Archive of Our Own

Sunoo was in a predicament. He needed a way to impress Sunghoon. Sunghoon was the hottest guy on campus. Tall, awkward (but in a cute way), handsome and a member of the Decelis basketball team. AKA, the best basketball team in the country. They won nationals the last two years and are projected to win the upcoming season, too. Everybody on the varsity squad was ridiculously popular. 

This made the competition for Sunghoon very fierce. Every girl and guy on campus wanted him but few had the opportunity to even go on a date with him. For the last year, Sunoo has been silently pining after Sunghoon in their socioeconomics class. His crush has reached a boiling point though, and he needs to do something about it. 

He can’t just walk up to Sunghoon and ask him out on a date. He and Sunghoon are friendly (having done a couple of group projects together), but Sunghoon barely knows him. Sunoo would for sure be turned down, and that would make things awkward in econ. He can’t just wait for something to naturally happen between them either; as mentioned before Sunghoon is very sought after. So, he needs to conjure up something that will bring Sunghoon to him . 

He has tried for the last week to think of a plan. Sunghoon likes natto, ice skating, partying, and basketball. Sunoo is so bad at cooking, so he can’t impress him with some natto. Though, he doesn’t even know how he would be able to slyly give Sunghoon some food without coming off like a total creep. He's absolute shit at ice skating, so that is a no. He has no time to party because school takes up almost all his time. Basketball is also out considering as Sunoo is entirely unathletic. So, he's at a loss. He's in the middle of thinking about this dilemma when he runs into his biochemistry teacher.

“Sunoo, can I borrow you for a moment?” His professor asks. People rush around them in the hallway, trying to scurry to their next class.

Sunoo inwardly sighs. He can already guess where this is going, “Yeah, sure.”

“My TA for natural chemistry is out of town this upcoming week and his fill in came down with the flu. Would it be possible for you to step in next week? I can pay you,” His professor is asking a lot of him. Sunoo is already slammed, taking 18 credits and tutoring. He feels the need to please though, so he agrees to the deal. He also needs some extra cash this week to get Jay a birthday gift. 

He doesn't have too much time to feel bad for himself with the clock ticking until his socioeconomics class… and maybe he just can't wait to see Sunghoon. He feels the nervous butterflies settle in his stomach as he wonders what Sunghoon will look like today. Will he be wearing his hair down? Maybe a baseball cap? Will he be in trousers and a button up or comfy sweats? It doesn’t matter to Sunoo because Sunghoon will look good no matter what. 

When he steps into class he immediately spots his crush. Sunghoon is wearing his classic look. His hair styled out of his face, a black button up shirt tucked into flowing grey trousers. He looks divine. Sunoo doesn’t even try to stop himself from staring at Sunghoon. He barely pays attention to the lecture. When they break out into groups, Sunoo just happens to be in Sunghoon’s. They have a thoughtful discussion about the coursework, and Sunghoon’s smarts just make Sunoo even more attracted to him. Luckily, they finish up the conversation early so there is a little time for Sunoo to sneak in some small talk. 

“So, Sunghoon hyung. Are you excited for the upcoming game?” Sunoo decides to ask. He feels an embarrassed blush creep up his neck. It always feels so awkward starting a conversation with Sunghoon. Because he has such high expectations, he always expects to humiliate himself. 

Sunghoon is kind in his response, “Yeah, I am always pumped! Are you coming to the game?”

“Well, yeah! I-I love basketball,” Sunoo responds. He likes to watch Sunghoon play basketball so he supposes it isn’t a lie.

“Really? I never knew that about you Sunoo. Did you play in high school?” Sunghoon asks with inquisitive eyes. Now, Sunoo doesn’t know why he does it. He really has no excuse. He has just never had Sunghoon look so interested in him before. 

He wants to keep that look on Sunghoon’s face so he lies, “Yes. I played on my varsity high school team.” That is a complete lie. The only time Sunoo has even dribbled the ball is when he was forced to in gym class. Even then, he sucked so bad that he was always last choice when picking teams.

Sunghoon looks intrigued by Sunoo’s answer, “That is so cool! What position did you play?”

“Point guard,” Oh my god why is Sunoo spinning this lie even further? He only said point guard because it’s the only position he knows the name of.

“That is Heeseung hyung’s position! That is so cool. We should play together sometime!” Sunghoon exclaims. But, before Sunoo can even respond, the professor ends the class. Sunghoon mentions he has to get to his next class and says a quick goodbye to Sunoo. Sunoo is so screwed. On one hand, he could just never take Sunghoon up on his offer to play. On the other hand, this is the perfect opportunity that Sunoo was looking for. He would be able to impress Sunghoon and get him alone. 

He needs to learn how to play basketball, even though he has never made a basket in his life… 

What is he going to do? He asks Jay when he gets back to their shared apartment.

“Are you an idiot?” Jay laughs in his face.

“Hyung! Don’t make fun of me, please. Just give me some advice,” Sunoo pleads with his roommate. He and Jay have been close for years. They were friends in high school and both involved in their school’s music program. 

Only Jay continued music into college. He majors in sound production and is really good at the guitar. Sometimes Sunoo gets a little envious of his friend. He wanted to pursue singing but never had the courage to defy his parents. Sunoo’s mom and dad were dead set on him majoring in something “smart” and “worth the money.” He had no passion for his current major, biomedical engineering, but he had no choice in the matter.

“My advice to you would be to never tell him the truth and never take him up on his offer. Sunoo, I have seen you hit our gym teacher in the head with the ball trying to throw a three pointer. I have seen you travel the ball all the way across the court. I have seen you lose March Madness so badly that you got only one round right,” Jay lays into him. Sunoo’s face deadpans. What a good friend Jay is. 

“Okay, I get it. Thanks for rehashing how much of an idiot I am. You don’t understand! This is the only time Sunghoon hyung has ever mentioned hanging out with me! I need to pounce on this opportunity,” Sunoo whines, trying to convey the urgency of the situation.

“That still doesn’t change the fact that he's a national champion and you can’t dribble a ball,” Jay laughs at Sunoo’s misery. 

“Think about if this was Jungwon. I know you would do the same exact thing!” Sunoo tries to fire back at Jay. 

“Hey! Me and Jungwon are a completely different story!” Jay defends, forgetting about Sunoo’s less than average athletic skills.

“How so? You grovel over him more than I do with Sunghoon hyung. It’s embarrassing,” Sunoo bickers back. They aren’t actually fighting. They just get like this sometimes where they squabble back and forth over nothing. That’s the nice thing about having a friend like Jay. He knows that no matter how much they fight, or how much Sunoo embarrasses himself, they will always be close. 

“Says you. Good luck with your little lie, Sunoo! I can’t wait to say ‘I told you so!’” Jay and Sunoo sit in silence for a moment before Jay speaks up again, “Are you free on Thursday? I wanted to try the new tteokbokki place on campus.” See? He and Jay were just fine.

“Ugh, I didn’t even tell you. Professor Chen is making me TA his class next week. So, no, I am not free Thursday. The lab alone is going to be three hours. Then, I have class after, so I am going to be busy until at least ten,” Sunoo complains some more. It’s becoming one of his favorite pastimes.

“Bro, that sucks. You need to change your major! It makes you miserable,” Sunoo knows Jay is trying to be nice. It’s a little annoying coming from him, though. Jay knows his family wouldn’t allow it, so why even bother dreaming about something that will never come true?

Sunoo doesn’t say this to Jay. He just ends up changing the subject, “I know, I know. Anyways, how is your demo with Jungwon going?” That gets Jay going. He has been pining for Jungwon just as long as Sunoo has been crushing on Sunghoon. 

The only difference is that Jay has a fighting chance at dating Jungwon. Jungwon is a double major in singing and dancing with a focus in modern dance. This semester Jungwon asked Jay to help him come up with a minute demo track for his music production class. Sunoo isn’t totally jealous…Okay, Sunoo is so jealous. That sounds way more fun than his trigonometry class. 

Sunoo is pretty sure the only reason Jungwon asked Jay to help him was to spend time alone together. Jay definitely mastered the guitar parts of the track and is probably no more help to Jungwon. Yet, they work on the demo every week. Very suspicious if you ask Sunoo. Sunoo tries to encourage Jay by telling him this, but Jay insists it is friendly behavior. He's so oblivious that if Jungwon asked Jay out, Jay would think he was practicing for someone else. Either way, Sunoo is sure they’ll be dating within the year. He craves some of that romantic connection.

As Thursday rolls around, Sunoo prepares for the lecture and lab he has to TA. Professor Chen sends him all the information for the week and it’s like muscle memory to Sunoo. Tutoring is what he does, so he isn’t worried about teaching a handful of students. Professor Chen also sends him the graded student labs from the week before. He's tasked with handing them out at the beginning of class. 

This is when Sunoo notices something. Something that he can maybe use to his advantage. This class has Lee Heeseung in it; who just so happens to be the MVP of the basketball team . He led the team to nationals in his first year of university (granted, they didn’t win that year). Then, in his sophomore year, he became assistant captain, helping win the team a national title. In his junior year, he became head captain, winning nationals for a second straight year. Needless to say, he was a great player and apparently a great flirt. Sunoo, who barely knew the guy, heard plenty of stories involving Heeseung partying with his teammates and sleeping around. Despite his escapades, he was supposedly a very likeable guy; even Heeseung’s exes had something good to say about him.

Heeseung also happens to be failing this chemistry class. And, if he doesn’t get his grades back up, he won’t be able to play. Sunoo knows it’s unethical, but he could use this to his advantage. If Sunoo offers to tutor Heeseung and help get his grade up, Heeseung (the best D1 college basketball player in the country) could teach him how to play the game. Then he can impress Sunghoon and Sunghoon can ask him out and they’ll be in love. That’s where Sunoo’s thought process takes him. It’s perfect. 

He gets to the classroom early expecting Heeseung to be there, but he isn’t. That’s okay; there’s still some time before he begins the lecture. More students trickle in as the time goes by. Soon enough it’s 1:05 p.m. and he needs to get started. He sighs. He can’t propose his plan to Heeseung if he doesn’t show up. 

Just as Sunoo is about to start the class, someone rushes through the door, “Sorry Matt! I got caught up with my coach and-” It’s Lee Heeseung. Sunoo has been to the games before, but he has never seen Heeseung up close like this. And, oh God, he’s gorgeous…with his tan skin and sharp lines. 

It stops Sunoo in his tracks a little, but he eventually says, “It’s okay, just have a seat.” Then, he addresses the class as a whole, “Hello, everyone. I’m Kim Sunoo. Matt is out of town and Jack’s sick with the flu. I’m the third option, so I’ll be your teaching assistant this week.” That gets a few chuckles out of the group. Sunoo quickly dives into the lecture and before he knows it, they only have five minutes of class left. He noticed during class that Heeseung looked…lost. He kept squinting at the board and scratching his head in a cartoonish way. 

“Okay, everyone! I have your lab assignment from last week graded and your materials for tomorrow’s lab. Please come grab each when I call your name and then you’re free to leave.” He goes through the list of students and intentionally leaves Heeseung for last. Heeseung received a D on his last lab assignment. He is clearly not understanding the coursework and his labs are suffering because of it. Something Sunoo could help him with...

When he hands Heeseung his graded assignment, Heeseung winces. He turns to leave the room but Sunoo stops him, “Heeseung-ssi? Do you have a second?” 

Heeseung looks back at him with doe eyes and nods, “Yeah, sure. Is this about my grade? This isn’t a new thing for me in this class.” Heeseung suddenly comes across a bit standoffish, but Sunoo can tell he's just embarrassed about his score. 

“Well, yes it’s about your grades. But, I promise I’m not here to judge! I actually have a proposal,” Sunoo tries not to be smug.

Heeseung looks at him with a little suspicion, “A proposal?”

