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When Jisung waltzes into Hyunjin’s house at six in the evening, head covered by a cap and hoodie, Hyunjin immediately knows the boy is hiding something (rather, Kkami instantly senses something is up, and, upon Jisung’s entrance, leaps off Jeongin’s lap and tries to eat Jisung’s face).
Seungmin pauses Netflix. “You’re late,” he says curtly.
“I had something to do,” Jisung replies, shrugging. Kkami has resorted to trying to eat his feet — or rather, the socks currently on his feet — and Jisung maneuvers around him nimbly (read: almost trips over Kkami and chooses to instead stand still, accepting his role as Kkami’s favourite chew toy. This happens every time, Hyunjin doesn't know why Jisung tries to avoid it.)
“So important you had to be an hour late?” Seungmin asks, raising an eyebrow (or trying to, and failing, raising both eyebrows instead and looking rather comical while he does so. God, Hyunjin’s friends are all messes.)
“ Yes, ” Jisung says emphatically. “Here, let me show you.”
“Show us what ?”
“Be patient, young one,” Jisung croons, ignoring Seungmin’s mutter of you’re not even a month older. He drops his bag on the floor and positions himself in front of Hyunjin’s TV, hands rising to grip the edges of his hood.
“Ta-da!” Jisung flings off his hat and hood, poses dramatically, and Hyunjin feels his soul leave his body.
See, for the longest time - since Hyunjin has known him - Jisung has always had blond hair. He bleaches his hair himself - with help from Minho - and does it so frequently that Hyunjin’s become accustomed to the blond. And blond suits Jisung, it suits him so well . Now, though. Now, gone are the blond locs, only to be replaced with blue.
Dark blue.
Jisung’s bangs flop over his face, and oh , he hasn’t cut his hair at all, his eyes are completely covered. Hyunjin’s heart stutters.
“Fuck,” he mutters, louder than he intended, loud enough that everyone hears.
“Fuck indeed,” Felix agrees, nodding sagely. He gestures to Jisung’s head. “Jisungie, who put you up to… this?”
“Absolutely no one!” Jisung retorts. “Changbin might have suggested it but I did it all of my free will!”
“Free will is nonexistent,” Jeongin deadpans. “Did Changbin hyung tell you what colour to get too?”
“He did not. ”
“So Minho hyung did, then,” Seungmin guesses, cackling when Jisung pouts, glare hidden behind his hair.
“You’re all mean,” he whines, flinging himself dramatically next to Hyunjin, flopping onto Hyunjin’s side and craning his neck to gaze up at him, dark eyes peeking out from his bangs. His dark blue bangs. Hyunjin momentarily forgets how to breathe. “Say something nice .”
“I like it, Sungie,” Hyunjin says once he’s figured out how to form words with his mouth again. “It suits you.”
Jisung’s grin is blinding, and Hyunjin is almost thankful when he drops his head, slumping fully against Hyunjin and facing the others. It’s practically instinctual for Hyunjin to curl an arm around Jisung’s waist.
“Of course Hyunjin likes it,” Felix calls. “You’re the emo boy he’s always dreamed of.”
If Felix weren’t on the other side of the room, and if Jisung weren’t curled into Hyunjin’s side, if Hyunjin cared less for Jisung’s comfort, he would have kicked Felix. Hard.
“ Shut up, ” he hisses instead. When Jisung glances at Hyunjin curiously he hurriedly changes the subject. “Jeongin, don’t you want to continue watching?”
“You started a movie without me?” Jisung whines, and the subject is successfully changed, Felix’s words conveniently forgotten. A win for Hyunjin.
“Series, actually,” Seungmin replies. “Jeongin’s been wanting to watch this for a while now.”
“Sweet. What’s it called?”
“The name’s on the screen, Hyung,” Jeongin says.
“Don’t be mean,” Jisung whines, but his head turns towards the TV screen anyway. Hyunjin senses the moment Jisung’s eyes pass over the title as he stiffens in Hyunjin’s arms. “Wait, haunting? Is this horror?”
Jeongin smiles sweetly like the devil’s spawn he is, petting Kkami like he’s a supervillain and Kkami is his animal sidekick. “Don’t you like horror, hyung?”
