun upstairs and go to sleep. It’s not good for him to sleep like that and you are probably tired too”

“Okay” Chanyeol agrees, nodding accordingly. Then he looks at Baekhyun for a moment before returning his eyes on Kyungsoo. “Do I have to wake him?” he asks with an innocent pout. Kyungsoo wants to laugh at how cute their oblivion to their own feelings makes those two at times, but he contains his laughter, respecting the silence in the rest of house, and Kai answers the question instead.

“Just carry him, Yeol. Baekhyun is a small person” Kai points out but Chanyeol doesn’t seem convinced, pressing his lips together.

“How am I supposed to carry him? He doesn’t realize that he needs to hold on to my back, you know. What if I drop him?” a horrified expression crosses his features at the thought. At least his friend is in good hands, Kyungsoo thinks.

“Scoop him up then! It’s not like anyone will see you; they have all gone to bed” Kai suggests, motioning with his hands vaguely. Chanyeol thinks about it for a second, his eyes travelling from Kai to Kyungsoo to Baekhyun and to Kai again.

“Okay” he agrees, seeing how there is no other choice really.

Chanyeol holds Baekhyun’s shoulders while getting up so that Baekhyun won’t crush on the couch after the loss of his supporting shoulder, and then pulls him closer to his chest, hooking an arm under Baekhyun’s knees. Chanyeol is not one lacking stamina and muscle, so he lifts Baekhyun easily and shifts him slightly in his arms so that he can hold him more comfortably for both. Baekhyun makes a small noise, which Kyungsoo recognizes all too well, and when Chanyeol looks at him and Kai petrified, Kyungsoo assures him with a wave of his hand that Baekhyun is still sleeping. Baekhyun has the cute habit of making whimpering, soft noises when he is happy in his sleep; Kyungsoo knows that because Baekhyun was very happy every time he slept in his warm house and not in his cold dorm room during their university days –Kyungsoo wasn’t so happy, because the puppy whimpers tend to get annoying after the fortieth time. So, just now Baekhyun was happy, but definitely asleep. Chanyeol nods and leaves with long and careful strides, so as not to jolt Baekhyun awake, looking slightly darker pink than usual. Kyungsoo doesn’t know why he watched all this so intently, but he supposes he finds it cute.

“Soo” Kai purrs next to his ear, bringing him abruptly back to reality. Kyungsoo turns to look at him warily, not expecting this sort of call. “Can I kiss you?” he asks, looking straight into his eyes. Kyungsoo gasps and pinks. Well that was straightforward.

“No! We are in the living room!” he protests in a hushed voice but Kai gives him his irresistible puppy eyes.

“No one is here though”

“The kitchen is right there! What if someone comes down to drink some water?” They would make a spectacle of themselves again and Kyungsoo is not about to let that happen in front of his friends. How much embarrassment can a person withstand in a day? Kai takes on an adorable expression of utter misery.

“Come on, Soo…I haven’t kissed you since the afternoon!”

“It’s been like six hours!” Kyungsoo exclaims in a whisper and looks at Kai in disbelief. They have spent days apart in the past, so it is not so grave that they haven’t kissed for six measly hours.

“Yes, but I had you around all day and it has been torturous to me, not being able to kiss you” Kai pouts and Kyungsoo spares him a glare with his big eyes. This seems absurd, and it is. However, admittedly, seeing Kai fooling around and adoring him all day without being able to show him some affection back was a bit torturous to Kyungsoo as well. Kyungsoo doesn’t want to let himself be too affectionate to Kai, but he really needs to show some signs every once in a while; for one thing, Kai needs them for reassurance and, for another, Kyungsoo needs them, to remind himself that he is not a play-toy to someone, that he is actually participating in this relationship. He sighs.

“Okay; but just one ki-” he doesn’t have time to finish, interrupted by Kai’s lips. Kyungsoo gets almost too engrossed by the kiss to notice that the movie ended and the song is playing. And as ridiculous as that sounds, with the song filling the silence around them, Kyungsoo feels that this moment is somewhat romantic. Almost as much as he would like in his grotesquely romantic dreams. He almost forgets they are in the living room of a house that doesn’t belong to either of them.

Eventually, the music stops, but no one cares, certainly not Kyungsoo, who is too far into the kiss to notice anything that is not Jongin-related. On the contrary, he is very aware of everything related to Kai; how warm his lips feel, how his kiss is tempting Kyungsoo’s heart to burst in his chest, how his fingers are gripping the shorter’s hips securely, how his skin shivers and his muscles flex when Kyungsoo’s hands trace over his chest and back. This closeness feels addictive. Their make out session takes a small step closer to something more when Kai fidgets and his thighs brush against Kyungsoo’s legs. Kyungsoo’s breathing hitches as his gut lurches inside him, Kai smirks knowingly and Kyungsoo blushes. It’s painfully obvious to both of them that he wants this, maybe a bit too much.