“Listen, I know if you keep performing like this in class, you won’t be able to play basketball. You clearly love the game, and the team clearly can’t afford to lose their best player. Soooo, I’ll tutor you…for free,” Sunoo offers. He pauses to gauge Heeseung’s reaction. Heeseung’s eyebrows are pushed together and he seems a little confused. Is this a normal thing for him? Being confused? Poor Heeseung. It really is only a matter of time before the boy fails the class.

Sunoo goes on when Heeseung’s silent, “Do you know what a tutor is?”

At that, Heeseung scoffs, “Yes, I know what a tutor is,” His eyes roll back when he adds, “I’m trying to figure out why you would do that for free. You must be busy with your own stuff.”

“Yes, I’m busy, but I need something from you. I want you to teach me how to play basketball,” Sunoo feins his confidence. He figures it might be a little awkward to tell him the Sunghoon part of the plan. 

“Basketball? Why would you want to know how to play basketball?” Heeseung raises a brow. He knows it's a strange ask, but he wasn't expecting the follow-up question. Shouldn't Heeseung just be worried about whether or not another piss poor-lab will land him on the bench?

Sunoo short circuits a little while coming up with a response, “Do you always ask this many questions? Okay, if you need to know…IhaveacrushonSunghoonhyungandwanttoimpresshim.” Sunoo mumbles; his cheeks heating up in the process. This is so embarrassing.

“What did you say? You have what?” Heeseung presses. If steam could come out of Sunoo's ears, he thinks now would be the time. As much patience as he has, Heeseung has suddenly worn it thin. 

“I HAVE A CRUSH ON SUNGHOON HYUNG!” Sunoo shouts and then immediately slaps a hand over his mouth. Well, the cat's out of the bag.

Heeseung stays silent for a moment before his face morphs into amusement, “You and half the campus. What makes you think learning basketball will get you a date?” Sunoo’s a little surprised Heeseung doesn’t immediately tease him. He expected him to laugh in his face and tell everyone his secret. Instead, Heeseung is just standing there with a wide smile and a glint in his brown eyes. 

“We have socioeconomics together. I accidentally lied and told him I used to be a point guard for my high school. But, the truth is, I can’t even shoot a basket. He offered to play together sometime, and I thought if I could impress him, well, maybe he would like me a little,” Sunoo softly admits, looking anywhere but Heeseung. It was so stupid to admit out loud. He's starting to regret even approaching Heeseung in the first place. Heeseung's eyes bore into his for a moment; his emotions unrecognizable.

Sunoo is going to tell Heeseung to forget about it and ask him not to tell Sunghoon, but Heeseung beats him to it, “Okay. I’ll help you out and you can tutor me.”

“I totally get it – Wait, what? You’ll really do it?” Sunoo’s jaw nearly hits the floor. It must be dire for Heeseung. Why else would he agree to help set a stranger up with one of his teammates?

“Yeah, I’ll help teach you. I’m not saying it’ll make Sunghoon date you, but it’s worth a shot. I also really need help with this class. I still hardly understood what we were doing today, but it was a little easier to follow than when Matt explains it. So you must be a good tutor,” Heeseung sighs, “When are you free? We’ll have to work around game days and practice.” 

Sunoo tells Heeseung when he's free, and together, they devise a schedule: two tutoring sessions, two basketball practices a week. Sunoo will surely have to work overtime on his studies. And, he's definitely going to get no sleep for a while, but the prize is worth the payment.

Heeseung types his numbers into Sunoo’s phone so they can communicate if plans change. “Also, call me hyung. I’m not super formal like that.” 

Maybe it's the fact that he's one step closer to getting what he wants or maybe it's the attractive boy with his lips in a tilt in front of him; either way, Sunoo is just giddy. His plan is in motion when honestly, it should have crashed and burned. While he isn’t excited to practice a sport, he has a good feeling that things are going to work in his favor. Soon enough, he’ll be attending basketball games as Sunghoon’s boyfriend. Sunoo smiles, head swimming with fantasies. 

He practically runs back to his apartment, anxious to tell his roommate about his deal with Heeseung. Opening the door he finds Jay and Riki. Riki is a freshman that Jay took under his wing. Sunoo has grown to love Riki like a younger brother; he practically has a key to their apartment. Both boys are watching a movie on the TV, passing a bucket of buttery popcorn back and forth.

“Guys, guess what?” Sunoo sits down on the couch next to Jay, and snatches some of their snack. He has to bite back the good news as it dares to spill off the tip of his tongue; he's so excited.

“What?” They say in sync. But, their eyes never meet Sunoo's, so they miss the obvious glint in his expression. Their indifference doesn't bother Sunoo, though. 

“You know how I had that problem with Sunghoon hyung?” The smirk never leaves his face. Sunoo doesn’t even bother to explain the situation to Riki. If he tells Jay anything, he knows it will eventually make its way to Riki. Sunoo eventually stopped caring.

“Yes,” They say again in unison, still not paying Sunoo any attention.

“Well, I got the Lee Heeseung to agree to teach me how to play basketball,” Sunoo boasts. That’s when he gets the reaction he wants. Riki and Jay's heads snap in his direction. Their jaws threaten to graze the floor.

“What? How?” Jay says incredulously. It would have offended Sunoo a little bit if he wasn’t just as surprised as his friends. 

“You know how I got asked to TA natural chem this week? Well, Heeseung hyung is failing. And, he can’t play if he fails, so I told him I would tutor him. In exchange, he's going to teach me how to play basketball,” Sunoo says proudly. Heeseung was practically the face of the college; it would be harder to find someone who didn't know the point guard. Sunoo getting Heeseug to even talk to him is a feat in and of itself.

“Does he know why you have taken up an interest in the sport?” Riki asks, a shit eating grin on his face. 

“He…does know about the… Sunghoon hyung of it all,” Sunoo admits. Bellowing laughter rips through the air. Riki and Jay have to clutch the couch, their chuckles threatening to send them tumbling.

"Oh, hyung," Riki pretends to wipe a tear from his face, but it's haphazard with the giggles still jerking him forward. "He's so going to tell Sunghoon hyung."

“I don’t think he will! Seriously, he needs the help! I could just refuse to help him and then he’d be fucked! I have leverage!” Sunoo tries to rationalize his confession, but the more he speaks, the less confident he feels. Riki is right: nothing's stopping Heeseung from pulling Sunghoon aside, spilling all the details of his deal with Sunoo. It's not like Heeseung really owed anything to the boy he just met.

There is no knowing what will happen until Sunoo sees Sunghoon again. Their class isn’t until Monday. Heeseung and Sunoo will have a lab and a tutoring session tomorrow. Then, their basketball practice on Sunday. He can make sense of Heeseung’s intentions then. 

Speak of the devil – Sunoo feels his phone buzz.

Heeseung hyung: so...im a little confused about what to write in response to this worksheet question.. 

Sunoo opens the photo attached to the text he just scanned from Heeseung.

'...prepare compounds using a two-step synthetic scheme,' the picture reads.

Sunoo sighs. He never gets a moment of peace, does he?

Heeseung hyung: ik its outside ur office hrs but do u think u could lend me some virtual help?

Sunoo rolls his eyes and texts back an answer that Heeseung will hopefully understand. Sunoo might have his work cut out for him tutoring Heeseung, but Heeseung is going to have a challenge coaching Sunoo, too. He supposes it’s an even trade. 

“Are you texting Heeseung-ssi right now?” Jay asks, side-eyeing Sunoo. 

“Yes, I am. Hyung had a question about the lab tomorrow,” Sunoo can’t help but gloat about how he's closer to Heeseung than the two losers next to him. Close enough to call him hyung, at least.

“Don’t brag, Sunoo hyung. Do you think you could let me join your basketball practice?” Riki asks, leaning into Sunoo’s shoulder, trying to pull off a pair of puppy eyes. Sunoo isn’t falling for the act, though.

“No! I need all the help I can get and I don’t need you to steal all the focus,” Sunoo says in an instant. When they decide to stop questioning Sunoo to keep watching the movie, Sunoo slowly drifts off to thoughts of compounds and basketball nets. 

_________

Lab went alright. Sunoo may have helped Heeseung more than the other students but it ended up paying off because he got a C+. While that isn’t great, it shows some growth in a very short amount of time. If Heeseung really puts in the work, he could definitely bring his grade up to a passing letter. 

Heeseung sheepishly thanked Sunoo for his help after class, “So, what time do you want to meet tonight for tutoring?”

“Do you want to meet at five? I have some studying to do before then, so I will already be at the library. I’ll schedule a room for us,” Sunoo is not looking forward to his studying session. His classes this semester have been kicking his ass, and the hard work drains him easily. His daily robotic routine consists of him waking up, eating, studying, and then going back to sleep. 

“Booking us a room? At least take me out to dinner first,” Heeseung winks. Sunoo realizes why people think Heeseung is such a flirt, but he personally doesn’t think too much about it. It must just be Heeseung’s personality. The same way Sunoo is a little stoic at first but bubbly once you get to know him.

“Yes, I will book us a room, hyung. I’ll text you which one. See you at five,” Sunoo gathers his things and waves goodbye to Heeseung. He makes his way to the library where he immediately slams a honey latte and gets to work. The minutes pass by and he finds himself becoming delirious in theory after theory, equation after equation. He doesn’t know why he decided fifteen credits was a good idea, but his family keeps pressuring him to get his degree as quickly as possible. 

He hears a rapt on the door and for a second he thinks he has gone crazy. Then Heeseung opens the door and he sighs. It is five already? He should have given himself more time. At this rate, he’s probably going to be here until midnight. 

Heeseung must be able to tell that Sunoo is stressed because he comments on it, “Are you alright? If it isn’t going to work today, I could make something else work.”

“No, no, no. We made a deal and I should honor that,” Sunoo sits up, his stomach growling. He hasn’t eaten anything since this morning and even then it was only a granola bar. His mechanical schedule doesn’t allow time for making breakfast.

“Do you want to go grab some food?” Heeseung asks.

“I don’t have time. It’ll be okay,” Sunoo tries to shut it down but Heeseung is insistent and finally Sunoo gives in. They agree to grab some ramen at the station in the library, so they won’t lose their booked study room. 

“What kind are you getting?” Heeseung peers over Sunoo’s shoulder to get a look at the packet he chose.

“I don’t know, I just grabbed the first packet I saw,” Sunoo responds honestly. 

Heeseung’s mouth drops into an ‘O’ shape, and Sunoo resists the urge to laugh, “Sunoo, you are going about this in the totally wrong way. Ramen is not something to be chosen willy nilly. Here, let me show you how to make the best instant ramen you’ll ever have.” Heeseung goes on a little rant about how to make said ramen, explaining that usually he adds an egg but they’ll have to go without it for now. The whole time Sunoo can’t stop the grin from appearing on his face, he feels entertained. Sunoo thinks that Heeseung  sounds like a real nerd, in a good way. When Heeseung finishes making both their meals, they head back to the room to eat.

Heeseung is eagerly watching Sunoo with big doe eyes, wanting to see Sunoo’s reaction. Sunoo indulges and takes a big bite of his noodles, and sips the broth. Surprisingly, it is really good. Sunoo thought he would have to fake a reaction, so it wouldn’t be awkward, but he finds himself humming in approval naturally.

“You like it?” Heeseung smiles big and bright. Sunoo absent mindedly wonders how his teeth are so pearly white.

“Hyung, I freaking love it,” They laugh together and dig into the steamy bowls in front of them. It’s the first time today that he hasn’t felt the weight of his studies on his shoulders, but time is slipping from their hands and they unfortunately need to start their study session. 

Sunoo takes Heeseung over the course questions, and even brings up his old lecture notes for reference. Heeseung tells Sunoo how meticulous he's, but Sunoo just says being thorough will make his life easier. They go through everything together and then once Sunoo has some confidence in Heeseung he makes him do a problem alone. He starts struggling in the middle of it, but quickly remedies his mistakes. Sunoo grades his work, and gives some pointers on making the equation easier to remember like a basketball analogy he thought of. Heeseung called him corny, but the analogy works. 