“Oh fuck no, ” Jisung mutters, attempting to launch himself out of Hyunjin’s arms. Hyunjin grabs him at the last second, securing a second arm around Jisung’s waist and holding him tight in his lap while Jisung squirms and tries to wiggle away. “ Let go , Jinnie!”
“Too bad, you were late,” Seungmin (read: Satan’s second spawn) cackles at Jisung’s distraught expression.
“Why can’t we watch something fun and family friendly, like - a Christmas movie?”
“Hyung, when it’s your turn we can watch one. But I want all of us to watch this,” Jeongin says. When Jisung still resists, he pulls out his ultimate weapon.
The pout.
No one can resist Jeongin’s pouts, not even Jisung, the self-proclaimed cutest of the group (Hyunjin is inclined to agree), so it’s no surprise when he slumps back against Hyunjin in defeat with a heavy sigh.
(It’s kind of really, really cute.)
“It’s okay, Sungie,” Hyunjin whispers, hugging Jisung tighter and resting his chin on Jisung’s shoulder. “I’ll protect you when you get scared.”
“You’re just as bad at watching horror as me,” Jisung retorts. His head is turned away from Hyunjin but he knows Jisung is pouting and giggles. Jisung is lying and they both know it. Hyunjin might be bad at watching horror but he can still watch it.
Jisung doesn’t complain further than that anyway, sinking into Hyunjin’s embrace. His hair (his blue hair, fuck, Hyunjin will never get used to that) tickles the side of Hyunjin’s face, his shoulders rising up and down imperceptibly in time with his breathing.
The show is unpaused on a relatively calm scene, though it doesn’t take long for Jisung to stiffen in fear. The end of the episode approaches, and one of the characters — Hyunjin doesn’t recall their names — appears, dead, in her brother’s house, and Jisung flips around instantly, turning in Hyunjin’s lap as he buries his face in his neck.
“Fuck this,” he whimpers, clutching to Hyunjin’s shirt tightly.
Hyunjin just giggles, securing his arm back around Jisung and resting his cheek in Jisung’s hair.
As the first episode comes to a close it becomes evident that Jeongin is hellbent on watching as many episodes as possible without interruptions beyond Jisung’s occasional yelps (only occasional because he can’t see the screen) and Felix’s running commentary. They’ve only just begun the third episode - barely ten minutes in - when the doorbell rings at the same time Jeongin’s phone lights up. Heaving out a great sigh, Jeongin presses pause.
“My sister’s outside,” he announces. “Does anyone want pizza?”
Jisung, for the first time in almost an hour, turns his head away from where it’s been buried in Hyunjin’s shoulder to let out a cry of happiness.
“Tell Jeongyeon noona I love her, I haven’t eaten all day, ” he calls as Jeongin swings open the front door, before freezing when Felix shoots The Look at him.
“All day? ”
“Yes, that’s what I said.” Jisung squirms in Hyunjin’s arms uncomfortably.
“ All day, ” Felix repeats, frowning. “Sung, it’s eight. Why haven’t you eaten?”
Jisung shrugs. “I was working with Changbin all day and when Minho hyung came round to dye my hair it was too close to dinner.”
“Sungie, that’s not healthy,” Hyunjin mutters. Jisung shrugs again.
“I know.”
“You couldn’t even have breakfast?” Seungmin asks, and Jisung shakes his head.
“Dad yelled at me so I left early,” Jisung pauses. “I’ll eat now, okay? Don’t worry about me.” He smiles at them, it looks forced.
Hyunjin sighs, hugging Jisung just a bit tighter. “If you say so.”
When Jeongin returns with the pizza he doesn’t show any sign of having overheard other than shoving two pizza boxes towards Hyunjin and Jisung, and unpausing the screen.
At some point in the evening they shift around, Hyunjin sprawling out along the couch with Jisung curled up against him, head resting on Hyunjin’s chest. The pizza boxes are nearly empty, the last few slices of pizza cold by now.
“Let’s do something else,” Hyunjin suggests when Jisung pouts seeing Jeongin ready to play the next episode.
As the eldest (by months ) Hyunjin is also, therefor, the wisest and in charge (he likes to think), so it makes sense for everyone to agree, Jeongin albeit much more reluctantly than everyone else.
Seungmin leans over to Felix and whispers something in his ear. The two of them snicker.
