“Wanna pick up where we left off last night?” Suho asks, tone light, affectionate. Hyuntak stares. Lips, eyes, face, and finally forces himself to speak like he hasn’t been ogling this man for two whole minutes. “...Let’s brush our teeth first.” Suho bursts out laughing.

Mortified, Hyuntak yanks himself away, bolts upright, and heads straight for the bathroom door without a single backward glance. Fuck. He hears Suho’s laughter echoing across the living room. He presses his forehead against the bathroom door and lets it thunk there.

Fucking idiot. He gave himself away. Again. It always backfires when he tries to tease. Always. Ten times harder. After a while, he cools down and washes his face, trying to scrub the shame out with it. When he exits the bathroom, Suho is lounging on the couch, head tilted.

“Thought you died in there. I want to brush my teeth already.” Hyuntak flips him off in response. “Cut it out, seriously.” Thankfully, Suho drops it, laughing, and disappears into the bathroom. Hyuntak exhales, heading to the kitchen for a glass of water. It’s nearly noon.

He walks back to his room, grabs his phone, sends Sieun a quick good morning, and checks his other messages. His stomach drops when he sees the unread texts from Juntae. Oh shit, right. They’d talked about meeting today.

Thankfully, the meetup’s not until 1 PM, so he still has time. He fires off a reply. By the time Suho reappears, drying his hands on a towel, he’s asking, “What do you want for lunch?” “Not eating lunch,” Hyuntak replies. Suho frowns. “Why not?” “I’m heading out.”

Suho squints at him suspiciously. “Are you running away?” Hyuntak’s face warms at the implication, but he plays it off with an eye roll. “Who’s running away? This shit's been planned days ago.”

Suho keeps squinting at him like a sulky kid, then starts walking over as Hyuntak leans on the kitchen counter. “You sure?” With a groan, Hyuntak pulls his phone up and thrusts it toward Suho’s face, showing the messages with Juntae.

Before Suho can react, he drops his arm and heads for his room. “Gonna get ready.” He hops into the bathroom again, rinses off, throws on some fresh clothes, and rushes through getting dressed. He plans to take the bus and barely make it on time.

When he finally finishes and crouches at the door to tie his shoes, Suho’s there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching him. “You’re really gonna go?” Hyuntak glances up briefly. “It’s literally the first time I’m going out since Sieun left. Been holed up for days.”

“Yeah,” Suho mutters. “But today, of all days?” He stands, meeting Suho’s eyes. “It was scheduled days ago.” There’s something almost funny about the way Suho stands there, sulky without the actual pout. His face is blank, but the rest of him is brimming with a quiet protest.

He’s being so whiny today. Maybe he’s finally gotten comfortable enough to act like this around him. “Can you cancel?” Suho mumbles, just loud enough to be heard. “Yah,” Hyuntak says, exasperated, but there’s no real bite.

“No way. And I won’t even be gone that long. I’ll probably be back around six or seven.” Suho sighs and crosses his legs. “Fine. I’ll cook dinner. Be home by then.” “You’re acting like a housewife,” Hyuntak teases, grinning now. “I really have to go—” “No goodbye kiss?”

He pauses mid-turn, glancing at him over his shoulder, giving him a pointed look. “Are you still not fucking done with the teasing?” “I’m dead serious,” he says quietly, and Hyuntak can feel the truth behind it.

Hyuntak narrows his eyes, but Suho takes a step forward and gently grabs his hand. “Can you go tomorrow instead?” What even is this? Suho’s voice is soft, but there’s something desperate under the surface. It throws Hyuntak off.

Normally, Suho’s cool with this kind of thing, never says too much, lets everything slide with a grin or snide remark. But now he’s... different. Raw. Before Hyuntak can answer, Suho breaks the moment himself, turning his head slightly as if it’s no big deal.

“What’s the difference?” Hyuntak asks, genuinely confused now. Suho rubs a thumb over the back of Hyuntak’s hand, still avoiding his gaze. “Nothing. Just... because.” “No,” Hyuntak says. “Tell me.”

Suho sighs again and speaks quietly. “It just feels like... if you go out, it’ll knock the momentum out of this. What happened. Last night, this morning. Like you’ll leave and forget it happened.” Oh. So that’s what this is about.

Suho’s worried. That once Hyuntak steps outside, the spell will break. That he’ll go back to avoiding things, pretending none of this is real. And maybe that’s fair. Hyuntak does have a habit of running the moment things get complicated. With Suho, at least.

He doesn’t answer right away, but Suho’s already pulling back, dropping his hand and giving a weak smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Nevermind. Tell Juntae I said hi.”

Hyuntak catches his wrist and gently tugs him closer. He leans in, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Suho’s mouth. It’s brief, but he hopes it says enough. When he pulls away, his cheeks are red. “Looking forward to dinner,” he mumbles, stumbling a bit over the words.

He quickly turns and leaves, shutting the door behind him. Once outside, he leans on the wall, breath caught in his throat. Shit. That is the first time Suho’s been this openly needy, this vulnerable with him. And not in that teasing, cocky way he usually hides behind.