After about two hours of work, Heeseung calls for a break. They still have to go over the lab assignment, and Sunoo would rather not stop… but he yearns for a brain break too. 

“So, tell me more about yourself,” Heeseung relaxes now that he isn’t focused on alkaloids and fatty acids. His body sinks into the office chair, head leaning back on the head rest. The way his baggy clothes flow around him, make him look smaller than he is.

“What do you want me to say?” He needs Heeseung to be more specific. Sunoo, in all honesty, has gotten boring since coming to college. He used to be flashy and more outgoing in high school, but it feels like school has sucked all the life out of him. Isn’t this supposed to be the best time of his life? All he’s got is a monotonous day, where his only excitement is an unattainable crush.

“Well, what is your major? You seem to know a lot about this science stuff,” Heeseung shrugs, asking the most basic question ever. He sips on his leftover ramen broth, somehow still hot, and steam fogs up his reading glasses. It’s endearing. 

“I am a biomedical engineering major. I actually don’t know what yours is either,” Sunoo realizes. He doesn’t know much about Heeseung other than he’s great at sports, a flirt, and more recently, a ramen connoisseur. 

“Woah, your major sounds crazy difficult. I’m a performance major with an emphasis in production,” Heeseung smiles, and it’s Sunoo’s turn to be shocked. 

“Wait, really? Do you know Park Jongseong?” Sunoo is curious. Jay has never said anything about Heeseung being in one of his classes, but the arts program isn’t that big at Decelis. He’s sure they’d at least run into each other. Jay always acts like Heeseung is some famous guy, not like they rub elbows in the music lab.

“Yeah totally! He's great at guitar,” Heeseung confirms. Jay would definitely get excited at the compliment, he always does when someone praises his musicality. 

“Jay hyung is my roommate and friend from high school! Wow, small campus,” Sunoo is going to have to kick Jay’s ass. This whole time he could have had an in with Sunghoon and Jay never decided to help his roomie out. 

“That is so funny. Did you ever participate in the arts in high school? And don’t feel the need to lie about your hobbies to me,” Heeseung jokes. Sunoo hits him on the shoulder, but chuckles all the same.

“Yeah, actually, I did. I sang in high school,” Sunoo looks down and frowns a little as he reminisces. He misses it everyday, it was one of the only things that made him feel proud of himself. 

“You sound kind of upset about it?” Heeseung takes a soft tone with Sunoo and he can feel a wall crumble. He has never been good at keeping people out.

“I wanted to pursue music in college, but my parents forced me out of it. I just had such passion for it and honestly, I think about it all the time,” Sunoo admits. Was that too much to put on Heeseung? He’s probably dumping and Heeseung doesn’t actually care. God, he’s an idiot. 

Heeseung pats Sunoo’s shoulder and brings him back down to Earth, “I know you hardly know me, but I think you should go for it. You are clearly smart, but it is more important to be happy.” For some reason, coming from Heeseung, it makes him feel better. 

Sunoo gives Heeseung a solemn smile, “I don’t know. Maybe I’m not good enough. I mean it’s a really saturated market. There are plenty of talented people out there. Nothing makes me special.” He thinks back to all the times his parents sowed doubt into his mind, after a while he started to believe everything they said too. 

“Don’t say that. I know you're good enough,” Heeseung smirks and bumps Sunoo’s shoulder with his own. Heeseung brings this light feeling to every conversation, it’s refreshing. It’s like having a steamy shower after working out, like it eases the tension in your muscles.

“You just said you hardly know me,” Sunoo teases Heeseung. It’s so easy to joke with a guy like him. Someone who is so… likeable. 

“I can just tell. Trust me, it’s like a sixth sense with me,” Heeseung puts a finger to his head in a jokingly cocky way, it makes Sunoo cover his mouth with a giggle. 

Maybe they could be friends outside of their deal. He never thought someone like Heeseung (someone who could have anyone he wants, could be friends with anyone he wants) would be so personable. He expected Heeseung to be more like Sunghoon, still kind but hard to crack through the surface. 

“Yeah, well my sixth sense is amino acids. Maybe we should get back to work,” Sunoo steers them back on track. Heeseung playfully boos him but follows along with Sunoo’s teaching. When Heeseung leaves him after their session, he finds himself feeling a little lonely. 

___________

Sunoo is nervous to practice basketball. He's clumsy and honestly he gives up quickly when it comes to sports. He knows that Heeseung won’t make fun of him at this point, but that doesn’t wash away the shame. 

His nerves have him overanalyzing everything. He even asked Riki if he should bring anything to practice, but Riki just laughed in his face. He thought about bringing a basketball… but Heeseung texted that he would provide that with a laughing emoji. So, he puts on some comfy workout clothes, brings a water bottle, and tries to relax.

It doesn’t work. He was so anxious that he showed up ten minutes early to the court. Heeseung showed up in a loose muscle tank, a backwards baseball cap, and basketball shorts. Somehow he looks ridiculously cool while Sunoo looks… awkward. If Heeseung notices Sunoo’s off putting atmosphere, he doesn’t say anything, he just smiles and greets Sunoo as usual. 

“What do you have planned for me today, coach?” To hide his uneasiness, Sunoo tries to tease Heeseung in the way that he usually teases Sunoo. He likes their back and forth repertoire. 

“Coach, huh? I like that! Today I just want to see what skills you got, and we can build a plan from there,” Heeseung claps his back in an encouraging way. Every time Sunoo sees him he understands more and more why people fangirl over him. He is just so nice, it must be impossible to dislike him.

“Ok, well prepare to be disappointed,” Sunoo chuckles, finally feeling normal. Heeseung makes him try to shoot a basket from nearly every spot on the court, dribble the ball up and down the court, and try passes with him. He does better than he expected, but he still completely sucks. Heeseung laughs at him a little, but Sunoo knows it is all harmless. He gives Sunoo some encouraging compliments too, which makes him feel a little more confident.

“Okay, let’s practice shooting some hoops first! I think that’ll be the easiest thing to start with,” Heeseung brings Sunoo over to the three pointer line. He tries to explain to Sunoo how he should be holding the ball and Sunoo kind of gets it but he still isn’t making any baskets. They just keep bouncing off the rim or they hit the backboard too hard, each one hitting the ground with a loud thud that makes Sunoo sigh in frustration. 

Then he suddenly feels Heeseung move behind him. He's about to ask what he's doing when Heeseung puts his arms around him and places his hands in the correct position, “Here. Let me move you.” 

Sunoo nods and lets Heeseung move his arms like he’s a puppet. With his hands on top of Sunoo’s and his breath in Sunoo’s ear he's barely able to focus. His only thoughts are about how soft Heeseung’s hands are, and how good his cologne smells. He should ask what it is…

Heeseung uses Sunoo’s limbs to shoot and the ball swishes in the hoop. Sunoo is immediately filled with excitement, he jumps around like a kid with a big smile on his face. Heeseung gives him a high five before retrieving the ball for him. Sunoo takes another shot and makes it in the basket, he gives another shout of excitement. Finally, he’s got it!

“Don’t get too excited, you still have a long way to go. Sunghoon will definitely see right through you,” Heeseung reminds him. He admits he briefly forgot about Sunghoon, the euphoria of making a basket taking his crush off his mind.

“Can I ask you some questions about him actually?” Sunoo wants to know more about Heeseung's dynamic with Sunghoon. Maybe he can put in a few good words for Sunoo. 

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Are you guys close? I never see you together outside of basketball,” Sunoo questions while wiping some sweat off his brow. Sunghoon is always hanging around the basketball team, but Sunoo can’t recall seeing the pair talk outside of games. 

“Well, we are friends. Sunghoon is just closer to other people on the team. I am kind of a loner, believe it or not,” Heeseung scratches the back of his head and looks to the side. Sunoo has a really hard time believing the flirt is actually the lone wolf of the team. 

“Really? But you are so… charismatic,” then Sunoo decides to be bold, knowing Heeseung won't judge him, “What is Sunghoon hyung like when he dates someone?” 

“Wow, just getting right into it huh? I can’t say that I pay a lot of attention. He gets more talkative when he's with someone, and he tends to slack in practice. Honestly, he has never been with anyone long term. He kind of just moves on to the next thing,” Heeseung shrugs. Sunoo doesn’t like the idea that Sunghoon moves on easily, but he has the delusional thought that Sunghoon might hold on to him.

“Does he tend to have a type? He hardly dates, I wouldn’t even know what he's into,” Sunoo wants to get some validation. He might sound crazy, but If he's at least Sunghoon’s type, he has a shot at locking him down.

“Again, I can’t say I pay close attention to Sunghoon’s type. From what I remember he likes brunettes and people who are playful,” Heeseung reaches out and brushes Sunoo’s light brown bangs out of his face, “So, I think you would fit the description.”

Sunoo blushes, this weird turning in his stomach makes him want to switch the conversation onto Heeseung, “Are you into anyone right now?”

Heeseung pauses, “No not really. I’m just enjoying being single right now.” Sunoo nods, feeling satisfied with his hyung’s answer. He needs all of Heeseung’s attention… because of their deal. 

They pick up practice again by doing some basic drills. Sunoo feels a little more self-assured than he was an hour ago. The playful banter makes the time pass quickly and Sunoo discovers that he doesn’t mind sports as long as someone is making him laugh. 

“Let me walk you home,” Heeseung offers after they decide to wrap it up. Sunoo hums in acceptance, and waits for Heeseung to pack his things up. He had a good day with Heeseung, why would he want that to end? 

The walk home is brisk but the cool air feels good on his dewy skin. It’s that perfect time of year right between Winter and Spring, where it isn’t super cold but not too hot. As Sunoo looks at the scenery he catches himself glancing at Heeseung quite a bit. The sunset compliments his golden skin, and his hair dances in the wind. Does he always look this good after working out? 

They make idle conversation as they walk, talking about all sorts of things. They talk about who they were in high school versus now, their favorite movies (apparently Heeseung hates scary movies. Sunoo vows to change that), and how Heeseung came up with his delicious ramen recipe. The comfortable mundane makes Sunoo want to learn more about Heeseung.

“You know, you aren’t like anything I expected,” Heeseung makes Sunoo feel like he can be honest. 

“What did you expect?” Heeseung has his hands in his basketball shorts and walks with a casual confidence that Sunoo admires.

“To be a little cocky and to have nothing in common,” Sunoo shrugs. He's pleasantly surprised at how much Heeseung and him have in common. They are both determined, have the same sense of humor, and love music. 

“So you thought I was going to be a jerk?” Heeseung jokes, he leans into Sunoo with a fake pout on his face. Sunoo laughs and pushes him away easily. 

“Hey! No, that isn’t what I meant! You’re just popular and- I mean you have brand deals ! Plus, you have a little bit of a reputation,” Sunoo doesn’t think it’s that crazy to assume they’d be different. It makes the fact that they’re so alike that much better. 

“Oh, yeah? Tell me what my reputation is,” Heeseung winks, “Just kidding, I know what people say. The truth is I am a little arrogant on the court because that’s what being the captain of a championship winning team requires. Outside of that though, I don’t really talk about real stuff with anyone. I guess you are just lucky.”

“What do you mean by ‘real stuff’?” Sunoo doesn’t think they’ve gotten crazy deep or anything. Maybe he's wrong though, he hasn’t made a friend in a while.

“You know, like my life before all these brand deals and contracts or how much I love music. I usually just keep it surface level with people,” Heeseung looks deep in thought now. Sunoo likes this version of him, the serious Heeseung, just as much as his playful side. 

Sunoo is about to respond but a voice cuts in, “Heeseung hyung, is that you?” 

