Archive of Our Own

The moonless night struck an eerie darkness over the quiet neighborhood, a chill whispered through the air that caused gooseflesh to rise on Sehun's arms. The backyard looked out into a dark expanse of woods, ones that Chanyeol would cross through regularly to come and escape his boredom. Chanyeol sighed loudly next to him, passing him a bottle of cheap wine they'd gotten from the convenience store clerk who never cared enough to ask for ID. “Can you believe next month we'll be gone from here?” he asked, his normally loud voice softening.

Sehun tipped the bottle back, warm bitter liquid coating his tongue. He handed the bottle off again before shaking his head at his friend's words. “You shouldn't sound so sad about it. This place is shit,” he let out a faint laugh.

Chanyeol cocked a brow slightly. “You aren't even a little bit sad about it? I mean...we did grow up here. Our families are here. We could be moving in with total psychos,” he joked, but his nerves were evident in the way he reached to scratch the back of his neck.

Slender fingers moved to dance along the cool bars on the rail. “It'll be okay, Chanyeol,” he bumped into the other with his shoulder, offering a little smile. “We're going to college, not off to war,” he reminded him. It wasn't that he didn't understand the other's nerves. Occasionally he got a pit in his stomach at the thought of being anywhere but the familiar, yet he always talked himself out of it.

“Yeah, I know,” he shrugged, offering a wide smile in return. After he took another considering sip of wine, a thought seemed to dawn on him. “Oh, hey, I forgot to ask. Did you get the email about your roommate? I got mine earlier, it slipped,” he asked, his usual enthusiasm creeping back in.

“Did they already send those out?” he asked, “Who's yours?”

Chanyeol withdrew his phone, swiping a few times to bring up the email. “His name is...Byun Baekhyun, apparently. Saint Luke Hall, room 329. Then his phone number and email,” he furrowed his brow slightly.

“Huh. Did you look him up yet?” Sehun asked, knowing that it was practical to at least get an idea of who he was living with.

With a shake of his head, Chanyeol slid closer so that they could both see his phone. Minutes later, they had a likely profile on Facebook and a questionable Twitter account. Most of his photos on Facebook were strange selfies and what seemed like inside jokes with friends. His (possible) Twitter was filled with pop culture references and bad puns. “This is the guy I'm going to be living with?” Chanyeol asked, amusement and disbelief dancing in his tone.

“He seems as dumb as you are,” Sehun laughed.

“Fuck you. Your turn, check your email,” Chanyeol ordered, slipping his phone back in his pocket. He reached for the bottle of wine, finishing it off with a quiet whine a moment later.

Sehun obliged and pulled up his email. Sure enough, there was a similar message in his inbox. “Okay. Uh, his name's Kim Jongin. Saint Luke, room 316...hey I think we're just down the hall from each other,” he mumbled. He didn't wait for Chanyeol to prompt him into looking him up, and he typed in the name. “I don't really see anything?”

Chanyeol frowned, reaching to take Sehun's phone from him to scour for himself. “Huh, this guy's kind of quiet apparently,” he mumbled to himself, “Wait...hang on, I think I found him.”

He was used to Chanyeol's stalking skills online, so he could hardly protest. “Well?”

“Well, he doesn't have any photos of himself? Like...anywhere. Plus his settings are super private. But here's something you're going to love,” Chanyeol said with a devilish grin, brandishing the phone with too much enthusiasm.

On the screen was Jongin's current profile header, an anime character waving a weapon in the air. “Oh fuck,” Sehun groaned loudly, “He's a geek.”

-

The next morning, Sehun awoke to a text from a number he didn't recognize, but from the first line he realized it was the geeky roommate he'd just discovered.

[from: unknown] Um hi! The school sent out the room assignments yesterday so I figured I'd...say hi? I don't know. This is weird, I guess, but I just sort of assumed the number was your cell so haha idk I'm Jongin.

Sehun couldn't resist the urge to cringe at how awkward he already sounded, and he dawned on a flash of the future in which he had to listen to some dumpy loser's anime club problems. His gaze drifted to the window, where the late morning sun drifted down onto the dark hardwood floor, and for the first time he felt a sense of loss at the thought of leaving.

[to: geeky jongin] hi jongin. i'm sehun but you probably know that. where are u from

He sent the text, rolling over in his bed again with a grumble of laziness. It wasn't long before Jongin was texting him back, and over a few exchanged messages he learned that the other was from a small town, that he would supply the microwave, and that he had dogs. Sehun told him about being from a suburb, agreed to get a mini-fridge, and mentioned that Chanyeol was a childhood friend who would be attending the same school.

It was early afternoon by the time he managed to even roll out of bed, and as he padded into the kitchen to grab something to eat, he was taken aback by Chanyeol already sitting at the breakfast nook. “Um, dude?” he questioned.

Chanyeol glanced up from his phone, his usual smile spreading across his face. “It's about time you woke up, I've been here for like an hour.”

“...Why?”

“I'm bored, and I need someone to entertain me. So that's you. Let's go pick up some stuff for the fall,” he suggested.

“Can I eat first?”

“We'll eat when we get there. Come on, you've wasted enough of my time already.”

Sehun groaned. They both knew that Chanyeol didn't actually mind that much, and he suspected that the other was exaggerating how long he'd spent in the house waiting anyway. If Chanyeol got too impatient, he was known to barge in places and demand attention, so Sehun wasn't particularly bothered. With a final grumble, he agreed and slipped back into his room to get ready.

Once they'd made it to the bright, overly perfumed mall, Sehun informed Chanyeol of the messages with Jongin, moaning about how much it was going to suck sharing a room with him. Of course, he only knew what little Jongin had told him and what he'd dug up, but his assumptions made it all sound terrible.

“Well, if you'd have roomed with me like I suggested, you wouldn't be in this mess,” Chanyeol chided with a faux sympathetic smile. “Baekhyun emailed me too, he seems cool.”

“Don't rub it in, asshole,” he elbowed the other in the ribs.

-

Weeks later, Sehun and Jongin still hadn't spoken that much. They'd gone over a few of their habits, a couple of interests, and some basic college discussion. Overall, he was still dreading it, and he was still unsure of what to expect from the other.