“Okay, Jisung,” Felix starts, already grinning. “Truth or dare?”
So that’s what’s happening, then. No one has any say in the matter now, either. Once a game starts, it goes until… well, until they all collectively decide to stop.
It’s resulted in some hilarious situations, like Felix being dared to prank Changbin and getting annihilated afterwards, or Jeongin being kissed by the others in lipstick, forced to wear the lipstick marks for a whole day. Hyunjin wonders how it’ll go this time.
“Dare.” Jisung is confident in his answer — he always picks dare anyway, unafraid to be dared to do anything despite being shit scared of a whole plethora of things.
“I dare you to call your crush and tell him you like him.”
“Jisung has a crush?”
At the same time, Jisung shoots out of Hyunjin’s arms, vehemently shaking his head. “Nope. Pass. Give me a truth or a punishment or something.”
Hyunjin hadn’t expected that. Neither had anyone else, apparently, because Jeongin and Felix gale at Jisung, and Seungmin just frowns.
“Come on, Jisung, when have you been one to turn down a dare?”
Jisung glares at Seungmin. “Now.”
“If you don’t confess to him now, you never will,” Felix says. “I know you.”
Jisung squirms. “Why don’t I just promise to do it. Soon.”
“How soon?”
“ Soon, ” Jisung repeats, then pauses. “I just — don’t wanna bring down the mood if it goes badly, okay?”
Felix sighs. “It won’t go badly. But if you promise, sure.”
“Just tell us when it happens,” Jeongin adds.
Jisung’s shoulders relax, but he doesn’t fall back into Hyunjin’s side. Frowning, and cold, Hyunjin tugs Jisung back himself, who doesn’t complain as he snuggles back into Hyunjin’s chest, eyes slipping shut.
“Your turn, Sung,” Hyunjin reminds him, nudging him.
Jisung’s eyes fly open. He surveys the room — then his eyes land on Seungmin, and something murderous grows within his gaze. He definitely saw Seungmin whisper to Felix, then.
“Truth or dare, fuckface, ” Jisung snaps, glaring at Seungmin.
“Dare,” Seungmin says easily, unafraid, which is a big mistake on his part - Hyunjin knows Jisung’s mind, knows he saves the best dares only for when he really wants to use them. He’s easy going for the most part, doesn’t like to see people hurt or upset, until moments like these come along.
(And, like, it’s not like Jisung would ever do something with malicious intent anyway .)
“I dare you,” he pauses for dramatic effect, “to kiss who, out of Jeongin and Felix, you think is the cutest. Only one of them!”
Seungmin pales dramatically. “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
Jisung cackles. “Just do it, Min.”
Seungmin sighs heavily. He looks at Felix. Then at Jeongin. Then back at Felix again. Then, to Hyunjin and Jisung, shooting them a glare so deeply hateful Hyunjin feels his bones shiver. Then, he looks at Jeongin again. And finally...
“Felix?”
Felix perks up. “Yeah?”
“Can you move over so I can reach Jeongin, please?” Seungmin pauses for a second, then adds, “I’m sorry.”
Felix slumps back dejectedly. Seungmin doesn’t seem to notice, moving towards Jeongin determinedly, and Jeongin, who had been pleased with the outcome, seems to only just now realise what being deemed cutest in Seungmin’s eyes entails. His eyes widen in mock terror, but Kkami is still perched in his lap and he can’t move.
“I don’t consent to this!” he yelps, angling his face away and leaning as far back from Seungmin as he can.
Seungmin manages to plant a kiss on Jeongin’s cheek, before he’s shoved away. Jeongin is flushing, whining about pda. Kkami barks twice in succession. Felix doesn’t look in Seungmin’s direction.
Seungmin points to Hyunjin.
“Truth,” Hyunjin says, too lazy to pick dare. When Seungmin grins evilly he feels a pit of regret burning in his stomach, though he doubts it would have been any different had he picked dare.
“How many times have you stolen someone’s first kiss?”
Jisung tenses in his arms. Jeongin perks up, instantly intrigued. Felix glances at Seungmin curiously.
Hyunjin gulps. “At least — three?”
Jeongin blinks. “ What? ”
“At least? ” Felix cries, before muttering a long string of English that Hyunjin doesn’t understand.