Oh my god it’s Sunghoon. Sunoo feels the jitters in his stomach and all comfortability runs out of his body. He's aware of the sweat clinging to his skin and worries if he looks greasy, he wonders if Sunghoon will notice it too. 

“Sunghoon, what’s up?” Heeseung greets Sunghoon with a fist bump. Sunoo should say something but he feels too awkward. 

“Not much, just coming back from dinner. I didn’t know you knew Sunoo,” Sunghoon finally looks at Sunoo and he feels like a deer in headlights. 

He forces himself to talk nonetheless, “Me and Heeseungie hyung play basketball together! It helps me not lose my touch!”

“Oh right, you played in high school! Did you know he was a point guard? Same as you!” Sungoon’s smile is showing his canines off and Sunoo feels weak in the knees. He can’t believe Sunghoon remembered that about him. It might be a lie, but at least he remembered it. 

“Yeah,” Heeseung deadpans, his lips downturned. Sunoo is confused at Heeseung’s mood swing. He was just his upbeat self, now he is being curt to his supposed friend.

Sunoo speaks up again, trying to be brave in front of Sunghoon, “You should come play with us sometime!”

“I don’t know, Sunoo, it would be kind of awkward to play a two on one!” Heeseung interjects before Sunghoon can respond. Sunoo gives Heeseung a pointed look that says, ‘ What the hell? ’ Doesn’t Heeseung see this could be a perfect opportunity to get Sunghoon alone?

“Well, I could bring Jake along! I’m sure Sunoo will be able to keep up! He told me he played varsity for his team,” Sunghoon smiles and claps a hand on Sunoo’s shoulder. He can’t believe this is happening. 

“We’ll see! Me and Sunoo have to go now, I’ll talk to you later,” As Heeseung steers Sunoo away from his crush, he replays what just happened in his mind. Sunghoon touched him… He will definitely be thinking about that later. Sunoo is brought back to the reality in front of him when Heeseung takes his hands off Sunoo’s shoulders.

“Hey, why did you turn down Sunghoon’s offer to play?” Heeseung is supposed to be helping him date Sunghoon, not shoo him away.

“We just had our first practice today! He thinks you’ll be able to keep up with three members of our team. Your secret would be exposed immediately,” Heeseung answers like it’s the most obvious thing. And well… he did have a point. At least Sunoo put the thought out there and Sunghoon was receptive. Eventually, he could get him alone! When they arrive at Sunoo’s place, Heeseung reminds him of their next study session. 

He opens the door to Jay sitting in the kitchen, “Hey Sunoo-ya. I just made some ox bone soup for dinner. I saved you some!” Sunoo eagerly takes some soup from the pot, he's famished after working out. He tells Jay all about practicing with Heeseung and running into Sunghoon. Then Jay mentions how he ran into his crush today too. Jungwon invited him out to karaoke, and Heeseung is apparently going to be there.

“You should come with,” Jay is being delusional, clearly Jungwon is inviting him as his date.

“I don’t know. I’m pretty sure Jungwon just wants you to come,” Sunoo shrugs, trying to support Jay.

“Ask Heeseung hyung about it then! I’m still surprised he's coming! He never goes on outings with the other people in our program,” Jay’s voice lifts in excitement, probably because he gets to show off in front of Jungwon. Sunoo ponders it and decides he should text Heeseung, even though it has probably only been an hour since they last saw each other. 

He types, ‘So, I hear you are going out to karaoke? Jay hyung is pretty pumped.’

Soon enough a reply comes through, ‘I was actually thinking of bailing but would you have any interest in going?’

Sunoo thinks about it. He's really busy, but he also wants to officially meet Jungwon. Plus, if Heeseung is there he won’t be left all alone. He also hasn’t sang in god knows how long. It seems like a triple win for Sunoo. 

He responds, ‘Count me in. See you then.’ He gets a simple thumbs up back. Maybe he's a little excited just to see Heeseung too.

Sunoo grinds the next few days in order to take the night off, this means hour long study sessions, little sleep, and chugging energy drinks. He seriously could kick himself for taking so much on. He wishes he could just have an easy semester, do homework during the day and hang out with friends at night. Instead he has to work overtime just to go out to karaoke. 

Despite all the overtime work he has put in, he’s still really excited to go out. Sunoo doesn’t remember the last time he picked out an outfit and actually “got ready” to see people. On the opposite side of the spectrum Jay was freaking out. He's in the middle of gelling his hair, when he starts to flip. Sunoo has to pomade his hair as he talks Jay down. Sunoo can’t blame him, he would feel the same way if he was getting ready to see Sunghoon. Instead he was on his way to see Heeseung (he's sure Jay will be glued to Jungwon all night). 

When they show up to the karaoke place Jungwon is already there, and he's a little tipsy, “Jay hyung! Sunoo hyung, it is so good to meet you. Jay hyung talks about you all the time. He loves you.” 

“Yah, don’t tell Sunoo that. He will make fun of me forever,” Jay blushes as Jungwon lays atop him, giggling. Sunoo will, in fact, be making fun of Jay for everything that is happening in front of his eyes. Jungwon and Jay blatantly flirt for about thirty minutes before Heeseung shows up. Sunoo is feeling grateful for an out, he did not need to see Jungwon twirl Jay’s hair nor Jay pinch at Jungwon’s cheeks for any longer.

“Hyung, thank god,” Sunoo says but it gets drowned out by all the other people excited to see Heeseung. Heeseung came into the room, his big grin on display, greeting everyone and Sunoo thought he was going to get lost in the background. He and Heeseung might hang out in private, but why would Heeseung choose to hang around a no one like him with others around. Sunoo sagged in his seat, wishing he didn’t come. 

Heeseung takes a minute to greet everyone trying to get his attention, then turns to face Sunoo, “What’s the long face for? I came cause of you, you know.” Heeseung plops in the open seat next to Sunoo. Sunoo feels himself loosen up a little bit, relief flooding his system. There Heeseung goes, surprising him once again.

“I just had to watch Jay hyung and Jungwon flirt for thirty minutes. I was waiting for you to come save me,” That part is true. Jay and Jungwon were doing everything but making out at this point. It’s clear they both like each other, he has no idea why Jay is holding back. 

“Ah, yeah when I said hi I don’t think they even noticed me. I’m here now to save my damsel in distress,” Heeseung flexes his muscles, pretending to be a white knight and while Sunoo is impressed by how strong Heeseung is, he's mostly amused. 

As people start to get up to sing, Sunoo notices the time starts to fly by. He and Heeseung share drinks and jokes (mostly about Jay and Jungwon). Heeseung tells Sunoo that he knows Jungwon through the music department too, it is small after all. Sunoo doesn’t know anyone from his department. He has nothing in common with his fellow engineers. 

Sunoo also starts to notice that he's getting tipsy. A tipsy Sunoo is a giggly Sunoo. He can’t stop flying into a laughing fit every time Heeseung makes a joke. His head thrown back, hand covering mouth, he feels like a fizzy glass of champagne, all bubbly and light.

“When are you going to sing? Are you sure you weren’t lying about being a good singer?” Heeseung is being playful, trying to prompt Sunoo into singing. It’s working on Sunoo, he now needs to prove he wasn’t lying. 

“I’ll go after you,” Sunoo says confidently, his words slightly slurred.

Heeseung smiles and stands up, “My turn!” Everybody in the room whoops for him, hyping him up. Heeseung takes it in stride, raising his hands up, trying to hype the crowd even more.

Heeseung chose to sing Can’t Take My Eyes off You by Frankie Vallie. He points at Sunoo and says, “This one’s for you!” Sunoo laughs, but claps along to the beat. Heeseung is a great singer. Sunoo is starting to believe this man is good at everything. His voice is perfectly belting the song and he works the room like no one else. Honestly, in a room full of artists, Heeseung is the only one who seems like a star. It makes Sunoo want to do a duet with him.

For the last chorus Heeseung slinks up to Sunoo and pulls him up off the couch (despite Sunoo’s protests) He uses the hand that’s not holding the karaoke mic to spin Sunoo around as he sings. Sunoo feels dizzy with joy, looking at Heeseung while he gets spun around. It feels like it’s just him and Heeseung.

When Heeseung finishes he hands the mic to Sunoo and says, “Your turn.” Heeseung goes to sit back down. If Sunoo was sober, he might feel a little scared to sing in front of a group after so long. But Sunoo was borderline drunk, still feeling woozy from Heeseung’s performance, and wanted to impress Heeseung. He decides to sing Off My Face by Justin Bieber. Not exactly a crowd jumper but people could follow along and perfect for his vocal range.

Before Sunoo starts the song he points at Heeseung and reiterates his words from before, “This one’s for you.”  Then he loses himself in the song. It feels so freeing to just let loose and sing. He knew he missed it but he wasn’t sure just how much until this moment. It almost makes him emotional inside, he’ll probably cry about it later. Once he finishes, he receives applause from the group. He only looks at Heeseung though, wanting to know if he thought Sunoo did well.

Heeseung is staring at him with an indecipherable look in his eyes. No smile on his face but his lips slightly agape. He passes the mic to a very drunk Jay and goes to sit back next to Heeseung, their thighs press together despite the ample amount of space on the couch.

“Did I do well?” He fishes for a compliment, he just needs one. 

Heeseung’s face is burning red, he’s probably drunk too, “You…. When you said you could sing I knew you’d be good. I didn’t know you were that good.”

The praise sent a flurry of butterflies to Sunoo’s stomach, “Thank you. I haven’t sung in a while, so I wanted to do good.”

“You did more than good. Sunoo you were the best one tonight. I would love to get you on one of my tracks!” Heeseung’s eyes light up like he just had the best idea ever. 

Sunoo is flattered, “I would love that, hyung. I-I thought you were amazing too.” Heeseung pauses and for a moment they say nothing to each other. They just stare and Sunoo can fully appreciate the deep dark brown in Heeseung’s eyes. Sunoo feels like a magnet was just placed between him and Heeseung and he can feel the gravity separating them. 

“I love Off My Face. Only a voice like yours could sing it so well,” Heeseung’s eyes never leave Sunoo’s, his voice drops to a whisper. For the second time tonight it feels like it is just him and Heeseung. Sunoo is going to respond and tell Heeseung how he could do better than him but all of a sudden Jay is running to the trash to throw up and his attention is diverted. The moment is ruined, now he's running after Jay to haul him out of the room. Jay yaks more in the bathroom and Sunoo, the great friend he's, pats his head and makes sure his hair doesn’t get in his way.

Heeseung and Jungwon knock on the door a couple minutes later. Jay gets embarrassed and yells for them to not come in. When he finally finishes, they say goodbye to the crowd. Jungwon gives Jay’s arm a squeeze, Heeseung just awkwardly waves goodbye to him. He makes sure to tell Jay off later for drinking irresponsibly. 

“I can’t believe I embarrassed myself in front of Jungwon like that,” Jay groans the next morning. Sunoo woke up early to make him eggs and a smoothie, something to cure the hangover. 

“I think you’ll be ok, that boy is whipped for you. You should be more embarrassed that you barfed in front of Heeseung hyung,” Sunoo snorts, scrambling the eggs before plating them for Jay.

“Heeseung hyung was there? I was so drunk I didn’t even notice,” Jay groans, Sunoo thinks it's kind of funny.

“You were love drunk,” Sunoo teases and then laughs when Jay throw’s some egg in retaliation.

“You’re one to talk. Were you talking to Heeseung hyung all night?” Jay raises his brows. Sunoo knows what the insinuation is, but he won’t feed into it. He likes Sunghoon . Everyone knows that.

“Yes but it isn’t like that. He's becoming a friend,” Sunoo shrugs nonchalantly. Heeseung is becoming an unlikely friend, and Sunoo is pleasantly surprised about it. He looks forward to their sessions every week.

“Sure, Sunoo. Come back to me in a few weeks and tell me if that is still the case,” Now it’s Sunoo’s turn to throw some egg at Jay. They don’t bring it up again.