[msg to: loser jongin] so hey whats your ig? Or twitter or whatever.

The question had mostly been Chanyeol's idea, so that he could find out more about Jongin since everything with his name seemed to be so hidden. It wasn't but a minute later that his soon-to-be-roommate texted him the link to his Instagram account.

“Alright, take your bet. What do you guess he looks like?” Sehun asked, glancing over to where Chanyeol was playing a video game where bright colors and animated landscapes dominated the screen.

“Typical nerd. Glasses, pimply...maybe a bowl cut, probably overweight,” he easily rattled off.

Sehun snorted before clicking the link. A frown quickly settled on his face, however. The account had plenty of photos, but none of them were of the owner. There were figurines and video games, stills from shows and merchandise from conventions, but it was lacking any evidence of who Jongin might be or what he looked like. “Um, I think it's still a mystery? There are no photos of him...” he explained, feeling a little bit let down at having no image to go on.

“Seriously? This guy must be totally ugly then,” Chanyeol laughed. “But I guess you'll find out in like a week.”

-

The day of move in, Sehun was apprehensive. His father was unable to make it, having had to work. But the night before he'd given him a tight hug and told him to do his best, and Sehun promised to call him. His mom was the only one to drive him to campus, with his brother already having left the week prior for his own school. The entire drive she kept trying not to cry, and he kept trying to soothe her with reassurances that he would be fine, and that he would come down and see her as often as he could.

He knew that Chanyeol was going to come later, his entire family insisted on being around and they were never particularly strict about the idea of time. They gathered the information the overly perky students gave out, trying to drum up more enthusiasm than anyone else for being back at school. By the time they finally found the dorm, and where to park to unload, Sehun was already exhausted of the day.

“Is your roommate already here?” his mom asked.

“Uh...I don't know. Maybe?” he said, not having texted Jongin one way or another about it.

“Want to go in first and check it out? I'll start situating,” she offered.

Sehun agreed and grabbed the keys that he had been given, heading into the dorm hall in order to find his room. There was a mass of different students and their parents milling about in various states of disarray and exhaustion. It didn't take him long to find 316, though there didn't seem to be much activity around the room which made him question if Jongin was still yet to arrive.

Stepping inside, he was surprised to see that one half of the room was already set up, complete with a made bed and organized desk. It took a moment for him to realize that there was another presence, obscured by the way he was rummaging through clothes in the closet. “Uh...hi?” he said apprehensively.

The words seemed to draw the person out of their reverie, and he turned around with a smile. “Hey. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in,” he laughed.

There was a pause, one in which Sehun's throat seemed to go dry. The guy standing before him was tall and thin, with messy dark hair and a full pout that spread into one of the most beautiful smiles he'd ever seen. “Um...are you...?” he let the words dangle, thinking that this person had to be someone else.

“Yeah, I'm Jongin,” he confirmed, a hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck.

“Oh. Uh, you aren't how I imagined you...” he said before his mind could catch up with his mouth.

Jongin's eyebrows raised slightly. “No? How did you imagine me?”

“...You know. Geeky. Like with glasses and pimples and maybe a pocket protector.”

There was a moment of seeming confusion that passed over Jongin's face before he let out a startled laugh, and it was one of the most beautiful sounds Sehun could remember. “Are you disappointed? I could always buy a pocket protector if it would make you feel better,” he joked.

Sehun allowed a slight smile, but cursed silently. He hadn't anticipated his geeky roommate was going to be hot.

-

Sehun's mom returned to help him unpack his things, and she made sure to interrogate Jongin somewhat about his behaviors. Only after he assured her that he didn't drink, had good grades, and wasn't much of a party animal did she finally turn her attention to saying goodbye to Sehun. As she embraced him, a few stray tears dropped into his hair, but she made sure to pull herself together and plop a kiss onto his cheek. “You be good, okay? And don't forget to call me,” she tapped him under the chin before she spun away to leave.

With a soft sigh, he plopped down onto his bed, gaze returning to Jongin. “So did your parents come and go early?” he asked finally.

The other was folding his clothes and sliding them into one of their shared dresser drawers. “Oh. No. They didn't actually come,” he shrugged.

Sehun blinked. “Was it too far?” he asked. He didn't want to be pushy or nosy, necessarily, but it seemed a bit strange that none of Jongin's family showed to send him off to college.

“No...” Jongin simply shrugged again, “It's not a big deal. I guess we should go over some...roommate rules or whatever, right?”

“Sure,” Sehun agreed, easily wanting to agree to a topic change if Jongin didn't want to discuss something. “I'm pretty relaxed about most things, I think...”

Jongin flashed a slight smile. “Do you drink? Do drugs? Any of that you wouldn't mention in front of mom?”

“Sometimes for both,” he admitted, “Do you?”

“Not really. But I don't care if you do, it doesn't bother me.”

“Cool. What about...overnight guests?” he asked, a brow raising slightly in his meaning. It was both a cause of interest for most roommates, but he knew in the back of his mind that there was another reason for him wanting to know about the other's love life.

Jongin flushed a slight shade of pink. “Well...uh, I don't have a significant other or anything.”

Sehun hummed softly in the back of his throat. “Me neither. If either of us does bring someone over, we'll just text each other, yeah?”

With a shrug of agreement, they got through the basic formalities of their living arrangement. Unfortunately, Sehun could only keep imagining how soft Jongin's plush lips would be against his own.

-

That night, as Jongin and Sehun were putting the remaining touches on cleaning up their room, there was a knock on the door. Exchanging a look, Sehun slipped over and opened the door, a smiling Chanyeol standing on the other side.

“Hey, dork,” he greeted, flicking the other on the head before stepping around him and into the room. “And you're...Jongin?” he asked.

Jongin allowed a small smile at the other, “Yeah, hi. Are you Sehun's friend?” he asked.

Chanyeol gave Sehun a look for a split moment before returning his attention. “That's me. I just now got my mom to stop crying,” he laughed loudly, flopping down onto Sehun's bed. “By the way, I'm assuming this isn't yours, Jongin. If it is I'll actually move,” he grumbled.

There was a soft snort from the other bed. “No, you're good. I'm going to get something to eat, do either of you want anything?” he asked, standing and running a hand absently through his hair.

