"You seriously don’t know how to cook hangover soup?" Suho mutters, voice muffled by the wood. "Do I look like your mom?" "I don’t know. Never met her.” It was a loud silence. Suho sips his coffee, then laughs like he didn’t just nuke the vibe. Gotak stopped functioning.

Later that afternoon, they end up watching a movie together. Keyword: Accidentally. It starts with Gotak settling on the couch with his laptop pretending to work. Suho plops down next to him with popcorn (??where did he even get that??). “What are we watching?” Suho asks.

“We are watching nothing,” Gotak replies, gesturing at his screen with a grimace. “I’m writing my assignment.” “Cool. I’m watching The Roundup.” Suho puts it on anyway. Ten minutes in, Gotak shuts his laptop.

Halfway through, they’re both yelling at the screen, hyped as hell. Come to think of it, this was their thing—Sieun’s a quiet watcher, but he and Suho? Loud as hell, every movie night.

He doesn’t even notice how close they’ve gotten, Suho leaning in, legs stretched out, blanket shared like it’s normal. It’s not. But the move was nice. (10/10 would fucking watch again.)

Suho’s finally shaken off the hangover and, for some reason, decides to cook again. Gotak sits at the table like an awkward guest in their own apartment. He never does this, damn. Just sits and waits for food like a customer but today he doesn’t have the energy to argue-

much less cook something himself. He’s managed to wrap up most of his assignments and called it quits for the day. Suho moves around the kitchen like it’s muscle memory. Confident. Casual. Too at home.

When he finishes, Gotak stands and makes a stiff attempt at setting the table. Plates. Utensils. Nothing fancy, just enough to say that he tried. He does not want to look a like a lazy ass loser.

Suho glances over his shoulder and laughs. “Yah, look at you. A real househusband in the making.” It's actually weird that Suho has becoming comfortable in teasing him. Well, he hates it. Not like in a bad bad way. Nevermind. “Shut up,” Gotak grumbles.

They sit. They eat. For a while, it’s quiet. Then Suho sets his chopsticks down, taps them on the table once and says, “You ever think it’s weird?” Gotak glances up, just for a second. “What?”

Suho doesn’t look at him. Just pokes at his food. “This. Us. Living together. Not really... talking.” Ah. So today is the day Suho chooses to address the elephant in the room. The one that has been dragging its fat existential ass around for months. Huh.

Just a background, the three of them—Gotak, Suho, and Sieun—are dating. Technically. Gotak’s always felt like he and Sieun were the ones actually dating, while Suho existed somewhere adjacent. Like a plus one. Pretty sure that’s what he is for Suho, as well.

They’ve been together for over a year now. Living together for almost six months. And they still haven’t really talked about what that means. Gotak doesn’t answer right away. He just stares at his food, like it’ll give him the right words.

“I wouldn’t even be living here if it wasn’t for Sieun,” he mutters eventually. “Pretty sure that goes for you too.” Suho shrugs. “Yeah. Probably.” Another beat of silence. “But we are here,” Suho says, a little softer. “And it doesn’t feel fake. Not to me.”

Gotak’s stomach knots up. Not from the food. He doesn’t know what to say to that. Because same. And that’s the problem. What even are they to each other? The topic doesn’t come up again for the rest of the night. But it lingers.

Day three and Gotak’s dying. He misses Sieun like hell. Like bad. He misses hearing him move around the kitchen. The quiet way Sieun hums while making coffee in the morning, half-awake and wrapped in his favorite oversized hoodie.

He misses walking into the living room and seeing him curled up on the couch with a book or those lessons, the one that drives Gotak nuts but he secretly finds comforting. The way he looks so pretty just sitting leaning on the counter while the sun barely peeks through the window

He misses his voice, his warmth. God, he misses his boyfriend. Their boyfriend. Gotak sighs, washes his face and glares at his own reflection in the bathroom mirror.

He strips down and hops into the shower and comes out a few minutes later. When he comes out, towel around his waist, another on his head, he jumps (almost) because Suho's suddenly standing right there like a ghost. “…Did you use Sieun’s shampoo?” Suho asks, pausing mid-step.