________

Sunoo and Heeseung text a lot. At first it was about their practice sessions, but now they chat about all sorts of things. Heeseung is honestly the first person he texts when he wakes up and the last person he texts when he goes to bed. They particularly like to message about music, which makes Sunoo’s heart swell.

Heeseung likes more R&B type music, while Sunoo likes ballads. Heeseung jokes that he will produce a ballad for Sunoo someday and give him his big break. Sunoo says he should focus on his studies. Heeseung even invites him to the studio he rents, but Sunoo thinks that might be a little much for him. He had already accepted that he would never be a musician, and he has been indulging way too much lately. 

They hang out more too. Sometimes Heeseung will just come over to watch a movie (Sunoo is conditioning him to like horror) or make his special ramen (the egg does make it even better). Their one hour practice sessions turn into three or four hours as they just decide to do nothing together. Heeseung even plays Sunoo some demos he made, and Sunoo is amazed. Their next tutoring sesh is grueling work. Even Sunoo struggled with this lesson when he took the class so teaching it to Heeseung is extra frustrating. 

“I’m sorry, really, I am such an idiot,” Heeseung puts his head in his hands. At this point it has been two hours and it feels like they’ve made little to no progress.

Sunoo is internally a little worn out but he would never put Heeseung down like that, “No, you’re not an idiot. You got a B+ on your last quiz. You are making progress, don’t overlook your hard work.”

Heeseung looks up from his hands, “What if I can’t get this though? I’ll be kicked off the team and then I will lose my source of income and my pride.”

Sunoo grabs Heeseung’s hand, “Heeseung hyung. I promise you that will not happen. I have tutored so many people who work only half as hard as you, and they always pass. You are amazing at almost everything and you will do amazing in this lab. I believe in you.” For good measure he squeezes Heeseung’s hand. It’s soft, like Heeseung.

“Thanks, Sunoo,” Heeseung whispers and squeezes Sunoo’s hand back. They get back to it after their little hiccup and they push through. When Heeseung finally understands how to do the lab, Sunoo feels so proud. He even offers to buy Heeseung some late night coffee after they finish. 

“Show me what you work on,” Heeseung is leaning on Sunoo’s couch, clearly a little exhausted. 

“You don’t want to see that, it’s so boring,” Sunoo’s work is nothing like the song’s Heeseung produces. It’s all numbers and coding and chemistry. They have had enough of that for tonight.

Heeseung is insistent though, “Pleaseeee. I want to at least see it, I won’t make you explain everything.” Sunoo goes into his room and pulls out his computer, then he shows Heeseung all the coding. Heeseung lays his head on Sunoo’s shoulder as they sit and scroll through the different, confusing codes. His hair tickles Sunoo’s neck, and his belly squirms.

“Do you get it?” Sunoo asks after explaining how his homework works. He turns to look down at Heeseung only to find him sound asleep. Heeseung’s chest rises and falls as he rests on Sunoo’s shoulder. His hair falls into his face and his cheeks look the slightest bit chubby. He looks cute, and Sunoo can’t help the warm jelly feeling that fills his chest cavity. Heeseung is always so collected and confident. Right now, though, he seems so small and soft. Sunoo doesn’t have it in him to wake Heeseung up. He decides to work on his homework while Heeseung sleeps. He even turns on some TV in the back. 

Heeseung eventually stirs awake, he rubs his eyes and yawns like a child. It is so adorable Sunoo has to stop himself from saying “awe” out loud. 

Heeseung lays his head back on Sunoo’s shoulder but keeps his eyes open, “How long was I asleep?”

“About an hour, I got some stuff done while you were out. Do you want that coffee we talked about?” Sunoo talks to Heeseung in a soft tone, to not disturb his sleepy mood. Heeseung just gives him a nod in response. They slowly but surely get up to head to the overnight convenience store. Sunoo gives Heeseung one of his hoodies to stay warm as they walk, he looks good in it. Sunoo doubts anything could make him look bad.

He must get caught staring because as Heeseung holds the door to the store open for him he says, “Do I have something on my face?”

Sunoo is startled, “No, I was just thinking about something embarrassing.”

“Well now you gotta tell me,” Heeseung smiles and walks back to where the ice coffee sits in the cooler. 

“I- It was just how you look good even after you’ve been napping. When I wake up I look crazy,” Sunoo mutters, picking out a sweet latte. He has an affinity for sweets. 

“I bet you look cute,” Heeseung takes the latte out of Sunoo’s hands, “And because you were being so sweet, I’ll buy this for you.” Sunoo feels his neck flush, Heeseung is really nice to him.

“I wanted to get it for you though, you did so well at studying today,” Sunoo tries to stop Heeseung, but the boy is already pulling out his card to pay. 

“I did so well, because my tutor is great. I wish you were our TA and not Matt. I would actually want to go if I got to see you there,” Heeseung sighs, sipping his latte. 

“I would get in trouble for giving you special treatment. I’m sure you get that anyways though, Captain,” Sunoo pokes Heeseung’s arm, a joking grin on his face.

“So what if I do sometimes! I like to get the free muffins from the campus cafe,” Heeseung defends himself. Sunoo can’t stop laughing at the thought of Heeseung using his charm just for a free muffin.

“Ok hot shot.”

“Hey, just because you don’t see the appeal doesn’t mean no one else does,” Heeseung has this look on his face that says he isn’t completely joking. Like he has someone in mind.

Sunoo doesn’t know how to feel about that, “Ok I never said I don’t see the appeal. We all know you’re handsome. Also, I thought you weren’t interested in anyone right now.”

“Well, I didn’t like anyone. But lately, someone has kind of been taking over my thoughts,” Sunoo’s stomach drops. Heeseung likes someone? He has never mentioned anyone to Sunoo. Even worse, Heeseung looks nervous about this, like he can’t trust Sunoo with his secrets.

Sunoo feels a little betrayed by this nugget of information, “Who is it?”

“It isn’t anyone you would know. Plus, I know they don’t like me back so it is useless,” Heeseung’s pink lips turn into a frown. Just like when he couldn’t figure out a question on his chemistry homework.

“They’re stupid then. Anyone would be lucky to be noticed by you,” Sunoo isn’t lying, anyone would be lucky to have Heeseung like them. Heeseung is handsome, hardworking, kind, funny, and so smart. He would be a great boyfriend. He would be the kind of boyfriend to bring you flowers just because he wanted to. Sunoo could only hope Sunghoon would be the same way.

“You really think so?” Heeseung has stars in his eyes, his breath coming up shallow from his chest. 

Sunoo can feel a pulse between them, “Yeah, you’re honestly- you’re like my best friend. Don’t tell Jay hyung.”

“Sunoo, you’re my best friend too,” Heeseung croaks before wrapping his toned arms around Sunoo. Sunoo’s head is on his chest, and after his initial shock he wraps his arms back around Heeseung. He can feel Heeseung sigh into the crook of his neck, his hot breath giving Sunoo goosebumps. 

They stay like that for a while, awkwardly holding their lattes as their arms cradle one another. Heeseung smells like citrus and Spring. Sunoo likes how the scent curls around him, he hopes it sticks to his skin. Just as his brain starts to fuzz up, Heeseung pulls away. They keep walking like nothing happened. 

Sunoo’s mind wanders back to Heeseung’s crush. Secretly, deep down, Sunoo doesn’t want to lose Heeseung’s time to someone else. It’s awful, really, but he's glad they don’t like Heeseung back. He gets to keep the entirety of his best friend to himself.

______

Sunoo eventually convinces Heeseung to let Sunghoon play with them. Heeseung has been like a drill sergeant lately, making Sunoo up his cardio and practice technique. He even managed to score a point or two against Heeseung (he's convinced Heeseung let him score those points). So, when Sunoo is finally able to at least hold his own against Heeseung, he keeps suggesting Sunghoon join them. 

He could finally impress Sunghoon and Sunoo wouldn’t need to bother Heeseung anymore with extra basketball practice. It is getting harder and harder to schedule practice time as they delve further into the sports season. Heeseung is getting busy with actual training and as finals approach, they’re both pretty short on time. Still, they manage to at least get in one basketball session and one tutoring session a week. He’ll miss running up and down the court with Heeseung, but he enjoys spending a night with him instead. He would rather do that than burden Heeseung with their deal.

One day he keeps pressing for Sunghoon to come play and Heeseung gives in, “Fine, Sunoo. You schedule it with him though.” He could tell Heeseung was a little annoyed with his relentlessness but Sunoo was just trying to do them both a favor. Finally, all his hard work will pay off. 

He asked Sunghoon if he would want to play that Wednesday. It wasn’t a game day and the team had off of practice, so it was really the only day they could all get together. Sunghoon immediately accepted and said he would bring Jake, so they could play two on two. Sunoo was slightly grateful for this, Heeseung would help him not look stupid. He can dribble, pass, shoot the ball, play defence, but he's nowhere near the teams actual level. Those guys have been playing basketball since they were kids, Sunoo just started a few months ago. 

He felt eager to get a jump on this though. Sunghoon could be swooped up any minute, and lately he has been wanting to reinforce his feelings for the boy. They haven’t been seeing much of each other now that all his time has revolved around either studying or hanging out with Heeseung. He still feels a slight spark with Sunghoon, but he wants it to return to a full flame. Getting sweaty and playing a contact sport sounds like a great way to bring back that heat. 

Sunoo tries to look as cute as he can without looking like he's trying too hard. He styles his hair just a little. Then he puts on his cutest pair of work out shorts and matching tank top. He knows that he's going to be working out, but he still wants to look good.

Heeseung makes a comment about it, “Why are you dressed in a matching set? You usually just wear a long sleeve and some sweatpants. And did you pomade your hair?” Heeseung reaches out to touch Sunoo’s hair, but he swats his hyung away. He feels a little disappointed. He wishes Heeseung would compliment him and ease his wiry thoughts, he always feels a little better with some reassurance from his best friend.

“No! But if I did, maybe it is because a certain someone is coming today,” Sunoo points out, instinctively prodding his hair into place. Heeseung just rolls his eyes but doesn’t bring it up again. When Sunghoon shows up his hair is pushed back in a headband, showing off his handsome face. 

Sunoo can feel the nervousness rise in his gut, “H-hi Sunghoonie hyung.” He can hear Heeseung scoff under his breath, so he gives him a little slap on the arm. Sunoo has no idea what his problem is. 

“Hi Sunoo, you look great today. Are you guys ready to play?” Sunghoon’s compliment brings a blush to his face. 

“Yeah, lets go,” Heeseung’s voice is firm, and determined, like he has something to prove. 

Sunghoon gives a challenging smirk, “Ok, I’ll cover Sunoo.” They rock paper scissors to see who gets the ball first, and Sunoo swears he can see the two boys size each other up. Did Heeseung not like Sunghoon? Was there history there that Heeseung just never bothered to bring up?

When they finally play, it is apparent that even though this is easy for the rest of the guys, Sunoo is trying his hardest to keep up. Sunghoon and Jake manage to easily swoop around him and steal the ball. His only saving grace is Heeseung, who effortlessly takes the ball and shoots a three pointer. Sunghoon and Jake are great at the game, but Heeseung is in a league of his own. Whenever they practiced, Heeseung lowered himself to Sunoo’s level. Now, Sunoo can’t help but gawk a little at his hyung’s skill. Heeseung has a line of sweat dripping down his jaw, and his muscles are flexed from how much he's working. He looks… really good. It makes Sunoo’s blood buzz a little, and distracts him from the game. 