Sehun stifled a groan at the motion, hating that everything the other did seemed so unfairly attractive. “Sure, whatever looks good,” he agreed.

Chanyeol grunted something similar and remained silent until the other was out of the room. “So that's the geeky roommate? Who knew he was going to be hot?”

“I know, it's killing me already,” Sehun whined, “He's fucking gorgeous. And he's awkward and cute, it's awful.”

“So when are you going to make a move?” he asked, folding his arms behind his head.

Sehun sighed, hating how smug his friend looked. “I don't think I will,” he ran a hand through his bleached-out hair before plopping down at the foot of his bed near Chanyeol's feet. “One, I don't know if he's into guys. Two, it might be kind of weird if I do and he isn't interested because we'd still have to live together.”

“Why don't you just bring it up? All casual, y'know, 'oh hey I thought I'd mention I'm gay.'”

“Right, that's normal to just throw at someone.”

Chanyeol toed his ribs playfully. “That way it gives him the invitation to either be like 'oh hey me too' or 'I'm not but cool,' you see where I'm going with this?”

“I'm not doing that,” Sehun rolled his eyes.

“We could always plan to make out just as he's coming back,” he suggested, a deep laugh rumbling.

He reached out to whack Chanyeol on the leg. “Fuck off. How's your roommate?”

“He's very...talkative. He makes a lot of jokes, but he seems cool,” he shrugged.

“Sounds like you two have a lot in common then,” he snorted. Most people found it strange that the two of them were such good friends, given that Chanyeol was so loud and abrasive, while Sehun was quiet and moody. But something about their differences enabled them to understand each other more. “Is he hot?”

“Yeah, I'd hit it.”

Sehun resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. “So when are you going to make a move?” he asked mockingly, reusing the same lines Chanyeol had thrown at him moments before.

“Soon,” Chanyeol answered with a grin, completely unfazed by his tone, or purposefully ignoring it.

“You're insufferable.”

-

It was the next day that Sehun actually met Baekhyun, when they went down to grab coffee at one of the cafes on campus not far away from their dorm. Jongin slid into the corner of the booth, sleepily clutching his paper cup of hot chocolate (Sehun found that he didn't like coffee), and Sehun slid in after him with his own soy latte. It was only a moment later that Chanyeol flopped in with his caramel breve and Baekhyun followed suit with his americano.

“So, this is the infamous friend,” Baekhyun cooed, a grin spreading onto his face. Baekhyun was small, with a delicate face and a certain glint of mischief in his pretty, dark eyes.

“That I am,” he confirmed, with a glance toward Chanyeol who was matching Baekhyun's smile. His gaze drifted to Jongin beside him, with his eyes drifting closed and his lips drawn into a pout as though he hadn't quite woken up fully. “Has anyone adjusted to the idea of being here?”

Chanyeol shook his head. “Not really. It took me a good two minutes to remember where I was this morning.”

Baekhyun laughed, “I'll write a note and paste it on the ceiling for you. 'Good morning, Chanyeol, welcome to college.'”

Jongin finally huffed out a quiet laugh. “That could be weird,” he mentioned, before glancing down at his phone. “I have to get going, early dance class.”

Sehun slid out of the booth to let him out, offering a small smile to his roommate as he slipped away.

“A dancer?” Chanyeol lifted a brow slightly.

“Ooh, I bet he's nice and flexible,” Baekhyun added, lifting his eyebrows suggestively.

“Fuck off, both of you,” Sehun groaned, but suddenly he couldn't think of much else besides what Jongin might look like dancing. Preferably with very few clothes on.

-

Over the next few days, they all began to settle into a routine of navigating their first days of being in college. Sehun wasn't completely sure what they were to each other, he knew that of course he and Chanyeol were friends, but he wasn't sure if Jongin and Baekhyun were just clinging on for the time being or if he would consider them friends as well.

However, being around Jongin tended to make his mouth dry up and his palms begin to sweat. In his mind's eye, he kept imagining what it would be like to kiss his full lips, to run his hands along tanned shoulders that were often exposed due to his tendency to wear loose tank tops when he was studying. Mostly Sehun tried to avoid paying too much attention to him because every time he did he'd have a new fantasy that he was trying to avoid with his roommate.

Sehun sighed and hunched further over one of the books for his class, trying to make the words more interesting than they were.

The door suddenly opened, and with a glance up he was confronted with the sight of Jongin in just a pair of grey sweatpants, his hair damp from just having been in the shower. Sehun's mouth immediately felt like a desert, and he couldn't help but allow his gaze to trail over smooth, tanned skin. Jongin was thin, but he had well-built shoulders and a body that was finely toned from dancing.

Jongin suddenly let out a sheepish laugh, toweling at his hair to dry it. “Some guy next to me accidentally grabbed my shirt instead of his towel, so I told him to just keep it,” he explained, looking dismayed, but completely oblivious to Sehun's staring.

He attempted to let out a laugh in response, to try and seem halfway normal, but only a strangled sort of grunt came out. He'd learned that Jongin wasn't necessarily shy; he was quiet and introspective, but he wasn't embarrassed about things like changing in their dorm room or talking about personal things. Sehun had simply tried to avoid it, but being confronted with a half-naked Jongin out of nowhere left him with a longing beginning to burn its way into his stomach.

“You okay?” Jongin asked, head tilting slightly when Sehun didn't say a word.

Sehun hated when he did that. It made his already large dark eyes seem even more puppy-like and he wanted to grab him into his lap and kiss him until he was breathless. “Oh,” he finally coughed, “Yeah, sorry, I was just...thinking,” he finished lamely, immediately berating himself internally. “Speaking of, though, I could use a shower myself,” he said, tossing the book down, adding a quiet “a really cold one,” under his breath.

-

Sehun quickly learned that Baekhyun and Chanyeol rooming together was probably the worst idea anyone could have had. Both of them thrived on making terrible jokes (mostly at Sehun's expense), and were always too loud and too nosy for any given situation. Whenever Jongin was around, Baekhyun tended to shoot Sehun these creepy smiles that always made him kick the other boy under the table or smack him in the back of his head. Chanyeol was a little more vocal, unfortunately, and was keen to asking Jongin about his love life followed by giving Sehun pointed looks.