“Not here” he whines as quietly as he can when Kai starts kissing his neck, Kyungsoo’s fingers tangling in his chestnut hair. He breathes in deep, trying to grasp whatever little coherence he has, to hold onto it until they’re safely behind the door of their bedroom. Kai smiles against his skin.

“Take this to the bedroom?” he mumbles on skin and Kyungsoo hums in response. They spend a few more minutes kissing and touching softly. Kyungsoo is this close to renouncing common sense and getting clotheless right where he is because it’s getting hot under his skin, but Kai pulls back, and he opens his eyes, realizing that they haven’t moved from the couch. “Aren’t we taking this to the bedroom?” Kai smiles smugly, playfully tugging on Kyungsoo’s patience strings. The smaller gives him a glare and who is Kai to , his pupils are just as dilated and his lips just as swollen. Kai doesn’t waver, his fingers sneaking under Kyungsoo’s shirt to trace circles on his lower back.

“Shut up, just one more kiss” Kyungsoo breathes and Kai claims his lips again.

--

“I can’t believe I lost my sleep because of you!” Luhan growls for the millionth time, tugging at the covers and closing his eyes in another vain effort to lull himself to sleep by singing in his head. If Sehun hadn’t been teasing him earlier, he would have been able to fall asleep now, but his nerves are hyper stimulated and now he feels like he just woke up. It’s Sehun’s fault –or so he tries to convince himself. It won’t be the same when he will be sporting dark circles tomorrow morning though! Sehun only laughs soundlessly, rocking the bed slightly, just like he does every other time Luhan complains. The audacity of this kid…

“Luhan, I really didn’t want to say this, but it seems you are the one who talks too much when it is time to fall asleep” he whispers and starts giggling right after. What?! It’s not Luhan’s fault! And it’s not like he does that regularly, it’s only Sehun who makes him furious and he can’t sleep!

“Shut up, you brainless brat!” he hisses; although, Sehun in fact has a brain. He turns around and lets his hand fall with accentuated force on the lump beside him that is called Oh Sehun, hitting him wherever in retaliation. Sehun groans, even though he doesn’t stop laughing quietly and Luhan settles for the little revenge he got from hitting Sehun.

“Luhan, we should put you to sleep, so we can both rest in peace” he breathes in between his laugher. Luhan shoots him an angry glare in the dark, estimating where his head must be. You put to sleep something that is too young or too old, and Luhan is neither. He is older than his age maybe, but not too old. Rest in peace?! Luhan turns on the small light on his bedside table so that he can finally give a lethal glare at the right place.

“You really want me to kill you tonight, don’t you?”

“Well, there are certain perks to dying young, now that I think about it” Sehun pretends to contemplate, unable to withhold his giggles completely towards the end. Luhan wonders if there is anything wrong with his I’m-going-to-rip-your-head-off look, because it doesn’t seem to be working.

“Seriously, this kid…” Luhan growls and throws the covers over his head. Maybe if he pretends that he is not here hard enough, the universe will be merciful enough to let him believe it and go to sleep. Luhan feels the bed shift, and normally he wouldn’t care about what Sehun decided to do, but he can suddenly feel a body weighing him down. He throws the covers off from his face indignantly to see Sehun straddling his hips with a smile. Luhan is more than furious to have the kid sitting on top of him like that with all the confidence and nonchalance in the world, as if there is nothing weird about it; but he also feels more flustered and hot than he should. Damn it, and he promised himself he wouldn’t think about Sehun in such a way anymore. It was the shock of his life that they got paired up as roommates, but he really did promise himself as much. The kid is making it kind of hard to keep his promise to himself though.

“Luhan, if I die young, there are a few things I want to do before I die” Sehun says calmly but still smiling.

“Well, Sehun, you are not dying, as sad as that might be, so you don’t have to think about those things you want to do before dying. Or think about them, I don’t care; I don’t need to know any of it either way. So please: takeyourfineassoffmyhipsandgotosleepthankyou” Luhan growls; feeling even more annoyed and even more hot by the minute. Sehun giggles; Luhan is failing his efforts to intimidate him but, well, at least Sehun is entertained...