They take a few breaks to get some water. Sunoo takes the opportunity to try and talk to Sunghoon, asking him about how the team has been doing and if he's nervous for their socio economics final. Sunghoon is perfectly kind, chatting Sunoo up. It’s more than he has ever done in the past. Maybe he really is taking an interest in Sunoo. Sunghoon also tries to question him on his past with basketball, Sunoo tries to be nonchalant about it. Throughout their whole conversation, Heeseung keeps butting in. He's acting just like he did when Sunoo first invited Sunghoon to play with them. Eventually, he pulls Heeseung aside.

“What is your problem today?” Sunoo whisper-scolds Heeseung, leaning into his space so he isn’t heard by Sunghoon and Jake.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Heeseung’s mouth is in a thin straight line and he isn’t even looking at Sunoo. Damn, though, Heeseung looks even more attractive when he's annoyed like this. 

Sunoo shakes the thought and continues to scold Heeseung, “I know you do. Hyung, for me, please just lighten up.” Heeseung’s resolve unwinds but he still doesn’t say anything. Sunoo gives him another, “ Please , hyung.”

Heeseung finally looks at Sunoo with guilty eyes, he sighs, “Fine. I will… ease up.” They return to the group, and Sunoo tries to be perky and act like nothing happened. Heeseung on the other hand isn’t as clearly upset, but he isn’t his usual self. 

This thought keeps Sunoo distracted as they play their next round. He's playing offense against Sunghoon and just as he tries to swipe the ball, Sunghoon side steps him. Sunoo is thrown completely off balance and as he falls he feels his ankle twist. He lets out a yelp as he falls to the floor. 

“Sunoo! I am so sorry,” Sunhghoon comes to his side, immediately forgetting about the game.

Sunoo is about to respond but Heeseung steps in and pushes Sunghoon to the side, “Sunghoon! You have to be more careful!” Oh , if Heeseung was annoyed before, he's irate now. He carefully takes Sunoo’s leg to look at his ankle, Sunoo hisses in pain when Heeseung runs his hand over it. It is an angry red and starting to swell. It’s definitely going to bruise tomorrow. 

“Maybe I should go get a first aid kit. Sunghoon has one in his car,” Jake mentions then runs off. Sunghoon is sitting behind Heeseung with an anxious look on his face. 

“How are you feeling? Did you only hurt your ankle?” Heeseung runs his hands up Sunoo’s arms to distract him from the pain surrounding his ankle.

“It hurts but I am ok,” Sunoo responds, still wincing at the dull ache. Jake comes back with the kit and tries to tape up Sunoo’s ankle but Heeseung insists on doing it. His hands are delicate and deliberate as he carefully wraps up Sunoo. There is some aspirin that Heeseung gives Sunoo too, lending him his water bottle to sip it down.

“Listen, Sunoo, I am really sorry,” Sunghoon apologizes again. He looks dejected and embarrassed.

“It is ok, hyung. I think it will clear up within a couple of days,” Sunoo gives him a forgiving smile, Heeseung doesn’t even look at Sunghoon. 

“Well, that makes me feel better. Listen, I have to take Jake home, but I wanted to invite you to Jake’s party next weekend. You can bring your friends and hopefully your ankle will feel better. I really want to see you there,” Sunghoon offers, his thick brows pressed together, conveying his apology.

Sunoo nods, “I’ll be there.” Sunghoon just invited him to a party, and hopes to see him there. Sunoo should be feeling excited, but there is that pit of restlessness in his stomach that always happens when he interacts with Sunghoon. Sunghoon tries to say goodbye to Heeseung but he only offers a curt wave.

“I’m really ok, hyung. I just want to rest for a second,” Sunoo reassures Heeseung, who is still tense.

“I just want to make sure you are alright. I don’t see what you see in him,” Sunoo assumes ‘him’ is referring to Sunghoon. 

“Is there something I don’t know? You guys seem mad at each other,” Sunoo brings up. This whole day Heeseung has been acting like Sunghoon was a nuisance to be around. Sunoo has never seen him like that around anyone . 

“No, I just don’t like how he treats you. I mean he couldn’t even be bothered to stick around while you’re hurt,” Heeseung throws his toned arms up, exasperated. 

“It isn’t his fault, hyung. He had another priority,” Sunoo says this but he admits Heeseung does bring up a good point. Couldn’t Sunghoon at least offer him a ride home too? 

“You should be the priority. What do you see in him anyways?” Heeseung does that sometimes, where he presses an answer out of Sunoo. 

Sunoo gives in easily, finding Heeseung’s protectiveness sweet, “I-I don’t know, I just know that since I met him, I wanted to be close to him.”

“You don’t even act like yourself around him. He doesn’t even know you, not like me,” Heeseung pouts, Sunoo can’t help but think he looks like a sad puppy. The sun has set now, and they sit under the stars. Sunoo can hear the hum of crickets enter the dewey park grass.

“That’s because you’re my best friend. He's someone who seems unattainable, I’m just so nervous around him. I want to be enough, I have never even been on a date with another boy let alone kissed one. Sunghoon hyung is so attractive and so popular, he probably has way more experience than me,” Sunoo feels slightly anxious letting his guard down like this. Heeseung has proven to him that he can keep a secret though. Their friendship makes Sunoo want to open up, despite the embarrassment.

“You have never been kissed before?” Heeseung asks quietly, a shocked tilt to his voice.

Sunoo notices that they are sitting right up against each other, Heeseung’s body heat making him feel warm, “Yup. Never had the opportunity.”

“That surprises me,” Heeseung whispers, they are so close. Sunoo can feel the breeze brush on his face and the moonlight is shining on Heeseung, making him look so beautiful. No wonder people fawn over him, his skin is so clear and his face so angelic. 

“Why? I’m not particularly popular or anything,” Sunoo chuckles, that swooping feeling bubbling up in his stomach again. One moment they’re talking about the party this weekend and the next Sunoo can’t stop staring at Heeseung.

“Because you’re…. so pretty,” Heeseung looks bashful, “I could help you feel better.”

“How so?” Sunoo feels his breath catch in his throat, there is that compliment he was looking for.

“Well, I-I could take your first kiss off your hands. That way you will have some experience for Sunghoon,” Heeseung stutters and looks away from Sunoo. This is so unlike the naturally flirty Heeseung that Sunoo knows. Sunoo wonders if it’s just an embarrassing situation or if something more is making Heeseung act this way. He actively has to remind himself of Sunghoon. He's doing this for Sunghoon.

Heeseung was popular and has definitely kissed someone before, so he presumably knows what he's doing. Sunoo doesn’t quite like that Heeseung has so much experience. He honestly doesn’t want to think about Heeseung being intimate with anyone, but it could benefit him. 

“Sure, it’s a deal,” Sunoo says. They have a thing for deals, he supposes. Heeseung looks a little shocked at first, but quickly nods his head. They turn their chests towards each other, and while it is a little uncomfortable, Sunoo doesn’t really notice with his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. Heeseung lifts his hand to Sunoo’s cheek, and Sunoo notices every shade of brown in his eyes. It’s a little mesmerizing. He gives Sunoo a look that is asking if it’s ok, so Sunoo nods. Yes, he does want this. All thoughts of Sunghoon disappear from his brain, instead replaced by images of Heeseung's pink pout just inches from his own.

After what feels like hours, Heeseung finally closes the gap and presses their mouths together. Sunoo feels a zip of lighting go directly through him. Heeseung’s lips are so sweet (Sunoo loves sweets) and his hand holds Sunoo’s face like it’s made of porcelain. Sunoo feels delicate, like Heeseung could break him with this kiss. 

Slowly, Heeseung moves his lips against Sunoo's. Sunoo opens up for him easily, inhaling through his nose and leaning more into the kiss. Heeseung pulls Sunoo in closer, gripping the back of his head so he can’t move away. Their lips slide together in a way that's wet and hot, suddenly the cool night air feels humid. He no longer feels pain in his ankle, just a searing heap of lust in his gut. Just as Sunoo debates crawling into Heeseung’s lap, Heeseung breaks away from the kiss. 

“Was that okay for your first?” Heeseung asks after a moment of silence. Sunoo is staring at the boy before him. Heeseung with his soft black hair and his stupid Adidas hoodie and his lips that are still a little wet from Sunoo’s kisses. Sunoo looks at him and licks his plush lips, wondering if he can still taste Heeseung on them. Heeseung’s eyes zero back on his mouth, and Sunoo feels his face flush from the idea of kissing Heeseung again.

When Heeseung doesn’t come back for more, Sunoo answers him, “That was good, yeah. I will definitely be prepared for Sunghoon hyung.” 

Instantly, the mood changes at the mention of Sunghoon, "Right, Sunghoon..." Heeseung's hands and gaze drop from Sunoo's profile. "I guess you'll be ready for him now," he says with annoyance laced in his tone. Now Sunoo's confused. That is what they were doing this for, right? To help him be more confident in front of Sunghoon. 

“I was good, though, right? Or do I need more practice, coach ?” Sunoo tries to remedy the situation.

Heeseung cracks a smile and chuckles at the ‘coach’ comment, “Hmmm, I thought it was great for your first kiss. Do you have any corrections for me, Mr.Kim?” 

The praise makes Sunoo’s head spin. He doesn’t think when he quickly replies, “You were perfect.” If the Lee Heeseung thought his kissing skills were proficient, then he's sure he can feel confident when it comes to Sunghoon. 

Heeseung looks like he's lost in thought for a second, “There is one thing we didn’t practice.” Sunoo looks at him with a raised brow. Heeseung continues, “You know, tongue.”

“Oh, right. Well, I’ll need to know how to do that if I want to impress Sunghoon hyung,” Sunoo immediately bends back into Heeseung’s space, his internal temperature starting to rapidly rise. He really wants Heeseung's mouth back on his.

“Right, for him,” Heeseung whispers, voice rough and raspy, before their lips crash back together. 

Sunoo’s hands fly to clutch at Heeseung’s shirt, and this time, he does scramble into Heeseung’s lap. Heeseung moves one hand to his waist and the other to the back of his neck. And the electricity re-enters Sunoo's blood. Once he feels Heeseung lick into his mouth, he knows nothing will ever be the same for him. 

So this is what it feels like to be kissed into oblivion. Sunoo moans at the thought. It only makes Heeseung hold him tighter. Sunoo is soon brave enough to mimic Heeseung’s moves, slipping his tongue between Heeseung’s lips. He melts when Heeseung’s tongue grazes his. 

He doesn’t know how long they kiss for. He's drowning in this syrupy feeling and all he can smell, touch, think about is the boy beneath him. He doesn’t want to stop because once they do, they might not start again, and Sunoo doesn’t want to give this feeling up. Kissing Heeseung is like second nature. Is it like this with everyone?

Sadly, they do eventually part, but it wasn’t Sunoo’s choice. His breathing is heavy as he leans his head against Heeseung’s for just a moment. Sunoo lifts his gaze, still perched in Heeseung's lap with his arms tightly wrapped around his frame. When he finally gets a glimpse of Heeseung, his stomach drops. His pupils are dilated and the tips of his ears are bright red. It's the sexiest sight Sunoo has ever seen. The air hangs between them, thick like fog, but Sunoo soon snaps back to reality when he feels a jolt in his ankle. 

Heeseung catches on to his pain and rubs his arms in a soothing way, “Let’s get you home.” He helps Sunoo up but Sunoo can barely walk, so he climbs up onto Heeseung’s back. He hopes Heeseung can’t feel the way his heart is pounding or how warm his chest is from the blush spread across it. Heeseung carefully places him in the passenger seat of his car. They sit in an awkward but charged silence. 

Before Sunoo gets out he turns to Heeseung, “Will you come to that party Sunghoon hyung mentioned?”

Heeseung makes direct eye contact, it shakes Sunoo up, “Yeah. It’s a post game party. I’ll be there.” Sunoo tries to be nonchalant as he nods and hops out of Heeseung's car, limp evident in his short walk back to his door. That night, when he lays in bed, he finds his thoughts drifting back to that syrupy gut feeling Heeseung gave him. He tries to ignore it.