It wasn't as though Jongin even gave either of them much to go on, so most of it they had to fill in for themselves, which was always worse. Sehun had learned that Jongin once had an ex (their gender was never mentioned, much to Sehun's dismay), and that they were together for a few years, but he didn't know much else about his personal life. He didn't really mention if he liked anyone (in that way), he didn't go on dates, and he mostly just rolled his eyes at Chanyeol's prodding questions.

But he couldn't deny that as much trouble as Baekhyun and Chanyeol were, he also appreciated that they were willing to pry and push in ways he would never attempt to. And that was how he ended up agreeing to attend some party just off-campus, held by someone Baekhyun knew and described as “just as irritating as Chanyeol is.”

At first Jongin seemed reluctant to go even when Sehun tried to assure him that he'd be there. “I don't really party,” he protested, wrinkling his nose in a way that he tended to do when he felt particularly whiny.

“Dude, don't be lame, otherwise you're just going to sit here and watch geeky shows,” he reminded him, raising an eyebrow.

Jongin glowered at him for a moment, before finally he let out a sigh. “Whatever, fine,” he agreed.

Sehun reached to jokingly pet Jongin's head. “Good boy,” he praised, tone mockingly condescending.

-

“...You are not wearing that,” Baekhyun announced as he walked into the room, giving Jongin a hard once-over. “Jongin, my child, you might be a geek but there will be people who don't know that yet. Let's not give so much away so soon.”

Chanyeol laughed loudly from where he'd flopped down on Sehun's bed, and Sehun rolled his eyes. Jongin hadn't actually bothered to get dressed for going out, he was still in his jeans and a t-shirt with a crest from a popular comic book on it. It was endearing, but he couldn't exactly argue with Baekhyun.

Jongin frowned. “Sorry, I didn't know there was a dress code to do a keg stand,” he snorted softly, arms crossing over his chest.

“Ooh, Jongin's getting feisty,” Chanyeol cooed unhelpfully.

Baekhyun waved them both away and sauntered to the closet, assessing its contents from both sides. “Sehun...can he borrow a shirt from you? None of his will do, this boy needs to go shopping desperately.”

Sehun rolled his eyes, “Go ahead,” he agreed easily, even though Jongin frowned at him. It wasn't that he thought Jongin's clothes were bad necessarily, they just also weren't great. He tended to stick to comfort over style, and a few too many shirts showed off his love of nerdy things for Sehun's taste, but mostly he just liked the idea that one of his shirts would smell like Jongin.

Plucking out a white button-down, Baekhyun frowned and held it up to Jongin's torso to analyze. “This will do,” he said airily, handing it off to him before waiting expectantly.

Jongin stared at him for a minute. “You're just going to watch me?”

“Why? Are you shy about your body, Jongin?” Baekhyun asked, carefully playful.

There was another frown from him before he shrugged and slipped off the t-shirt. Sehun clenched his jaw tightly, wanting to glare at Baekhyun but not being able to peel his gaze away from Jongin's muscled back. Ever-unhelpful Chanyeol wolf whistled before Jongin could shrug the white shirt on.

“I hate you all,” Jongin mumbled, but it only took him a moment to finish buttoning the shirt and Baekhyun was satisfied, ushering them all into leaving, though not without unbuttoning one notch in Jongin's shirt.

-

When they arrived, the apartment was already bustling with people in various states of sobriety. Jongin immediately sighed next to Sehun, but followed Baekhyun's lead. He hadn't knocked, and no one seemed to care that he just waltzed in like he already knew everyone.

In the kitchen, Baekhyun made a beeline for a sharp-faced guy who stood laughing against the counter, chatting at some pretty boy who looked about twelve. “Jongdae,” Baekhyun sing-songed at the sharp-faced boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Jongdae, or so Sehun now supposed his name was, turned with a cheshire-like smile and reached to rub Baekhyun's head. “You made it! And you brought the beautiful people,” he laughed, giving them all a good-natured smile.

Sehun shook his head, suddenly seeing why Jongdae would get along with Baekhyun. “Right. Where's your alcohol?” he asked, not feeling bothered to make small talk. Then again, he usually wasn't.

Baekhyun laughed, “Don't mind him, he's always this moody. Either way, the moody model-esque one is Sehun, the tall buffoon is Chanyeol, and this pretty little thing is Jongin,” he introduced them each.

“Why are they 'model-esque' and pretty and I'm just a buffoon?” Chanyeol protested.

“I like them already,” Jongdae cackled before pointing to the pretty boy next to him. “This is Luhan. Everyone else you guys will just have to meet, I don't have the time.”

Sehun stared at Jongdae blankly, still waiting on an answer to his earlier question before the boy finally pointed toward the dining room. “Thanks,” he waved a hand and slipped away, unconcerned with what his friends were planning on doing. He just knew that he needed a drink.

Hours passed, and Sehun passed most of the time by steadily drinking and avoiding talking to most people. None of them interested him, not even when one guy attempted to flirt with him. Normally, he would have easily gone for that type, he was tall and handsome in a classic, if not harsh way. But he simply waved him away, and he couldn't quite identify where his sudden mood had come from, though he suspected it had something to do with being irritated at his own inability to get over thinking about Jongin.

With a sigh, he finally rose from his seat on the balcony, a little wobbly on his feet. He knew he wasn't drunk, not totally, but certainly a little bit buzzed. The cool air wrapped him in its embrace, but his skin still felt hot. Turning to go back inside, he spotted Chanyeol and Baekhyun in the middle of a large game of spin-the-bottle, and he could only roll his eyes at how middle school it all was. However, Jongin was nowhere to be found, and for a moment he wondered if he already left.

Slipping past the array of people crowded in the living room, Sehun went to go find his coat that he'd tossed in Jongdae's bedroom earlier with everyone else's. It took him a few minutes (and an awkward interruption to the bathroom) to actually find the door, and opened it without notice. Immediately, he froze to the spot, gaze glued to the sight of Luhan pinning Jongin against the wall, kissing him hungrily. Jongin was letting out these faint little mewling sounds that went straight to Sehun's crotch.