“No; there are a few things I want to do before I die” Sehun repeats just like before and Luhan is about to make a comeback, but he is distracted when Sehun leans down on him, lower and lower, until he is hovering a few inches above him. Luhan forgets his anger for a moment, his desires taking over and his hormones overriding his brain. He is suddenly very aware of the pressure on his hips and the lean thighs on his sides, he is very aware of the heat emanating from Sehun’s body and his eyes twinkling in the dark, his breath brushing softly against Luhan’s cheek. Luhan feels all the blood rushing unhealthily to his head. “Number one: kiss you”

Without any other warning, Sehun does just that; he kisses Luhan. It is just a soft, chaste kiss at first, just like any other time. Just like any other time, Luhan loses his connection to the world and goes to his happy place without even planning to. He listens to his own heart beating loudly in his chest, hoping that Sehun is deaf and he can’t hear it too. But then, Sehun moves his lips better, capturing Luhan’s lower lip between them, bringing Luhan back from his dreamland. This has not happened before.

Sehun doesn’t seem nearly as surprised as Luhan and keeps at it steadily, then starting to wet and nip at Luhan’s lip. Luhan doesn’t know where Sehun is going with this and Luhan promised; but he has his limits. With a sigh, he surrenders to Sehun, letting the chips fall where they may, opening his lips and allowing him to enter his mouth. Luhan was under the vague impression that Sehun didn’t know how to give proper kisses, because, well, Sehun is a kid –it doesn’t sound as convincing an argument as it did in his head, okay?– but he now knows he was wrong. Sehun doesn’t know only how to give proper kisses, but also how to give mind-blowing kisses! His tongue works magic on Luhan, making him gasp and ask for more, even when he is breathless and even if this is just a kiss. To hell all the years of bedroom frustration. When Sehun breaks contact, it takes Luhan a few breathless moments with his heart racing a million miles per minute and his skin feeling eighty degrees Celsius hot, until he realizes what just happened.

“What the flowers was that Sehun?” he demands anxiously, feeling gravely embarrassed, severely distressed and slightly more physically aroused than before. Sehun smiles in response and kisses him again, but only shortly, with a pressed kiss on his lips.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Luhan hisses, feeling his heart racing because now he feels trapped under Sehun’s taller and heavier body. Sehun does the same thing as before, pressing a kiss on Luhan’s lips and smiling.

“Cut it out, kid! It’s not even funny!” he squeals in distress, but he receives the same answer from Sehun. Is this a way to tease Luhan, to make fun of him, to irritate him to his limits? Luhan finds it all but funny; infuriating, yes, arousing, yes, but funny, no.

“You annoying little bast-” Sehun doesn’t even let him finish this time before he’s pressing a kiss against his lips, sending Luhan’s brain down the only path it knows when he feels so stressed, mentally and physically. He starts talking and cursing uncontrollably.

“Why do you keep annoying the shi-” another kiss.

“Stop it, you idio-” another kiss.

“What the he-” another kiss.

“Are you craz-” another kiss.

“You, mothe-” another kiss.

“Please stop!” Luhan exclaims loudly, feeling like he is about to explode from the tension, the confusion and the loss of breath. But being nice doesn’t work either, because Sehun smiles and gives him another kiss.

“Sehun, please…” he whimpers helplessly. His brain is drained out, much sooner than usual, due to the excessive stress he is under, and he feels like he is mentally on the verge of snapping and becoming ill by something he doesn’t know and doesn’t want to imagine. Sehun kisses him on the forehead this time.

“That’s for being nice” he says quietly and, even if the kisses were Luhan’s stressor just a moment ago, driving him with a steady pace to insanity, this last kiss on the forehead soothes him somehow and his heart rate comes back to healthier levels.

“Thank you” he mumbles sincerely with a sigh of relief. A moment ago he thought that he had gotten himself stuck with someone who should be put behind bars. As smart and handsome and se*y as Sehun might be, it doesn’t mean he is not crazy too. But it seems like the kid has some sense left in his head. The question is, why is he playing so much with Luhan, why is he pushing him so much to the verge of insanity…

“Are you doing this on purpose?” Sehun asks with another sort of smile and kisses Luhan on the forehead again. It is a strange smile, a mixture of entertainment, mischief and something else that Luhan doesn’t know how to read in Sehun’s eyes.

“You mean being nice?” Luhan guesses.

“Yes” Sehun answers, looking down at him, supporting his weight with his arms on either side of Luhan’s head. Luhan knows this looks a lot like a crazy rollercoaster ride, but it is true that his feelings change so quickly and so completely. It doesn’t feel stressful or annoying or threatening anymore; everything Sehun does feels safe and affectionate and warm, like home. Luhan works on emotions right now, after the shock his brain received earlier, so he smiles at Sehun without much thought about the action or its connotation.

“Maybe” he answers playfully and Sehun leans down to kiss him, not like before, but sweetly and slowly. Luhan doesn’t fight back and he dare say he enjoys this kiss, his fingers curling around Sehun’s shoulders. “’Maybe’ is not not-nice” he says, after Sehun breaks their kiss just as softly as he started it. “You should be kissing here” Luhan points at his forehead with one finger and Sehun laughs quietly.