Jisung doesn’t say anything, just glances up at Hyunjin and back down again. He’s still tense. Hyunjin strokes his sides soothingly in an effort to relax him, rubbing his thumbs in slow circles into Jisung’s skin. Slowly, his full weight slumps against Hyunjin again.
“Alright,” Seungmin claps his hands. “Everyone raise your hand if Hyunjin stole your first kiss.”
Seungmin’s is the first hand to go up. Then Felix, then, ever so slowly and reluctantly, Jeongin’s.
Felix gasps. “The baby too?”
“I’m not a baby…” Jeongin’s complaints go unheard (read: ignored like the footnotes in a classic novel because he is a baby, the babiest, and any complaints made against this statement legally cannot be acknowledged by any of the others. Hyunjin must not tell lies, or even humour them, and all that) as Seungmin wails something about my baby’s sweet innocence has been taken by the throes of evil!
“He didn’t steal mine,” Jisung says, staring up at Hyunjin again. There’s something in his gaze that Hyunjin can’t pinpoint, an emotion Hyunjin feels like he should know but doesn’t. “Changbin hyung was my first.”
Seungmin’s jaw drops open. “You’ve kissed Changbin hyung? ”
“And Chan hyung and Minho hyung - what about it?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Ask them if you want,” Jisung replies, pouting. “I’ve never lied in my life.”
Hyunjin can think of numerous times Jisung has lied but he doesn’t comment on it, nuzzling Jisung’s hair and pinching his side, giggling when Jisung lets out a yelp.
“Sure, Sungie.”
“Maybe,” Felix snickers, tugging out his phone, “we should ask Changbin hyung. At the very least he can tell us how bad of a kisser Jisung is.”
“ Hey! ” Jisung squawks, once more trying to escape Hyunjin’s hold. “Don’t be mean, Lix.”
Felix coos at Jisung’s pout, and Hyunjin decides to intervene before Jisung actually kills him.
“Lix, truth or dare?”
The game resumes as normal then, and no more dares (or truths) involve anything to do with love (except when Jisung is dared to “drunk text” Minho with a false confession). Jeongin calls Changbin on speakerphone and asks him to buy drinks, then to deliver them to Hyunjin’s house.
Changbin does it despite knowing it’s Jeongin’s dare, arriving at two o’clock with five different flavoured milks in hand. He looks like he hasn’t slept at all.
Kkami is the first to reach Changbin, jumping at him excitedly before Jeongin calls him back. Jisung is second, he snags the honeycomb milk and tosses the chocolate to Hyunjin, hugging Changbin tightly. Changbin whispers something in his ear, to which Jisung slaps him and slinks back to Hyunjin, curling against him sulkily and stabbing a straw into his milk.
Jeongin takes the iced coffee and Seungmin the strawberry milk, leaving Felix with the banana milk, and the last with Changbin. He waves goodbye cheerfully, shutting the door in Changbin’s face. And then he stops. He looks at the door, at Jisung, and at the door again.
When he whips open the door Changbin is still behind, looking affronted. “Did you just-“
“Did you really take Jisung’s first kiss?” Felix interrupts, poking his straw into his milk and slurping loudly.
“Yeah, why?” Changbin glances curiously in Jisung’s direction, who just waves at him with a cheeky smile. Hyunjin giggles.
“No reason, hyung! Bye!” Felix slams the door in Changbin’s face again. “I can’t believe it.”
“I told you I wasn’t lying,” Jisung snickers.
Felix sits back on the couch, a range of emotions passing over his face before landing on what Hyunjin thinks is acceptance.
With that, the game is resumed (Now with refreshments!), Jeongin daring Hyunjin to order “something questionable” from amazon. It ends up being a two metre long giant inflatable dildo, meant for a pool, Hyunjin thinks as he clicks the glittery purple option and selects yes for express shipping.
(He’ll give it to Minho.)
Despite the iced coffee in his system, Jeongin is the first to fall asleep, further cementing his role in their group as the baby and subsequently stalling the game. It’s past three by now (“The Witching Hour! ” Seungmin proclaims reverently, looking a few minutes — no, seconds — away from trying to summon a demon) and everyone is tired, eyes drooping and heads nodding forward as they try to remain awake.