“Don't mind me,” he called too loudly, shuffling over to the bed to rifle through the coats.

“Oh my god,” Jongin mumbled behind him, and Luhan laughed. “Sorry, Sehun.”

“I guess I should have...knocked? Go ahead, pretend I'm not here,” he waved over his shoulder, still searching. In awkward situations, he tended to make jokes or go completely numb, both of which seemed applicable in the moment. It wasn't that he was upset Jongin was kissing someone else, he knew that he had no right to be, but he was surprised and a little jealous.

“I...need to go, anyway. I'll call you, though, Jongin,” Luhan said quietly, and Sehun could hear the distinct sound of another kiss before the door opened again and Luhan seemingly left.

Sehun didn't know for sure, he refused to turn around. “Sorry about that, didn't mean to barge in on your hookup. I'd leave right now myself if I could find my damn coat,” he grumbled, still not looking at Jongin.

“It wasn't a hookup,” Jongin whined, voice sounding closer than it had a moment before.

Turning slightly, he looked up from his crouch to see Jongin standing beside him, his lips puffy and red from kissing, a light pink of embarrassment tinging his cheeks. He'd never seen him more beautiful. “What would you call it?” he asked playfully, arching his eyebrows at his roommate.

“Shut up,” Jongin mumbled, reaching in the coats. “Here's your coat, numnuts.”

“Numnuts? I thought only old people said that,” he joked, taking the black coat from the other, though he still didn't look at him fully.

Jongin laughed softly, the deep sound sending another pang of longing through Sehun's chest. “Come on, I'm leaving with you,” he announced.

-

The next day, Chanyeol couldn't stop laughing at Sehun having walked in on Luhan and Jongin. “It's so...fucking ridiculous,” he uttered for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I'm glad you find it so hilarious,” he grumbled, flicking Chanyeol on the forehead.

Chanyeol shook his head, trying to calm his laughter before taking a drink of the coffee in front of him. “Okay, you aren't seeing the irony here,” he attempted to explain. “First of all, you are too dumb to just ask him if he's into guys so you find out in the worst possible way. Secondly...did you realize that Luhan and you...well...you two could totally pass for brothers?”

Sehun scoffed. “We don't look anything alike, he looks like a twelve year old girl,” he argued.

“I see that jealousy. But okay, dude...hang on,” Chanyeol whipped out his phone, swiping around for a few minutes.

Glancing out the window of the coffee shop, he took in the way the autumn leaves scattered over the damp sidewalk, a reminder of the rain that had visited them just hours before. He and Jongin hadn't said anything about the incident either when they got home or that morning, which was just as well since he didn't know what to even say about it. He had no right to jealousy, he'd been too chicken to even say anything to Jongin for so long, and he had every right to make out with whoever he wanted to. Of course, that didn't stop the feeling he had of wanting to tell Luhan to back off and of wishing he'd been the one to kiss Jongin instead. It took a moment for him to realize that Chanyeol was looking at him again, and he blinked, “Huh?” he asked.

His friend rolled his eyes. “Pay attention, you shit,” he said with a loud laugh, turning his phone to Sehun again.

On the screen was a side by side comparison of two photos, one he clearly recognized from his own Instagram, and one that was of Luhan. He frowned, studying the photos for a moment, trying to see what Chanyeol was talking about. His own features were a bit more harsh than Luhan's, where the other was pretty and delicate, no one would say that about him. But he couldn't deny that there was a similarity in the two photos. He shrugged, “You just picked two similar photos,” he argued.

Chanyeol snorted. “Sure, Sehun, whatever you want to believe. You two look alike, it's kind of weird. And of all the people at that party, he picked your doppelganger to make out with?” he leaned in closer, tapping his index finger against Sehun's head, “Think about it.”

Sehun sighed and readjusted his baseball cap. “Why are we only focusing on me here? When are you going to make a move on your roommate?” he asked, though he mostly asked it just to be a pain in the ass. He didn't want to dwell on his endless thoughts of Jongin.

“Who says I haven't already?” he asked with an insufferable grin.

Groaning, Sehun let his head fall to the table with a loud thunk.

-

That evening, Sehun decided that no matter what he was going to deal with his feelings for his roommate. Although there was still no guarantee about how he would react, he knew that he was slowly just winding himself into an anxious mess every time he put it off. He walked the long way back from the coffee shop he'd met Chanyeol at, taking in the dampness of the autumn evening as he walked along the leaf-strewn path. His friend had a paper he needed to submit so he'd stuck at the cafe to try and force himself into productivity.

By the time he got back to the dorm, the sun was nearly set and he felt chilled to the bone. He'd worn a long white sweater, thinking that it would be warm enough, but he had clearly been mistaken in not bringing a coat with him. Opening the door to his dorm room, his gaze immediately fell on Jongin, huddled under his blanket with his computer settled into his lap. On his entry, his roommate glanced up and offered a smile.

“It's fucking freezing out there,” Sehun complained, closing the door and kicking off his shoes.

Jongin laughed, “You can come join me if you want, I'm very warm,” he offered, but his tone was joking.

However, Sehun was too tired and cold and his resolve was still lingering from his conversation with Chanyeol, so he didn't bother to waste the chance before approaching the bed. “Scoot over then,” he said.

There was a moment of surprise that passed over Jongin's expression, clearly not anticipating that Sehun would actually take him up on his joking offer. But it was only a brief expression, and he quickly slid closer to the wall, opening the blankets for Sehun to join him.

Sliding in, he immediately wrapped the blanket around himself and cushioned himself as close to Jongin as he could get. The chill began to fade from his bones as he settled into the retained warmth of Jongin and his dark grey blanket. “You're warm,” he mentioned softly, and his gaze drifted to the computer screen that displayed an anime he'd seen a poster of on Jongin's wall. He couldn't name it, of course, but it was familiar in a strange way.

Jongin laughed quietly, their closeness allowing Sehun to feel his body shake slightly with the sound. He reached for Sehun's hands, cupping them into his own to rub them together. “A little better now?” he asked.

Warmth cascaded down Sehun's spine, and he knew it had little to do with the actual temperature. “Uh...much better,” he said quietly, and turned slightly to look at Jongin. Their gaze met for a moment, and Sehun leaned in before he could second-guess himself, pressing his lips to Jongin's.