“You are right, ‘maybe’ is not not-nice; but what ‘maybe’ is implying is not-nice”

“You lost me” Luhan admits, blinking innocently. Sehun leans down and kisses his lips which are swollen by now for a very brief moment.

“Don’t try to run away from me; it’s not nice” Sehun explains and kisses Luhan again. It starts sweetly, but soon things escalate to something resembling a very hot kiss, maybe even hotter than the first kiss Luhan received for tonight. “Luhan” Sehun breaks the kiss too soon, leaving Luhan whimpering at the loss. Sehun gives him a serious look and Luhan quiets down. If only he could see how ridiculous he is being… “Will you be my first?”

“Hm?” Luhan asks bewildered, creasing his eyebrows. A few moments of silence ensue. Seeing how Luhan doesn’t get it even after all the staring, Sehun decides to give him one extra hint by lowering his hips even more and touch against Luhan. Luhan had almost forgotten about it, but he was well aware that he is excited down there; but he had no idea how excited he was until now. He also had no idea that Sehun is the same sort of excited. Except for the awareness, the move brings pleasure as well, making Sehun bite his lips and Luhan groan quietly, curling his fingers around Sehun’s shirt.

“So, will you?” Sehun asks again, his voice slightly raspy. Luhan thinks of Sehun’s question again. ‘Will you be my first?’ …as in…Sehun is an inexperienced?!

“You’re an inexperienced?” Luhan asks in disbelief, squinting his eyes in the dim light from the bedside light and raising one eyebrow. It’s Sehun we are talking about; he is a genius, he is good boyfriend material for someone his age and unusually mature, maybe he is a bit stupid sometimes but he has many virtues to balance his flaws and, most importantly, he has a smoking hot body. How can he never have slept with someone before? Be it girl or boy, someone must have eyes out there! Sehun rolls his eyes.

“So you’re a genius after all”

“Hey, this is serious” Luhan slaps Sehun’s chest lightly with a frown.

“I know it is serious. Now will you answer the question? This is getting really agonizing” Sehun says in all seriousness. Luhan sighs and takes a few moments to think about it. If someone asked if he wants to have bedroom with Sehun, yes, he does. He is twisted for wanting that, but he does want Sehun, because who wouldn’t? There is no point in hiding now. If someone asked if he wants to be Sehun’s first, honestly he would be honored; but there are implications, so no. What if the kid gets too attached to him afterwards? Luhan is faulty, he is faulty in a way that he breaks others and he doesn’t want to break Sehun. So, if someone asks if Luhan wants to have bedroom with Sehun and be his first, Luhan doesn’t know.

“How sure of this are you?” he asks in a low voice. If anyone is going to answer the question minding Sehun’s best interest, it might as well be Sehun himself.

“I’m very sure. But only if you want to” Sehun answers calmly, making Luhan’s heart melt. He reaches his hand and cups Sehun’s cheek, swiping his thumb over his beautiful cheekbone and then over his lips. Sehun sighs and closes his eyes at that motion.

“Okay” Luhan decides. He might as well go to hell after all this, but he cannot bring himself to deny Sehun something he wants in this moment. In this moment, Luhan wants the same thing, too. Sehun opens his eyes and smiles at him, making Luhan smile back and blush slightly. The taller boy leans down and kisses Luhan but it is Luhan’s turn to break the kiss.

“Did you change your mind?”

“No; it’s just that…Sehun.” Luhan looks up at him, feeling utterly embarrassed for the words that are about to come out of his mouth, but he needs to tell Sehun, even if he gets more blood than thoughts in his head. “I…I haven’t done this in a long time” he admits, covering his face with his hand. He has not been with anyone after Kris; which is like, what, two years? And what if he doesn’t remember? Sehun laughs quietly, removing Luhan’s hand and kissing his bright red cheeks.

“We’ll go slow then” Sehun amends and Luhan feels reassured, hearing his voice. He bites his lower lip and Sehun leans down, replacing his teeth with gentler and nips.

--

Chen rolls on his side. For the twenty seventh time. There’s nothing wrong with his other side and nothing is wrong with the bed; but you see, there is this small issue of ‘mmnn, ah, oh, ugh, yes, aw’s that keep harassing his ears. And to think this is supposed to be a children’s room, it should have had better sound isolation; what would the kids think of their parents? The sounds are everywhere.

It’s scary.