Gotak frowns. “Yeah? Mine ran out.” Then this guy, this damn guy, leans in and sniffs him. Legit sniffs him. Gotak feels the breath on his fucking neck. What the fuck? “You smell like him,” Suho says, eyes almost half-lidded.

Gotak snorts. “No shit, Sherlock.” And then Suho just. Stares. Doesn’t move. Too close. Gotak wanted to deck him. Since when the fuck did he get so comfy in his space?

Gotak’s not anti-touch or anything (his best friend Baku clings like velcro), but Suho? They’ve always had this unspoken distance. Suho picked up on it early and usually backs off… except when he’s being annoying on purpose. Pain in the ass.

But now, Suho’s just standing there like he's thinking too hard. Gotak scrunches his face. “Dude. Don’t get weird on me.” Suho runs a hand through his hair, sighs heavy. “Now I fucking miss him.” And, well… Gotak can’t even blame him. He does too.

Finally, Sieun calls. It’s late in the morning and Gotak’s mid-scroll, watching random basketball clips when the screen lights up. He shoots up, a wide smile already stretching across his face. “SIEUN!!” he nearly shouts.

Sieun’s outside, small smile on his face, and God, Gotak misses him like hell. How many times does he have to say that? Well, he looks unfairly pretty, even through a grainy phone cam. Then, of course, Suho appears on the screen like a jump scare. (LOL)

“YEON SIEUNNNNN!!!” he hollers, dramatic as always. (Understandable. Valid.) “Hey,” Sieun finally says. Did Gotak ever mention how much he lives for that voice? “Sieun-ah, isn’t it cold? Why aren’t you wearing your coat?” Suho asks, squinting at the screen.

Gotak finds himself, nodding along. “I’m wearing long sleeves. And it’s not that cold,” Sieun replies, settling into a park bench somewhere. Looks like he’s in the park. “How are you guys?” Gotak flops onto his stomach. “Obviously, not good.”

“Yeah,” Suho chimes in, “we miss you like crazy. Do you miss us?” he pouts, so exaggerated Gotak wants to punch him (and himself because same same). Sieun gives them that soft, fond smile. “Of course. It’s hell here. Crazy busy.”

They’re in separate rooms, but somehow the call makes it feel less empty. Suho’s also lying on his own bed. “Are you good, though?” Gotak asks. “Are you having fun?” Sieun nods. “Yeah. Tiring, but fulfilling.”

He starts sharing bits of his day, nothing too dramatic. Sieun isn’t one for long, detailed stories. He’s concise, straight to the point. But the way he talks about things is… warm. Soothing. You could listen to him read a grocery list and still feel comforted.

Maybe Gotak’s biased. Screw it. He is.

Between the three of them, Gotak’s the loudest—talks with his hands, cusses too much, borderline yells when telling a story. Suho’s softer-spoken with their friends, though he’s got that dramatic flair when it’s just the three of them. Especially when Sieun’s involved.

Sieun pauses mid-sentence, then raises an eyebrow. “You’re both in separate rooms right now?” Gotak and Suho exchange a glance through the screen. “Uh. Yeah?” Gotak says, instantly unsure why he sounds unsure.

“Why?” Sieun asks, genuinely curious. “What do you mean why?” Gotak frowns. “We just are.” Suho smirks. “Would you prefer I had him in my room?” “Are you fucking kidding me?” Gotak practically spits. Suho ignores him, obviously.

Sieun just smirks, smug pretty little thing. “I mean… that’d be a sight to see.” “No. No sight to see.” Gotak glares. “Not happening.” He’s never stepped foot in Suho’s room. Not once. Not planning to. Not ever. “Yeon Sieun,” Gotak whines, almost pouting now.

Sieun laughs. Suho joins in. Gotak sulks. “I’d just like to see you both on one screen, you know?” Sieun says, voice gentler now. “It’d be nice. You’re literally in the same house.” Fair enough.