Tingles ran along his skin as he drew Jongin to him in another kiss, their hands still linked under the blanket. His roommate's mouth was even softer than he'd imagined it to be, like soft silken petals under his ministrations. What felt like an eternity was likely only a moment before Jongin pulled away, his lips painted a blush from the kiss.

“What are you doing?” Jongin asked, voice soft even though he didn't pull away.

“Um...” Sehun trailed, not exactly sure how to respond to the rebuff. His lips still tingled from their kiss, the taste of Jongin still lingering.

“Just because you saw me kissing Luhan doesn't make me easy, you know,” he finally said, teeth grazing his lower lip softly.

Sehun paused, blinking through his shock. “What? I don't think you're easy. What are you talking about?” Though Jongin didn't bother pulling away, he was the one to shift slightly, retrieving his hands from his roommate's.

Jongin looked away for a moment. “Really? So this doesn't have anything to do with last night?” he looked doubtful, almost ashamed.

It dawned on Sehun that Jongin wasn't really the type to play games with people, that he was quiet and sensitive. And somehow he hadn't noticed all of the signs that Sehun was so entranced by him, had remained oblivious to all of the signs anyone else would see as clear as day. Letting out a quiet sigh, he lifted a hand out of the blanket, reaching to lightly cup Jongin's cheek. “You are such an idiot,” he finally said.

Surprise quickly flashed over Jongin's face, clearly not expecting those words. “You just kissed me and now I'm an idiot?” he let out a startled laugh, but it didn't seem as offended as it did amused.

Sehun couldn't resist a small smile, thumb running over Jongin's cheekbone. “Yeah. Because you haven't seen me practically drooling over you for weeks.”

Jongin blinked, the dazed sort of surprise coming back to his expression. “Wait...you have? When?”

“You're ridiculous. Maybe...every single time I see you? From the second I walked in here? Because you're gorgeous and you're hella hot and you're kind of adorable in the dorkiest way ever. I've only been whining about wanting to kiss you from the second I saw you,” he admitted. Normally Sehun resented anything resembling talking about his feelings toward anything, choosing instead to remain reasonably apathetic. But clearly Jongin wasn't about to take a hint, he'd been blind to every sign and signal that would have thrown anyone else into high alert.

“Oh,” he said softly, a shy edge in his voice as he mulled over the words. Suddenly his eyes narrowed slightly. “Then what did you think of me before you saw me?”

Internally, Sehun cursed. He was starting to accept Jongin as eternally oblivious, and hadn't really expected him to latch onto that. His hand dropped from the other's face. “What do you mean? You were geeky, there aren't any photos of you at all online, I didn't know that much,” he offered. It was half-true at least, he didn't know that much about him. Suddenly there was a small pang of guilt that settled in at the knowledge that he didn't even bother to give him a chance before writing him off as 'loser Jongin.'

Seeming to consider for a moment, he finally nodded. “I don't have photos online because I don't like people to judge my appearance,” he uttered, “People think I'm completely different when they see me and when they know what I like. Which I think is dumb, so I just don't show myself.”

“But you're gorgeous,” he repeated.

Jongin laughed quietly. “You know you're exactly the same as you are online? Very hipster, very attractive, very too-cool-for-everyone,” he said decisively.

Sehun snorted. “Shut up and let me kiss you.”

-

The following afternoon, Sehun met up with Chanyeol and Baekhyun at the coffee shop. Jongin had a late class to attend and he claimed he needed more practice anyway. Sehun had learned that no amount of praise from anyone could actually convince Jongin that he didn't need to perfect his dancing.

Baekhyun was typing furiously onto his phone as Sehun slid into the booth, barely looking up to acknowledge his presence. “This fucker...” he muttered.

Sehun lifted a brow to Chanyeol questioningly. “Since I don't recall pissing him off, I'm going to assume that wasn't aimed at me.”

Chanyeol laughed, always too loud. “Nah, he's ticked at...some guy, I forgot his name. He never texted Baek back after Saturday, so he's letting him have it. Both over text and Twitter, apparently.”

“Oh,” Sehun said, though he couldn't help but ask, “So wait, you two aren't dating? Or are you?” He realized that through his own inner turmoil with Jongin that he hadn't paid as much attention to what was happening with his best friend. He'd gotten a casual response that Chanyeol had made a move, of course, and they spent a lot of time together. So he quickly realized that he'd just supplied his own back-story to them.

Baekhyun finally looked up with a snort. “I wouldn't call it dating,” he finally offered.

“...Oh,” Sehun repeated.

Chanyeol let out another bark of laughter. “Where's lover boy?”

“Don't call him that. Class,” he shrugged a shoulder. He'd barely mentioned anything to Chanyeol about the previous evening's events, only a quick text that read 'well, he's a good kisser.'

Suddenly Baekhyun slammed down his phone, eyes narrowing at Sehun. “Spill it,” a smile creeped back onto his face, a dangerous sort of glint in his eye.

Sehun was quickly learning that Baekhyun was a force to be reckoned with, and he made a mental note to appreciate that more. Or at least to be sure to never double cross him. With a sigh, he allowed the events of the weekend to spill out to his friends. He told them about catching him with Luhan (mostly for Baekhyun's benefit since Chanyeol was already aware), and about the strange way everything had finally come tumbling out to Jongin (which Baekhyun labeled as romantic in a weird way). As he recounted that they ended up kissing (he didn't mention that it went on for what felt like hours), he admitted that he didn't know exactly where it left them.

-

Jongin laced his fingers through Sehun's as they stepped out of the dining hall, huddling closer to him. “It's so cold...” he whined softly. The air had chilled further so that the evenings were accompanied by a crisp layer of ice forming onto the blades of grass, their breath clouding before them.

Sehun squeezed softly at the other's hand, a faint smile playing on his expression. He'd always loved when Jongin whined because it always drew a gentle pout to his pretty lips, but he appreciated it even more when his whining lead to clinginess. It was funny, Sehun had never thought he particularly liked that in anyone, and yet in Jongin it was endearing. “Come on, we're not very far,” he reminded him.