The walls keep knocking on both sides and sounds keep seeping through the walls. He tried blocking them with the pillow and three blankets over his head –no, he wasn’t suffocating– but nothing seems to work. He wishes so fervently that his room was next to Baekhyun’s, because that must be the only room that’s not seeing any action tonight. At least, he thinks so. It’s a reasonable guess, because Baekhyun was sleeping like a log earlier in the living room and Chanyeol is too much of a feelings guy, so he wouldn’t try anything unless they can make it special and all that glitter, which is pretty damn hard when one of them is like a clingy koala in hibernation.

Now now, Chen is not the type to freak out over other people’s bedroom activities and he is honestly okay with the concept, but can the concept be a little quieter so he can sleep? Every time his eyelashes start hinging, a particularly loud exclamation or a suspicious thud resonates in the room, startling him out of dreamland. Chen needs a break, just for five minutes, until he falls asleep, and then, by all means, people, carry on with whatever makes you happy. He really doesn’t appreciate his sensitive hearing right now, he’s cursing it to the depths of the ocean outside this house and back.

He needs sleep. It’s vacation. The lack of sleep is making him cranky.

He switches sides again, hauling the pillow over his head, just to try it once more. It’s still ineffective. He keeps his growl as quiet as he can and squirms soundlessly under the covers, because unlike certain neighbors, he’s a considerate person who doesn’t want to disturb his roommate. Chen peeks under the covers at the bed across the room. If the man is asleep, maybe he can grab his hideous shirt and run outside to burn the eyesore of a clothing piece, saving himself from the inappropriate sounds and letting out some steam; that’s killing three birds with one stone. He’s good with evil plans like that.

Unfortunately, the man is not asleep, so he has to postpone the plan. He knows the other is not sleeping because no one sleeps in a position of a dead man in a coffin, straight and stiff, eyes on the ceiling and hands crossed on his stomach. It looks weird, even in the pitch darkness. Chen doesn’t blame him; they’re both waiting for the extracurricular activities to end, only Xiumin is patient while Chen is not.

“Do you want a drink?” Xiumin says suddenly, his voice calm and kind, like every other time Chen has heard him speak, but there is an edge. He wants to get out of here too. “It’s on me” he adds, to be more convincing, but Chen doesn’t really need any certifications, he’d honestly take any given chance to run out of this room. The sounds are relentless and Chen finds himself throwing away the covers eagerly, mirroring Xiumin, as if they have rehearsed it.

“Sure” he mumbles, but no one needs to hear his reply, because they’re both running to the door already. They reach the ground floor in record time.

Xiumin seems to know his way around the house, so he leads them to the small bar area in the corner of the dining room, flicking on the lights –not too many lights, because that would sting their eyes, but just enough to see around. Chen settles on a stool and starts analyzing the décor automatically with his trained designer eyes while Xiumin starts his business with bottles and glasses from behind the counter. After a while of silence and a bit of clunking from the ice cubes, Chen remembers that Xiumin is a bartender and he peeks behind the counter curiously.

“What are you making?” he asks amused. He doesn’t recognize the drink, and trust him, he knows about drinks, he’s a social butterfly and he’s been to many bars and restaurants.

“Something that will help you relax and sleep without suffering a hangover tomorrow morning” Xiumin answers simply, almost humming, his eyes fixed on his task. Chen smiles, feeling pleasantly surprised with the other man’s answer.

And then he hears it. The sounds. Are. Everywhere. Even on the ground floor.

“Do I hear what I think I’m hearing?” he asks, leaning away from the counter, in the direction of Sehun and Luhan’s room. His eyebrows crease in confusion. He didn’t know those two were together like that.

“I think I hear the same thing you think you’re hearing” Xiumin confirms with an equally puzzled expression. A moment of attentive silence between them confirms that the muffled sounds they can hear are indeed what they think they can hear.

“It’s the sea, isn’t it? It makes everyone hotty” Chen throws his arms in the air in exasperation. He should have known it wouldn’t be a good idea to go on vacation with two and a half couples, which just turned out to be three and a half couples –the half is Chanyeol and Baekhyun, in case you’re wondering, because they’re not a couple exactly…

“I seriously hope not” Xiumin says with a small smile as he hands over a drink and oh, Chen notices that the man has a pleasant smile and killer biceps for his size. At least he’s not suffering alone tonight. “It’s too late to go out to a bar though. The music tends to cover all that with the pounding base…” he makes a wide circle with his arms and a strange expression of aversion towards the bedrooms. Chen smirks and agrees, because he has had some experience himself with what Xiumin is describing. And that’s when-

“Sehunnn…”

“Let’s at least go to the kitchen” Xiumin proposes enthusiastically and Chen is already half way there; he’d rather be anywhere else, because he seriously doesn’t need to know those stuff about his friends, it’s too much information. They settle in the kitchen, where it seems safe enough to say that it’s finally quiet.