“Dibs on the single room,” Felix says, standing and stretching his arms above his head. “I wanna be alone. Seungmin and Jeongin can take the double bed.”
“If Jeongin wakes up,” Seungmin mutters, poking Jeongin’s side. “I should just leave him here, he can sleep on the couch.”
He continues poking at Jeongin anyway, until the boy has woken up just enough for Seungmin to drag him upright.
No one bothers asking Jisung where he’s sleeping - ever since Hyunjin’s found out Jisung sleeps better when he’s cuddling something (or someone) they’ve made a silent agreement to share a bed whenever they spend the nights together.
(It’s a win-win situation - Jisung gets to sleep easier, and Hyunjin gets to cuddle Jisung.)
Felix migrates upstairs first, lugging his bag behind him as he disappears. Seungmin and Jeongin leave next, and then it’s just Jisung clinging to Hyunjin.
(Seungmin would describe it like a leech , except that would imply something unwanted and Hyunjin likes Jisung here. He’s more like a cute kitten clinging to its owner’s shoulders.)
“Don’ wanna move,” he mumbles, voice muffled by Hyunjin’s chest. “You’re comfy.”
“My bed’s more comfortable. C’mon Sung,” Hyunjin nudges at Jisung until he sits up, frowning sleepily at Hyunjin.
“Leme get a drink first. I’ll meet you in your room.”
Hyunjin nods, helping Jisung up off the bed and gently pushing him towards the kitchen. Jisung smiles sleepily at him as he makes his way upstairs, slipping into his room and pulling on a loose shirt to sleep in.
When Jisung isn’t back yet, he brushes his teeth and washes his face, then crawls into his bed to wait for Jisung to return.
Minutes pass, and Hyunjin is about to go find Jisung and ask him what he’s doing (if he’s okay) when his phone rings.
Jisung’s face flashes on the screen, and Hyunjin accepts the call curiously. “Jisungie? Why are you calling me?”
Jisung takes a few seconds to answer. “I said I would complete the dare, didn’t I?”
“What? But - oh.” Hyunjin freezes in place. “ Oh. ”
Jisung’s crush… is him? Hyunjin’s emo boy of his dreams… likes him?
“Is that all you’re going to say?” Jisung’s voice shakes. “Because I can leave and go to Changbin’s if you want-“
“Where are you?” Hyunjin interrupts.
“The kitchen.”
“Wait there.”
Hyunjin has never left his bed faster, darting out the door and downstairs. In his haste he almost slips on the last step, catching himself just in time to prevent a horrific death.
(And wouldn’t that be sad. To have someone confess and die right after — it’s probably one of the worst ways to go.)
Sure enough, Jisung is in the kitchen, arms wrapped around himself as he chews his lip anxiously.
“Jisung.”
Jisung’s eyes flick up. “Hyunjin.”
“So…” Hyunjin takes a deep breath to calm his nerves, “you like me?”
Jisung shrugs, staring at the floor. “Maybe.”
“Jisung.” Hyunjin steps forward. When Jisung doesn’t look up he steps closer, reaches out to touch Jisung’s shoulder lightly. “Sungie.”
Jisung exhales in one long rush “ Yes, okay? I like you a lot. Like a lot a lot.”
“Is this real?”
Jisung stares at Hyunjin incredulously. “Is what - of course this is real, Jinnie, what? If you don’t feel the same I can leave.”
“All this time I thought-“ Hyunjin freezes, rethinks his words as Jisung begins to walk away. “Wait - Ji. I like you too. Love you. A lot. ”
Jisung pauses. He turns, ever so slowly, and eyes Hyunjin warily. “You do?”
Hyunjin nods rigorously. “I have for - years. Since we met.”
And then, like all the air has been released from Jisung, his shoulders slump and a grin begins to stretch across his face. “Oh thank God. ”
“Thank God? I just confessed and that’s all you say?”
“That’s better than you,” Jisung retorts. “I thought you were going to— reject me. Unfriend me .”
“That’s stupid.”
Jisung tried to frown, kicking at Hyunjin half-heartedly. “ I just… for the longest time I couldn’t tell you because I thought what we had would be ruined but you — you liked me all this time.”
There’s a moment of stillness, then Hyunjin bursts into giggles.