They walked in silence, the cool air wrapping around their bodies cloaked in thick winter fabrics despite the autumn not yet being over. The silence was comfortable, though Sehun's thoughts spun with questions he wanted to ask and clarifications he wanted an answer to.

When they reached the front lawn of their dorm, he paused, causing Jongin to stop with him. “Jongin?”

Jongin turned to face him, a pretty smile finding its way to his face. “What is it?”

“I don't...uh...want to be that guy but...” he paused, mentally chiding himself for sounding lame, “what are we?” The words left in a rush, and he regretted them as soon as they were out of his mouth.

There was a pause on Jongin's part as well before he offered a little hum of consideration. “I don't know. I guess it depends on what you want us to be,” he finally said, glancing up from where his gaze had fallen to the frosted ground.

The vantage caused Jongin to look at him from under his lashes, and Sehun felt his pulse quicken a bit at the sight. It was something so innocent, and yet it was so beautiful and he could think of a few choice moments he wanted Jongin to be looking up at him like that. “Um...I want you,” he admitted, though he shook his head a moment later, “I didn't mean that. Like sure, that way too, but I mean...” he trailed off. He'd never been good at these kinds of conversations.

Jongin let out a quiet laugh, breath fogging in the night air. “I like when you're nervous,” he admitted, tone dancing with his amusement. He took a step closer to Sehun, head tilting slightly. “If you want me...why don't you take me, then?”

Sehun froze, not missing the suggestive glint in the other's gaze. “Are you sure?” he asked, though he didn't wait for an answer before he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Jongin's lips. His mouth was still warm despite the cold air, and Sehun swiped his tongue into the hot cavern of his mouth teasingly.

There was a quiet sound of surprise that emitted from the back of Jongin's throat at the motion, but he reached a hand up to pull Sehun closer, fingers wrapping in the material of his jacket. After a few moments of kissing, however, Jongin pulled apart slightly. “Come on, let's at least go inside,” he laughed, smoothing Sehun's jacket before turning to go into the building, their still linked hands causing him to pull Sehun along behind him.

As the door closed to their dorm, Sehun quickly took the chance to press Jongin against the door, resuming their kiss from outside. He could feel Jongin's lips curl slightly in amusement against his own before he was pressing back just as insistently. Sehun couldn't hold back a soft moan as Jongin's hands wrapped around his waist, pulling their hips flush together.

He maneuvered his knee between Jongin's legs, pressing even closer as the kiss escalated to soft pants and brushing of tongues. Jongin let out a quiet whine, rutting his hips slightly against Sehun's thigh. Warmth pooled in Sehun's stomach at the action, being able to feel Jongin harden against him allowed him to acknowledge that the other wanted this as much as he did.

“Strip,” he ordered softly, gentle in his breathlessness; the single word uttered against the other's lips.

Jongin shivered slightly against him and he glanced away, almost shy for a split second before he pecked Sehun's lips and pushed him away enough to be able to get away from the door. “Okay, but we're stripping together,” he said, the words a statement more than a suggestion.

Nodding once, his fingers reached to slip off his jacket, letting it fall to the floor easily. His gaze was fixated on Jongin as his hands moved almost automatically to remove his own clothing.

Seeming to sense Sehun's heavy gaze, Jongin took his time. He tugged gently at his black peacoat to remove it, laying it over the back of his chair carefully before fingers reached for the hem of his black t-shirt. Sehun was already down to his boxer-briefs by the time Jongin let his shirt fall to the floor.

When they both finally stood without clothing, Sehun couldn't resist allowing his gaze to roam hungrily over Jongin's body. He had seen him shirtless plenty of times (even though it never stopped making his mouth go dry), but he'd never been able to fully appreciate the dancer's toned thighs and the slim set of his hips. “You're beautiful,” he half-whispered before he'd even realized that the words had left his lips. He cursed silently for being so lame.

However, Jongin smiled. “I like this sensitive side to you,” he remarked before giving Sehun a not-so-subtle once-over. “You aren't so bad yourself,” he said playfully, going over to Sehun's bed. He lay down, leaning against the pillows and watching Sehun carefully as he spread his legs apart, knees bent. Without giving the other a chance to even act, he slipped his fingers into his mouth, sucking on them for a moment before allowing them to trail down to his entrance, gaze fixated on Sehun the entire time.

“Holy shit,” he muttered, feeling hypnotized by the other's actions. So rarely had he actually seen Jongin exude confidence, being used to his shy smiles and noncommittal shrugs most of the time. But this was a version of the other he'd only seen when he danced. He'd been transfixed the first time he'd seen that transformation as well, stunned into silence as sweet timidness gave way to assured confidence. The last thing he'd expected was for that version of Jongin to appear in the bedroom.

“Sehun...” Jongin's voice cut through his thoughts. “Are you going to come over here or am I going to have to do everything?” he asked, though there was a playful smile one his lips.

The joking nature was a strange contrast to the image of him with his fingers up his ass, but it was enough to spur Sehun into motion again, going to join Jongin on the bed. “Sorry, I just didn't expect...” he trailed, not having a good way to end that sentence.

“What did you expect? A virgin?” Jongin teased, but as he crooked his fingers just so his voice suddenly broke into a low moan.

Sehun knelt to press a kiss against Jongin's inner thigh, the skin soft and hot under his mouth. Gently, he reached to urge the other to withdraw his fingers, which he did after a moment with a soft whine accompanying the emptiness. Quickly, he brought his own fingers into his mouth and sucked softly, coating them enough so he wouldn't hurt the other.

As he brought a finger to lightly run along Jongin's ass, he felt him shiver. Pressing his index finger to his opening, he felt his entrance flutter open and closed with need, gaze sliding up to focus on Jongin's face. When Sehun's finger breached him, his eyes slipped shut, lips parted with breathy pants slipping out.

He took his time, thrusting his finger in and out of Jongin slowly to get him used to the intrusion. He knew, of course, that the other had been fingering himself a mere moment ago, but he wasn't sure what any of this meant or when he might get another chance, so he was going to make it last. By the time he worked his way to another finger, Jongin was letting out soft whimpers of need, and Sehun's cock was painfully hard curving against his stomach.