“So, you’re friends with Chanyeol’s small cute guy?” Xiumin starts a light conversation, sipping his drink. He looks so young, almost like a child. No, not almost, Xiumin is visually stuck at the age of five. Chen smiles behind the rim of his delicious drink. Baekhyun would have blushed so hard, had he heard what the baby-faced man just said.

“Yeah, that’s one looong friendship” Chen says, leaning his arm on the kitchen island, like Xiumin. Mhm, now he has a nicer view of the other’s biceps…“You’re friends with Kyungsoo’s tall hunk?” he returns the question in the same pointless manner of naming their friends as someone else’s property. Chen raises his fine eyebrows with a clever smirk and Xiumin smiles, nice teeth showing this time, nodding his head slightly.

“Fair enough” he acknowledges the comeback chivalrously and Chen thinks that he likes this guy. And so, one night of friendly revelations and maybe a bit of subtle flirting begins for two men who were practically strangers this morning.

--

“Do you think they like the house?” Suho asks, pulling his dark eyebrows together. Lay smiles; it is so much like his boyfriend to worry over trivial things. His fingers run along the other’s jaw and feather over his flushed neck.

“Of course they like the house; how could they not?” he says gently and kisses away the frown on Suho’s forehead, leaving a smile behind.

“I really like those people; they are good company” the raven continues, gathering Lay closer by the waist. They have a bunch of covers between them but Lay still feels the butterflies in his stomach by the proximity of the other’s exposed, toned torso.

“Yeah, they are” Lay confirms, trailing his index finger over a few fresh marks on the other’s skin. He likes the way Suho shudders at the touch.

Lay thinks that Luhan can be difficult sometimes, he knows from his experience as ‘the best friend’, Chanyeol is a bit self-centered most of the time, which he knows also from experience as ‘the secretary’, and Kai can be a pestering idiot, and Lay doesn’t know how Kyungsoo stands him for such prolonged periods of time and he doesn’t want to know it from experience, thank you very much. But they are good people, all of them, because Lay doesn’t have any experience which he doesn’t reminisce fondly.

“So, I didn’t ask Chanyeol” Suho says after a while of quiet kisses, and he sits up on the bed a bit, drawing the blue covers and Lay above him “Is he a couple with Baekhyun?”

“What?” Lay puts on a scandalized smile, turning to give his lover a look before settling back and letting him continue with petting his hair. “I don’t know, but I don’t think so. They asked for separate beds so, unless they’re prudes –which I don’t think they are, they might be many things, but not that– I think they think they are just friends” he giggles to himself and Suho shrugs his shoulders.

“Maybe they should be a couple though” he continues, ever so attentive to everyone, because he’s such a kind soul. “Baekhyun is pretty cute and Chanyeol is happier than ever; not to mention how much more considerate and kind” he stresses and Lay nods in affirmation. He has known Chanyeol for many years and he can see the change in his boss with his own eyes. Chanyeol smiles more these days, he seems more hopeful on life and he says ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ when he really means them. Chanyeol wasn’t bad before, he was just a bit spoiled and had issues, but Lay would be lying if he said he doesn’t prefer this new Chanyeol, who has some cutely dumb moments and blushes and laughs for real.

“Baekhyun is magical” he says and giggles, because Suho traces his ear shell and it tickles “He makes other people become better people” Lay is pretty sure that the only way to make the Park Chanyeol carry his own luggage would be magic, and Baekhyun made that happen. Chanyeol even seemed happy to do it, offering to carry any other luggage that the others couldn’t handle; we all know he was secretly hoping to help Baekhyun and be the prince in the whole situation, but Baekhyun is a stubborn independent puppy and he insisted on carrying his own stuff by himself. Luhan took the offer instead, loading Chanyeol with one more suitcase and a triumphant smirk of finally getting his revenge for years’ worth of slaving to the taller.

“Hmm, should I cast my net for him then?” Suho asks, shifting a bit and Lay pulls back with a gasp, to see him sporting a teasing grin on his lips. Lay glares at him playfully and slaps his bare chest.

“Don’t you dare, Kim Joonmyun.” he threatens, even though his smile kind of destroys the effect. Suho smiles widely and kisses him on the lips to seal their deal.

--

Chanyeol opens the door to the room with his foot, very grateful that he didn’t fall off balance, especially now that he is holding Baekhyun. Carrying Baekhyun like this feels like carrying something of great importance, like he is carrying his own heart in his arms. And it also feels exciting and embarrassing, because somewhere deep down in Chanyeol’s fantasies, he has a similar wish, to carry Baekhyun bridal style like this –and not because the latter is sleeping.