“We’re so dumb.”
“ You’re the dumb one.”
Hyunjin grasps Jisung gently by the shoulders, his laughter tapering away when he realises just how close he and Jisung are.
(Not like they’ve been cuddling the entire evening. This is different somehow.)
Jisung’s eyes flick to Hyunjin’s mouth, then back up to him. Hyunjin wonders if Jisung can feel it too — the tension thick between them, the heat emanating from the two of them, burning where Hyunjin’s hands brush Jisung’s neck.
“Hey, Sungie?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I kiss you now?”
“ Please,” Jisung whispers, surging up to meet Hyunjin halfway.
Jisung tastes like old pizza and pineapple and strawberry chapstick and they’re standing in the middle of a cold kitchen, their friends falling asleep upstairs. As far as first kisses go, it’s the least romantic Hyunjin’s ever had, but maybe Hyunjin is biased because, as far as first kisses go , this is good. Great. Amazing . The best first kiss he’s ever had.
(His lips are really, really soft.)
He can’t stop himself from smiling into the kiss, one hand curling around Jisung’s waist and the other threading through Jisung’s fingers, clasping their hands tightly together.
(Yeah, Hyunjin is definitely biased but fuck it, he’s kissing the emo boy of his dreams and the boy he’s been in love with for forever now, he’s allowed to be biased.)
They part with a giggle, Hyunjin opening his eyes to see Jisung’s face stretched in a wide smile, eyes curving into slits and cheeks puffing up cutely.
(He’s gorgeous.)
The blissful moment is broken by Jisung letting out a massive yawn, spreading it to Hyunjin and making him realise just how tired he is, and oh, they were planning to sleep. Jisung yawns a second time, blinking rapidly to keep himself from toppling over. His weight is already mostly on Hyunjin anyway, leaning against him heavily as Hyunjin holds him close.
“Let’s go sleep,” he mumbles, but makes no effort to move.
Hyunjin ends up shepherding an almost asleep Jisung to his room, pushing him towards the bed. Jisung wakes up a bit by then, gains enough consciousness to rummage in Hyunjin’s closet for a large hoodie. It’s Hyunjin’s favourite, but Jisung will probably looked cuter in it than he ever could, anyway. He shucks off his shirt and tugs on the hoodie, getting lost in it immediately.
“Wait,” Jisung seems to realise something, freezing in place with one arm pulled through, head hidden in the fabric somewhere. His voice is muffled. “Does this mean we’re boyfriends now?”
He yanks the hoodie down, exposing his head and messing up his hair. “Are we boyfriends?”
Hyunjin’s heart flutters. He’d totally forgotten about that part. “If you want to be.”
“Of course I want to be. Don’t be stupid.”
Hyunjin laughs at Jisung’s pout, tugging him into bed. “I just want to be sure.”
Jisung punches him in the shoulder, laying his head in the same place not a second later. Hyunjin grins stupidly, craning his neck to press a kiss to Jisung’s forehead.
“I like that,” Jisung whispers. “Do it again, boyfriend.”
Hyunjin’s heart does more than just flutter. It cartwheels, jumps in elation, sprints a whole two miles in celebration. He can’t wait to take Jisung on a date, he realises. Can’t wait to call him cute pet names and be sickeningly sweet around the others.
(He does kiss Jisung again, a lot, until they’ve fallen into a comfortable silence, on the verge of drifting off.)
“Should we tell the others?” Hyunjin mumbles, suddenly remembering that oh, Seungmin and Felix and Jeongin are right across the hall.
“Nah. See if they figure it out themselves.” Jisung giggles, curling closer to Hyunjin and planting a soft kiss against his neck. “Night, Jinnie.”
“G’night, babe.”
(It takes Seungmin exactly four seconds to realise when they make their way downstairs for breakfast — Jeongin ten seconds, and Felix a whole minute. Safe to say, they’re bad at keeping secrets. Jisung even receives a my baby’s grown up TT from Minho not ten minutes after that, and when he asks how Minho knows, the only reply he gets is i have a jisung sense ;) i know these things.)
(Hyunjin decides he’ll add a note to the glittery purple pool dildo, a thank u for… whatever Minho did to help he and Jisung get together. Nothing, really, but Minho will appreciate it, he’s sure.)