“Please...” came a sudden moan from Jongin, his back arching off the bed as Sehun kneaded the bundle of nerves inside of him.

Ignoring his pleas, Sehun added a third finger and bent his head to press feather-light kisses along Jongin's hipbones. He twisted and curved his fingers, pulling them apart to stretch Jongin as much as he could handle.

Suddenly, hands raked through Sehun's hair, yanking his head up harshly. “You need to fuck me now,” Jongin demanded, voice already hoarse from whining and moans.

Sehun's cock twitched at the demand in his voice, and he could only let out a half-laugh. “Okay, okay,” he agreed, gently pulling out his fingers from the other. He slipped off of the bed, going to retrieve his wallet so he could withdraw a foil packet from its confines. Condom in hand, he rejoined Jongin, settling himself between his legs.

“Let me,” Jongin suggested, not waiting before he plucked the condom from Sehun's fingers, deftly ripping it open. Sheathing the condom over Sehun's cock, he allowed his fingers to run along the length, teasing playfully.

Letting out a quiet groan, Sehun was almost torn between actually fucking him or making Jongin suck him off. But he knew from Jongin's impatience that he wasn't about to suggest anything else. Finally, he nudged the other off, urging him to lay back. He spit into his hand, coating his length for a little extra ease despite the condom being pre-lubed.

Jongin reached and pulled Sehun to him for another kiss, this one mostly tongues and needy whimpers into his mouth. As Sehun aligned himself, he kissed Jongin harder, distracting him as he slowly began to push his way inside. There was a sharp gasp into the kiss, and Jongin's head fell back into the pillows as Sehun bottomed out.

Reaching up, Sehun brushed the hair out of Jongin's eyes, his touch gentle as he stilled inside of him. His arousal ached for something more, but he wasn't about to do anything until Jongin was completely ready. He ran his touch over Jongin's cheekbones, caressing softly as he made his way down toward his collarbones.

After a few moments, Jongin finally opened his eyes again and rolled his hips down onto Sehun. With a soft curse, he took the encouragement and began to thrust weakly, his motions deep and slow in the other. Jongin let out a quiet moan, letting his legs hook around Sehun's hips to pull him in closer, arms winding around Sehun's neck.

Sehun pressed kisses against Jongin as he began to rock into him, easing into the rhythm of the other's body. Jongin was tight and hot around him, and he suspected that he wouldn't last long if he moved too quickly.

The room was filled with the sounds of their breathy moans and skin slapping against skin as the pace increased. Cool air drifted in from a crack in the window, but Sehun still felt as though he was on fire with his arousal. “Harder,” Jongin demanded suddenly, arching into Sehun desperately to get more friction.

Unable to hold back, Sehun let out a groan and quickly complied with the request, pulling his hips back only to slam into Jongin again. This time both of their moans resounded from the walls, and in the back of his mind Sehun remembered there were neighbors on the other side of the too-thin walls, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. All he knew was the feeling of Jongin enveloping him in tight heat, arching to meet his harsh thrusts.

Sehun's back ached from the effort, but he ignored his tired muscles and focused only on thrusting against the spot that seemed to drive Jongin crazy. A hand reached between them, and Jongin began to stroke himself quickly.

With only a couple more thrusts, Sehun's hips stuttered, white hot release flooding over him with a loud groan of the other's name. His eyes clenched shut, hips weakly moving inside Jongin to finish milking his release. When he opened his eyes again, Jongin was still touching himself, his teeth worrying his bottom lip as he sought his own climax. Sehun reached, fingers wrapping around Jongin's own and he began to pump with him. It wasn't long before Jongin's back arched and his release spilled over their hands and his stomach.

Pressing a few kisses to Jongin's sweaty shoulder, he waited for him to come down from his high. Fingers laced through his hair, and he pulled back to see Jongin smiling at him sweetly. “Was it okay?” he asked, a vulnerability seeping through again.

Sehun returned the smile before pressing a kiss to the corner of Jongin's mouth. “It was perfect,” he assured him.

-

“So...” Chanyeol started, plopping down across from Sehun and Jongin at the booth. “I hear that you two have a little something something to tell?” He cracked his knuckles, leaning forward expectantly.

Jongin and Sehun exchanged a look. “What are you talking about?” Sehun asked, eyes narrowing slightly as he set down his cup of coffee, knowing that glint in Chanyeol's eye only too well.

Baekhyun suddenly plopped in beside Chanyeol, hair still glittering with frost from outside. “What do we know so far?” he asked conspiratorially, despite all of them sitting there together.

“Nothing yet,” Chanyeol informed Baekhyun before he turned to Sehun. “Oh come on, don't play coy with me, young man. A few people definitely heard something last night and we're hoping you two might know something?” he asked, mock-innocent.

Jongin's hands immediately went to cover his face. “I hate you all,” he mumbled.

Sehun rolled his eyes. “Whatever, what's your point?”

Baekhyun suddenly let out a loud “whoop,” startling most of the patrons in his vicinity. “You guys all totally owe me,” he suddenly said.

Narrowing his eyes again, he turned to Chanyeol. “What is he talking about?”

“Maybe...a couple of us...sort of had a bet?”

“What?” Jongin asked, looking almost wounded.

“Who exactly is 'a couple of us?'” Sehun demanded, fixing his best friend with a stare that he knew he could never exactly refuse. It had worked for years.

Chanyeol shrugged, averting his gaze. “Uh, well Baekhyun guessed it would be within this month, which is why he wins. Jongdae said it would happen after Christmas break, Luhan said it would be after he'd fucked Jongin...”

Jongin looked aghast.

“And you?” Sehun asked, not allowing Chanyeol to weasel out of admitting his own hand.

“...I bet that it wouldn't happen at all because you're too much of a pussy. So, hey, a bet I'm glad to lose,” he said, a sheepish grin slipping onto his face.

“How did literally everyone else see this coming?” Jongin questioned, a perplexed frown on his face.

“Maybe because Sehun was painfully, pathetically, depressingly obvious about how much he wanted you?” Baekhyun chimed.

Sehun kicked the other sharply under the table, satisfied when he let out a loud yelp of pain. “If you two will excuse us, my boyfriend and I are going to do something more interesting.”