_____

That whole next week, he and Heeseung don’t talk about the kiss. When they meet up for a tutoring session, Heeseung acts like his normal self so Sunoo decides he should too. It’s not like he thinks about it all the time… he doesn’t. 

He definitely isn’t thinking about it as he gets ready for their post game party. No, he's thinking about Sunghoon. He has to keep this mantra replaying in his head. After what feels like hours of an internal back and forth, Sunoo decides to play it safe, picking a tight black top that hugs his waist and loose jeans. He styles his hair simply, to emphasize his natural beauty. 

Still, he must look good because when Riki peaks his head in Sunoo’s room, he says, “Wow, hyung, you look really hot. Who are you trying to impress? Maybe a certain basketball player?” He wiggles his eyebrows at Sunoo with his lips in a tilt.

“Well, duh. Sunghoon hyung better give me some attention tonight,” Sunoo hopes Sunghoon does. He wants to take his mind off this last week. 

“I actually meant Heeseung hyung,” Riki corrects and Sunoo is taken aback. What is he talking about? Does it look like he has a thing for Heeseung? He starts to think about the kiss again…

“What are you doing in my room?” Sunoo thinks the best course of action is to change the subject. 

“Jay hyung is eager to go, he wants to see you know who,” Riki responds, taking the hint Sunoo doesn’t want to talk about the point guard. “I was actually just wondering if you were ready yet?” Sunoo collects his things and nods. It’s now or never.

When they get there, the party is in full swing. People are smoking on the porch while someone else is spilling their guts in the bushes. A proper college party , Sunoo thinks. Inside, Sunoo can feel bass reverberate in his chest, bodies bumping into his own as they sway to the music. People have turned the living room into a space to dance and the dining hall to their left holds a beer pong table. It is crowded but the people are in a good mood. It makes sense since Decelis won the game tonight, locking them into the final championship game. Sunoo will have to congratulate Heeseung, he wasn’t able to attend the game but he heard that Heeseung made the winning basket.

Not even a minute has passed since they got there and Jay is already off to find Jungwon. Riki abandons Sunoo too, looking for Jake. Sunoo doesn’t really mind, his thoughts already drifting to Heeseung. He pushes past the scattered bodies, trying to look for his hyung. Finally when he turns into the kitchen he spots him. The room is packed with people taking drinks from various unlabeled coolers, so Heeseung doesn’t notice Sunoo. But Sunoo definitely notices him.

Heeseung is leaning on the kitchen counter, throwing his head back with laughter. He looks pretty with his eyes shut, and his smile wide. Who is he laughing with? Sunoo stands on his tippy toes to get a good look. 

His stomach immediately drops. It’s a girl. A really beautiful girl. She has long black hair, gorgeous glass skin, and a pretty pink mini skirt on. Is this that crush that Heeseung mentioned a while back? Sunoo thought he was over that, since he never brought it up again. The mystery girl is laughing with Heeseung and it’s clear she is flirting. Her wispy eyelashes bat at him and she puts a manicured hand on his toned arm, leaning in. That’s about all Sunoo can take before he feels the need to throw up. He turns around and rushes out of there before Heeseung can see him (or before he ralphs all over the tiled floors). 

He twists his way around the corner and bumps into a tall figure, “Oh my god I’m so sorry- wait. Sunoo?”

Just the man he came here for, “Sunghoon hyung. I was hoping to find you.”

Sunghoon smirks, canines on display, and sways into his space, “Well, I’m glad you came. Do you want a drink?” Sunoo nods and Sunghoon leaves for a quick moment, coming back with some alcoholic concoction in a red cup. He needs to loosen up, get a little drunk, and forget all about that stupid, gorgeous, flirtatious girl attached to his best friend.

“I thought you would be busy, you always seem like you have a ton of work to do. I wasn’t expecting you to come, to be honest,” Sunghoon sips his drink. 

“Yeah, well my major does keep me busy,” Sunoo nods absentmindedly, his brain still on Heeseung and that girl. Are they kissing? Is he holding her the same way he held Sunoo? He sips more vodka out of his cup…

“You’re an econ major right?” Sunghoon quirks a thick brow, and while he's thrilled Sunghoon is trying to get to know him better, it hurts that the only things he can remember about Sunoo are the lies he told about being a point guard.

“Actually I’m a biomedical engineering major. I was actually wondering if you wanted to dance,” Sunoo says over the loud music. The conversation feels half baked, what he really wants is to let go. He chugs the remainder of his drink, letting the warm feeling of alcohol hit the back of his throat.

Sunghoon grins and nods his head, downing his drink too before taking Sunoo’s hand and leading him to the already crowded dance floor. Back in high school Sunoo took some dance classes so he definitely knew how to move to the beat. Sunghoon does a good job at keeping up, keeping his hands around Sunoo’s waist and swaying with the music. 

Sunoo can feel himself sweat as they keep dancing, the droplets melting down his adams apple. That alcohol has settled in his system, finally making him feel lighter and wiping away his thoughts of Heeseung with someone else. The bodies around him don’t help the heat that builds in the room, but he doesn’t hate the feeling. 

Just as he starts to completely lose himself, he feels a pair of eyes staring at him. He turns in Sunghoon’s grip so he can spot the culprit. He locks on a familiar pair of dark brown eyes. Heeseung seems to have lost the girl he was with earlier because he stands alone across the room, arms crossed, and a stern look on his face. 

Sunoo’s breath escapes him. Heeseung’s eyes are sharp and his pink lips are pulled tight. It’s all for Sunoo. He wants Heeseung to keep looking at him and forget that girl from earlier. Their eye contact sends electric sparks to his brain, effectively frying all thoughts that aren’t the boy who stole his first kiss. The memories of that intimate moment come rushing back again and suddenly the sensation is too much. 

“Do you want another drink?” He asks Sunghoon, his voice thick and dazed. Sunghoon nods and lets go of Sunoo’s waist to follow him out of the crowd. 

They’re about to walk past Heeseung when Jake and Riki approach them. It is clear Jake is drunk,  “Wanna play beer pong? Riki will ref!”

Heeseung enters the conversation, a fake smile on his face, “Yeah let’s play.” While Sunoo wants to get out of a potentially awkward situation, Jake has these eyes that you just can’t say no to and Sunoo knows there is no way out, so they play beer pong. 

Sunghoon and Sunoo start to move to one side of the ping pong table when Heeseung says, “Jake, don’t you and Sunghoon always play together?”

“You’re right! Come here bro, tradition is tradition,” Jake ushers his friend over. Sunoo sees a proud little smile on Heeseung’s face, he ignores the way it makes his stomach flip. 

Heeseung shuffles to Sunoo’s side, his skin burns just being in proximity to Heeseung. After a few rounds, it’s abundantly clear that Heeseung, Sunghoon, and Jake are much better at this than him. He feels more and more drunk as he's forced to drink more cups of warm beer.

The next time it’s his turn Heeseung comes right up behind him, pressing his broad chest to Sunoo’s back. Heeseung’s breath fans Sunoo’s ear as he gives Sunoo advice, “Remember how I taught you to shoot a three pointer? Do it just like that.” 

Then he steps back from Sunoo like nothing happened at all. Sunoo’s legs feel weak, but he thinks back to Heeseung’s advice. This time when he throws the ping pong ball he sinks it in, with a little plop as it drops into the beer. Heeseung cheers and gives him a high five. They still end up losing but it felt pretty good to get the hang of it by the end of the game.

Sunghoon asks if he wants another drink, walking away before Sunoo can even answer, and promises to be right back. Jake and Riki go to refill the beer pong cups and suddenly Sunoo is left alone with Heeseung. He doesn’t look as intense as he was before the game, his face relaxing into something more hesitant.

“Do you wanna get some air? You look a little warm,” Heeseung asks him. Sunoo is feeling a little overwhelmed with the noise and the alcohol sloshing in his stomach, but as they head out to the porch he starts to feel a little better. There is an unoccupied porch swing in the corner that they go sit on, their shoulders brush, making a small smile appear on Sunoo’s face.

“You look good tonight,” Heeseung looks Sunoo up and down. It makes Sunoo’s gut fill up with heat, “Or at least Sunghoon seems to think so.” 

That ruins Sunoo’s mood, “You look good too, hyung. What happened to that girl you were with?”

Heeseung gives him a confused look, “Girl I was- wait are you talking about Heejin? She is just a friend. Even if she tried anything I’d turn her down.” Oh. Well that changes things. Sunoo is just relieved that isn’t the crush Heeseung mentioned. 

“Did you hook up with Sunghoon? I saw you two dancing.”

“No, that’s all it was, dancing. I don’t think anything will happen. I need to go home and rest soon. Professor Hardin has a pop quiz scheduled for class tomorrow,” Sunoo sighs. He hates his major so much. He wants to do something he loves, he craves singing. Especially with Heeseung. He thinks that if it was his choice, he would make music with Heeseung all day. 

They could sit in his studio, shoulders touching like this, as they mix their tracks. Heeseung would compliment his voice and insist that he be the main vocalist for the song. Heeseung would then make corny jokes that Sunoo pretended to hate, but would really just make him chuckle. On their breaks they could share a bowl of Heeseung’s ramen, while just chatting about their days. This is the ideal fantasy for Sunoo. 

“Well let me walk you home. Someone as pretty as you shouldn’t walk home alone,” Heeseung is back to his flirty self. He remembers to text Jay and Riki that he's leaving with Heeseung before heading out.

He decides that taking a walk with Heeseung is one of Sunoo’s favorite activities. They always just laugh and it’s nice . He feels a sense of freedom when he's with Heeseung, like he’ll never be judged. He even makes sure to congratulate Heeseung on his team’s win, he wanted to do that before the night ended.

“Ah, you’re humble home,” Heeseung stops at Sunoo’s front door, the night sky frames him beautifully, all his harsh lines smoothing out into the deep moonlight.

“I wish I saw more of you tonight, and thank you for walking me home. Are you sure you don’t want to stay over for the night?” Sunoo wants him to come in. If Heeseung just stays the night, Sunoo can try to convince him they should practice kissing again. They could even share a bed… limbs tangled, breath hot, sheet bunched around them. The thought almost makes him combust.

Heeseung looks back at him with an earnest look in his eyes, “It’s ok. I just wanted to make sure you got home safe.” 

The admission makes Sunoo’s heart skip a beat. 

Sunoo doesn’t know what does it. Maybe it’s because he's hit with the overwhelming want for Heeseung to stay. Maybe it’s because Heeseung gives him the courage to sing. Maybe it’s that he doesn’t want Heeseung to kiss anyone else the way he’s kissed him. Maybe it’s late night latte trips, horror movies, and the way everything is always so easy with him. Sunoo doesn’t exactly know, but he does know one thing: he doesn’t have feelings for Sunghoon anymore. He turned into a distraction from his real feelings, feelings for Heeseung that hit him like a truck. 

He needs to end things with Sunghoon. 

________

He also needs advice and unfortunately the only person who is as whipped as him is Park Jongseong. So he waits until Jay comes home the next morning, which is suspicious. 

“So, where were you?” Sunoo is acting like Jay’s dad. He even gives him a half hearted glare, he's pretty sure he already knows the answer to his question.

Jay is grinning from ear to ear, looking like a kid on Christmas morning, “I was with my boyfriend .” 

Sunoo squeals like a twelve year old girl, “Boyfriend? Hyung, you dirty dog! What happened last night?” Jay spins a tale of heartfelt confessions and sweet kisses. He and Jungwon are officially dating, after nearly a year of skirting around each other. Sunoo is so happy for him, but also a little jealous. He's always a little jealous of Jay.