The light from the moon that comes through the glass wall is more than enough for Chanyeol to see clearly, which is very helpful. He takes Baekhyun to the bed and places him there gently, so that he will not jolt him awake. Baekhyun doesn’t let go of his shirt immediately, pulling at it with his little fists, as if he doesn’t want to let go of Chanyeol; the thought is nice, but in truth Baekhyun is only sleeping and Chanyeol should not get his hopes up. Chanyeol gently pushes Baekhyun’s hands away to free himself and then he reaches over for the covers. There is a sweet taste on his tongue while he does this, taking care of Baekhyun like a child; it brings a sense of endearment, maybe because Baekhyun looks so cute, innocent and vulnerable when he is sleeping. He makes sure that Baekhyun’s legs are tucked in safely under the covers and then he pulls the white duvet up to his shoulders.

Suddenly, a hand shoots from under the covers and slender fingers lock around Chanyeol’s wrist. Chanyeol flinches in surprise, but then he notices that Baekhyun looks uneasy, so he leans down to see what is wrong.

“Chanyeol” Baekhyun mumbles sleepily, unhinging his eyes as little as possible and sighing. Chanyeol has seen this before but, just like back then, he doesn’t know what he is supposed to do when Baekhyun is sleep-talking like this.

“What is it Baek?” he asks in a whisper, keeping his voice as calm as he can, even though his proximity to Baekhyun is making his heart jump and flip in his chest.

Baekhyun doesn’t answer. Instead he lifts himself to sit on the bed, still holding Chanyeol’s wrist, and rubs the corner of his eye with the fist of his free hand adorably. How can his body function when his brain is sleeping? Chanyeol panics because this is a whole new level of sleeping communication skills that he doesn’t know how to cope with, but he decides to just go with it, until Baekhyun falls asleep again. Baekhyun shuffles under the covers to reach the other side of the bed, pulling Chanyeol along, so Baekhyun ends up sitting on the opposite side from the one Chanyeol left him and Chanyeol is standing on his knees, balancing on the soft bed near Baekhyun.

“Come on, we should go to sleep” Baekhyun mumbles, patting the pillow next to him with his free hand.

What?!

Baekhyun is half asleep, so maybe he doesn’t feel anything out of place when making such a suggestion to Chanyeol but, for the latter, who is wide awake and his senses are more acute because of his racing heart, sleeping next to Baekhyun doesn’t sound like a viable option. He feels the blood pooling unhealthily under his cheeks and the air feels significantly hotter and stuffier, and thank god the light is not too much or Baekhyun would be able to notice his blush even in his sleepy state.

“Um, it’s okay Baek; you just go to sleep and I will sleep on the floor” Chanyeol reassures him quietly, hoping that the quiver in his voice was not too noticeable, patting comfortingly the hand that Baekhyun has around his wrist. It’s an awkward move but Chanyeol is a bit afraid of making other, bigger moves, because that might trigger Baekhyun to latch himself on Chanyeol, and although Chanyeol is more fine with that than you could ever imagine, he doesn’t know how to disengage from the smaller’s grips yet, so he’ll be stuck by his side throughout the night. Baekhyun frowns, his eyebrows pulling together in the sweetest sleepy pout.

“If you sleep on the floor, I will sleep on the floor too” he says stubbornly, mumbling a few of the words but otherwise pronouncing them very decisively. Chanyeol hadn’t thought that sleepy Baekhyun would be so stubborn.

“No Baek, you don’t have to do that” he tries to sound convincing, because he surely won’t have Baekhyun sleep on the floor in any case, but also gentle, because Baekhyun is like a small, sleepy child.

“Yes, I do. I sleep where you sleep” he insists, trying to maintain his charming pout, even though his face wants to relax in sleep. Chanyeol smiles at the sight.

“Listen, I don’t mind slee-”

“Park Chanyeol!” Baekhyun exclaims slightly louder in a sleepy voice “We will sleep under the same conditions and that’s that, period. Now you can decide if you want us to sleep on the bed or on the floor” he says in a final tone, pursing his lips in an adorable and slightly funny combination with his half-closed eyes. Wow, sleepy Baekhyun is really stubborn!