“Now that you are such a love guru, I need your advice,” Sunoo pouts. “You know how Heeseung hyung is helping me impress Sunghoon hyung? Well…I might have accidentally fallen for Heeseung hyung instead,” he looks around the room, avoiding Jay’s blanks stare, “But, I don’t know if he has even considered dating me — plus, I am pretty sure he thinks I still like Sunghoon hyung,” Sunoo’s hands fly to his face when he sees the corner of Jay’s eyes crinkle. The older boy’s cackle rips through the air, a decidedly obnoxious sound.

“Dude,” Jay says, with a sudden dumbfounded expression. “ Everyone can tell Heeseung hyung is into you. Just ask him out, I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

Sunoo glares at Jay, “I have been giving you that same exact advice for a year , and you never took it. Now, you’re recycling it on me.” 

“Yeah, well I’m an idiot,” Jay laughs half heartedly, “Don’t be like me. Heeseung hyung is a popular guy, snatch him up while you can.” Sunoo ponders on Jay’s advice for a while. He wants to be brave for Heeseung, but Jay is also right about Heeseung being popular. Could he do better than Sunoo? Sunoo goes back and forth for a couple hours before making up his mind. This next weekend was the championship final, he knows Heeseung will win. It’ll be the perfect time to confess. 

He thinks about Heeseung and how he makes Sunoo feel like he could do anything. The thought of proving his feelings for Heeseung and finally being happy gives him the courage to stand up to his parents and actually do something for himself. So, that day he talks to his mom and dad and through a long conversation he switches to the art program with a minor in business, to compromise.

When the game rolls around, he makes sure to wear the spare Decelis jersey Heeseung gave him. If wants to rep his crush… sue him! He has Jay and Jungwon come with him for moral support before texting Heeseung to tell him he'll be in the stands. Heeseung texts back saying he can’t wait to see him. Sunoo blushes red all over.

The game stadium is lit up as they play against Sunshine City. Heeseung easily dominates the game. It is clear he's a star, as he effortlessly steals the ball and dribbles down the court. He’s definitely scoring the most points — and, after a particularly impressive shot, he locks eyes with Sunoo but before pointing in his direction and sending him a cocky smile. Sunoo heats up, his heart racing with excitement. Sunoo could watch Heeseung all day, he's so drop dead gorgeous. They get to the end of the fourth quarter, the two schools are tied, but Decelis has the ball. Sunghoon is dribbling it down the court, running into defense left and right, but Heeseung out maneuvers them, becoming wide open. A quick pass to Heeseung and then he takes the shot.

It feels as though time moves in slow motion. He sees the ball move through the air and time stops, Sunoo is jumping up with the crowd and then the ball swishes in the net. The stadium roars and the buzzer beeps, the game is over. Heeseung won them the national championship again . Sunoo can not stop smiling for his hyung, he's so so proud of him. For a moment Sunoo swears he can see Heeseung look at him, their eyes meeting in a flurry of motion, time stopping once again. But then he gets swept away by his teammates and Sunoo has lost him to the festivities. He goes down to the court and while Heeseung is giving an interview, Sunghoon comes up to him.

“Sunoo, can I talk to you for a second?” Sunghoon rubs his hand on the back of his neck, still managing to look handsome after playing the most intense game of the season. 

Sunoo really wants to wait for Heeseung, but he can spare a minute, “Sure, hyung. Congratulations by the way!”

“Thanks Sunoo,” Sunghoon takes them away from the crowd on the court to a secluded corner, his hands twitching with anxiety, “I was wondering… if you maybe wanted to go out?” Sunoo is wiped with guilt looking at Sunghoon’s hopeful eyes. This whole time he has been flirting with Sunghoon, basically leading him on, while falling for Heeseung. Is he a terrible person?

Sunoo frowns, wanting to word things carefully, “I-I’m sorry hyung but I actually have feelings for someone else. I am so sorry I led you on.” 

Sunghoon looks dejected, but not surprised, “It is okay, Sunoo. I kind of figured. Is it Heeseung hyung?”

Sunoo nods his head, then explains, “I really did have feelings for you at one point but then all of a sudden… something changed.”

“It’s okay. Can I just-” Sunghoon awkwardly comes in and wraps Sunoo in a goodbye hug, Sunoo wraps his arms back around Sunghoon, and lets him have his moment. In that hug, Sunoo officially lets go of his crush on Sunghoon, feeling lighter as they let go. When they release each other, Sunghoon gives him a smile and walks back into the celebratory frenzy happening on the court. Sunoo hopes they can eventually be friends.

Now, though, he just wants to find Heeseung. He searches all over the stadium but for some reason Heeseung is nowhere to be found. Sunoo even asks some members of the team where he went, but they say he left. That’s weird. Why would Heeseung leave without saying anything to him? He tries to call Heeseung but he doesn’t pick up. Then he texts Heeseung and waits for a response, but it never comes. 

A few days later, there is still no response to the texts Sunoo has sent Heeseung. He's seriously worried until Jay mentions seeing Heeseung in class. Then Sunoo starts to feel crazy. Why is Heeseung ignoring him? Did he find out about Sunoo’s feelings and get uncomfortable? He won’t know if Heeseung never responds. Sunoo wallows for days, thinking his friendship is ruined forever. If Heeseung would let him take it all back, and save their friendship, he would do it in a heartbeat. Heeseung being in his life in any capacity is worth more than Sunoo’s crush.

Then he hears through Riki who heard through Jake that Heeseung is ignoring Sunoo because his heart is broken. That’s what this is all about? Does Heeseung feel like he can’t lean on Sunoo?

Sunoo had thought Heeseung’s secret crush was a thing of the past, and now the thought of Heeseung liking anyone makes his heart squeeze. But he still wants to comfort Heeseung, make him understand that there are other fish in the sea (like Sunoo). He thinks long and hard about where he can corner Heeseung, then he remembers he has never been to Heeseung’s studio. Heeseung invited him so many times, but he never went because he was afraid he would love it too much and it would make him hate his old major even more. He isn’t afraid now, he just wants to see Heeseung. He finds out the location of said studio from Jungwon and Jay. 

Then he gathers up his courage and knocks on the studio door. For a second there is no response, but he eventually hears light footsteps walking to the door. He holds his breath in anticipation as the door opens. When he sees Heeseung he swears his heart stops in his chest. He looks so cute in a grey beanie and big black shirt. There are small circles under his eyes, he looks so cute and tired it makes Sunoo want to wrap Heeseung up in his arms and never let him go. 

“Will you please let me in?” Sunoo quietly pleads. Heeseung looks hesitant, but opens the door anyway. The studio is quaint, but very Heeseung. It has simple decor with the main piece of art being his old jersey hung up on the wall. There is not much else in there besides a black futon for people to sit on and a mini fridge. Very humble.

“What are you doing here, Sunoo?” Heeseung is closed off, he can tell. Sunoo wants to crack him open and have him close again, he used to be so vulnerable with Sunoo.

“I came to find you, you’ve been ignoring me,” Sunoo tries to step closer to Heeseung but the other boy steps back away from Sunoo. Sunoo can feel his resolve breaking, growing more forlorn every second.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Don’t push me away like that, yes you have. I know you got your heart broken, I want to be there for you.” Sunoo begs, wishing that Heeseung would look at him like he used to. With deep, rich eyes and cheeky glances. He doesn’t know what he did, just that he wants Heeseung back.

“How are you supposed to be there for me? Aren’t you supposed to be with Sunghoon?” Heeseung scoffs, and now Sunoo is confused.

“What does Sunghoon hyung have to do with anything?” 

“Sunoo, I saw you with him after the game. Look, you got what you wanted. You got Sunghoon. You don’t need me anymore so I guess I don’t need you,” Heeseung’s voice wavers with disappointment and irritation. Sunoo got no answers from that, just a flurry of hurt at the idea that Heeseung doesn’t need him anymore. He so desperately needs Heeseung.

“What are you talking about? How can you say that?” Sunoo raises his voice a little, baffled, and running out of steam.

“Are you going to make me say it?” Heeseung’s lip quivers, and Sunoo can see a line of tears threaten to spill onto his flushed cheeks.

“Just… explain it to me, hyung,” Sunoo lowers his tone again, his hand twitching to reach out, it’s pathetic how much his body aches for Heeseung.

“I can’t be your friend,” Sunoo’s stomach drops, “I can’t see you anymore if you are with him . It breaks my heart.”

“With Sunghoon hyung?” Is Heeseung referring to him? Heeseung would hate to see Sunoo with Sunghoon? Does that mean…

“Sunoo, I feel things for you that I have never felt with anyone else. You’re my best friend but I couldn’t take seeing you give yourself to someone else, so please just let me be,” A tear finally drops from Heeseung’s pretty eyes. 

“I think there is some confusion. I-I don’t want Sunghoon hyung, not anymore,” Sunoo tries to explain. 

“Then why were you guys hugging after the game?” Heeseung finally looks at him. Yes, that is better. Sunoo yearns for Heeseung to always be looking at him. Sunoo understands where the miscommunication lies now. Heeseung thought he was saying yes to Sunghoon. 

“He asked me out but I turned him down. Heeseung hyung, I want you. I want to be more than friends, I have for a while now,” Sunoo tentatively takes a step closer, when Heeseung doesn’t move away Sunoo shuffles even closer.

“You- Are you sure?” An powerful spark is lit between them, Sunoo knows Heeseung can feel it too.

“Hyung, I switched my major. I changed it to the arts with a focus in production. You helped me with that, you made me realize I can do it. I want to make music with you, I want to be with you,” Sunoo’s desperation is evident but he doesn’t even care. He raises his hand to Heeseung’s face and wipes his wet cheeks. Heeseung leans into it, and Sunoo’s chest expands like a lily blooming in Spring.

“Sunoo…” Heeseung starts, Sunoo doesn’t even let him finish, he just bends into Heeseung and kisses him. He wants to show everything through this kiss. His hands hold Heeseung’s soft face just as delicately as Heeseung did when they first kissed. Sunoo turns his head to deepen the kiss and slides his plump lips against Heeseung’s. He can feel Heeseung let go as he wraps his arms around Sunoo’s waist. Their kiss isn’t as heated as their first one but it is passionate. All they’re feeling culminating in this one moment, it makes Sunoo a little weak, excitement rolling over him.

He feels Heeseung’s love, he hopes that Heeseung can feel the way his blood pounds and his stomach fills with butterflies. He hopes that Heeseung is also seeing fireworks behind his eyelids because the kiss is that good. When they part, Sunoo is breathing heavily. They keep their foreheads pressed together.

“Please be my boyfriend,” Heeseung breathes, he sounds just as frantic as Sunoo feels. Sunoo’s skin hums all over, he can’t believe his best friend wants him back.

Sunoo can’t stop himself from grinning, “Of course I’ll be your boyfriend. Wait- how did the natural chemistry final go?”

“I aced it! I don’t need to retake the class and I was able to stay on the team all season. Sorry, I didn’t uphold my end of the deal. You never got to go out with Sunghoon,” Heeseung smiles as he jokes with Sunoo again. Sunoo likes the sight of Heeseung’s glowing face, basking in their newfound relationship.

“Stupid, I got something much better,” Sunoo kisses Heeseung’s cheek. It’s true, he got someone who makes him laugh, someone who makes it all seem so easy. Heeseung drags him over to the couch. They sit with Heeseung’s arm wrapped around Sunoo. He feels light, and giddy. 

“Do you want to hear my new track? It’s about my boyfriend,” Heeseung looks down at Sunoo with that gorgeous face. How could anyone ever refuse a face like that? Sunoo nods, wanting to hear his boyfriend’s work. Heeseung gets excited and hops up to grab his computer. Sunoo thinks he looks so cute.

“Lucky guy,” Sunoo chuckles, and Heeseung presses play on the tape. As Sunoo listens to the soft melody he knows he and Heeseung could make music together forever. 

It feels like the start of a dream. Sunoo gets to finally make something he is proud of with his boyfriend, the one who inspires him every day. Maybe he can even convince Heeseung to make him some of that yummy ramen. 

The thought makes him smile.