For some reason, even if it makes Chanyeol’s life difficult, Chanyeol finds it endearing…

Chanyeol starts to think about his options, including one which he didn’t want to think of earlier: sleeping in the same bed with Baekhyun. Just for the sound of it, Chanyeol doesn’t want to do it. Because here: Chanyeol; sleeping; in one bed; with Baekhyun. You get how that sounds, right? Well, Chanyeol cannot begin to explain all the feelings this sentence gives him! They have slept in the same room before, but in the same bed? That is several levels up and Chanyeol doesn’t know if he has the required abilities to do it. It is like number one fanboy sleeping next to his idol, meets Casanova sleeping next to a fair maiden…Then, there is the fact that Chanyeol is too tall and too big and Baekhyun is too small, so what if Chanyeol rolls over in his sleep and suffocates Baekhyun? Not to mention his notorious starfish sleeping habits, and he really doesn’t want to hit Baekhyun in his sleep or push him off the bed…

But it’s a big bed, so that might save him from all of the above. He can always just curl to one corner, safely away from Baekhyun, and wait there until he is half asleep and then the sun rises, birds are chirping and he gets up early, end of story.

“Chanyeol, can you decide a bit faster? I’m sleepy…” Baekhyun mumbles goodheartedly, his head nodding forward in sleep before he catches himself and lifts it up again to keep awake. Chanyeol doesn’t like tormenting Baekhyun, so he makes his decision.

“Okay, Baek, you win. Let’s go to sleep” he says softly, almost cooing, with a smile, tussling Baekhyun’s soft hair with his fingers playfully. Baekhyun smiles sleepily and beautifully, and then he squirms lazily until he is under the covers, resting his head on a pillow. Chanyeol gets under the covers as well and he is about to move over to the other side of the bed, when Baekhyun grabs his hand again. He turns around bewildered; is he not asleep yet? “Baek?”

“This stays with me” Baekhyun murmurs, losing consciousness fast; however, he still manages to tangle his slender fingers between Chanyeol’s and bring their entwined hands next to his face on his pillow. Chanyeol blushes, feeling the soft breath travelling between his fingers and the soft skin resting against his palm. How is Chanyeol supposed to sleep away from Baekhyun as planned now? His arms are long but not that long.

“I need my hand to sleep in one piece, silly” Chanyeol tries to joke, mostly to keep himself from wreathing in agony, excitement and frustration all at once.

“It’s to make sure you won’t leave” Baekhyun mumbles through his pink little lips, drowsy with sleep, so low that Chanyeol almost didn’t hear. Chanyeol bites his lips and looks up at the sky in despair. This could be a gift from heaven but it feels like torture really, because Baekhyun is so close and yet Chanyeol cannot be as close as he would like.

But you know what they say: if you cannot avoid something, you might as well try to enjoy it. He lets his head sink in the soft pillow and turns on his side to look at Baekhyun. It looks like the smaller man is already asleep, his jaw lax and his breathing slow and even. The moonlight shines wonderfully on his skin and his closed eyelids look soft lavender in color. The shadows from his eyelashes and his nose look very soft and light on his face, his hair brushing innocently across his forehead. Chanyeol stares and stares at the beautiful, peaceful image in front of him, which he crosses for the second time today. This can be officially named the best vacation in forever.

“Goodnight, Baekhyun” he mumbles, just before his eyes flutter close and he falls into a sweet sleep with a smile gracing his lips.

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a/n. Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed everything! In case I got you disoriented, this is the end of vacation Friday, so we have a full vacation weekend to look forward to! (hopefully, I won’t have to split the days and confuse you, but I can’t promise, because these chapters get kind of long) There are so many things happening! Even guest POVs with Sulay & Xiuchen happened! I hope you liked it! *round of applause in honor of our guests please* Poor Xiuchen suffering from other people’s extracurricular activities…

Firstly, I’d like to inform you beyond doubt that Sehun is so, in spite of Luhan’s age-conscious worries, they’re actually legal. And HURRAH, they couldn’t be more practically out of the friend-zone! (we’ll get them out of there officially soon) Sehun’s approach was unconventional but hey, it worked! (it’s not recommended in real life though) I have more in store for you in the next chapters, fluffier things for them…We still have to go through the uncomfortable morning-after confrontation though.

I’m very sorry for Kai’s nose *bows apologetically* I needed a victim (but it wasn’t serious, it won’t be even mentioned again) Did you enjoy the Kaisoo emotional rollercoaster? What can I say, it’s a passionate relationship. I liked them when they were fighting-panicking, and I think Kai took it well (am I raising your boyfriend standards to the stratosphere or what? if yes, then good; you deserve it <3) I think I hadn’t mentioned Kyungsoo as a baekyeol fanboy in a while, so there^^

Sleepy Baek & koala Baek are back! I just couldn’t resist~ Our two main Baekkie patterns combine in one chapter*-* And Chanyeol and Baekhyun slept while holding hands! (I swear I’m becoming an expert in self-inflicted nosebleeds) I wonder how they will wake up, huhuhu~ ;) We’ll find out all about the awkward, cuddly and sweet situations in the next chapter, and I can see the sea!!! Until then, kitty~