No, this was the side he’s only seen Suho show to Sieun. God, he can be so fucking cute sometimes. Hyuntak tells himself he’s got the upper hand after everything earlier but he’s honestly just as much of a wreck.

When Hyuntak finally spots Juntae across the street, he waves enthusiastically. Juntae, grinning, waves back and walks over with a bounce in his step. Hyuntak pulls him into a hug, nearly lifting him off the ground out of sheer excitement.

They haven’t seen each other in person for a while. Not that they don’t talk almost every day. Juntae and Baku are his closest friends. But both of them had gone off the grid for nearly two weeks, visiting family or disappearing into countryside peace.

Sometimes Hyuntak’s a little bitter about that. He doesn’t have a “hometown” to escape to, born and raised in the city, surrounded by cement and the hum of traffic.

"I'm starving. I haven’t eaten anything all day,” Hyuntak groans as they slide into their seats at their favorite restaurant or well, Baku’s favorite, which they’ve collectively adopted.

"You weren’t replying this morning, I thought you forgot about our hangout," Juntae says with a pout that’s too cute for his own good. Hyuntak offers a sheepish grin. "Sorry, overslept a bit." The food arrives, and they dig in, talking between bites.

“Sieun’s not back yet?” Juntae asks. “I miss him too.” “Not yet,” Hyuntak says around a mouthful. “He’ll be back next week. I miss him like crazy.” They catch up, bouncing between topics.

Apparently, there’s a new live-action anime film Juntae’s been dying to watch, and Hyuntak quickly agrees to join him. He teases him at first, suggesting Juntae’s only hanging out with him because his mate isn’t free, which earns him a solid shove and an indignant denial.

After the movie, they roam around the mall a bit before settling into a cafe. Juntae orders his usual strawberry yogurt latte, while Hyuntak tries the blueberry one. It’s easy with them.

Juntae may seem quiet to outsiders, but when he’s with Hyuntak and Baku, he turns chatty, opinions spilling out comfortably. Baku’s definitely the loudest in the group, Hyuntak a close second, while Sieun remains the quiet heart of their circle.

Suho hangs out with them too sometimes, but he’s always had his own other friends to float between. Then, Juntae turns the conversation. “So,” Juntae starts innocently, sipping his drink, “how are you and Suho?” Hyuntak chokes, nearly doubling over.

“What?” he says, still coughing, and Juntae’s got that look on his face. “I said, how are you and Suho? The group chat’s been suspiciously tame. You used to cuss him out almost daily.” Hyuntak clears his throat, playing with his straw. “We’re good,” he mutters.

Juntae hums, unconvinced. “Last thing you texted about him was how much you hated him.” Hyuntak’s eyes widen. “That wasn’t real hate! You know that, right?” “Of course. You always say the opposite of what you mean when it comes to him.”

“No, I don’t…” he starts, but even he doesn’t believe it. Maybe it’s time to tell Juntae. Sieun’s too busy, and Juntae’s outside the chaos of their household. A neutral party. Someone he trusts. “Juntae-yah…” “Yeah?” “I… I don’t dislike Suho anymore.”

Juntae doesn’t look surprised . “Oh. That’s good to hear. Honestly, it was always weird that Suho seemed closer to me and Baku than to you, considering you live together.” Hyuntak snorts. “Where do you even go when you hang out without me and Sieun?”

“Karaoke mostly. Suho loves to scream his lungs out, and Baku’s always finding random instruments to accompany him. Then we eat. A lot. They’re both bears.” Hyuntak blinks. He didn’t know that.

“But honestly, Tak-ah," Juntae says with a smile, "I always felt bad watching Suho try to be around you. You used to ignore him so hard whenever we were all together.” “Did I?” Hyuntak asks, half to himself.

He didn’t mean to. He just… didn’t care. At least, not back then. Maybe he missed the little ways Suho tried to reach out. Especially not when Sieun was in the room. "Yeah," Juntae replies casually, sipping his drink.

"It’s not like he tried super hard or anything, but he made these small efforts. Like during midterms, he bought your favorite brand of coffee a few times. Remember those cups I gave you?" Hyuntak blinks. "Wait. Weren’t those from Sieun?"

Juntae glares at him. "Do you have selective hearing? I said Suho. He bought them. Gave them to me so I could give them to you. He bought mine too, so it wouldn’t be obvious, probably.” Hyuntak drags both hands down his face. “Fucking hell. Why didn’t he say anything?”

“Maybe he just didn’t want to make it a big deal. Or maybe because he’s been trying to get close to you quietly,” Juntae says. “Honestly, it’s always felt weird to all of us how you and Suho barely acknowledged each other."

“You’re both basically Sieun’s boyfriends and you live under the same roof,” he continues. Hyuntak exhales, defeated. “My fault, honestly.” “So what changed?” Juntae asks. “When did it start feeling different?” Hyuntak's face warms a bit. He fidgets with his straw.

“Not much, really... I just realized he's not that bad.” Juntae smirks. “So what, you like him now?” Hyuntak nearly chokes on his drink, coughing slightly before biting his lip. He doesn’t respond right away, clearly struggling with the words building in his chest.

Then finally, with a little sigh, he says, “We kissed.” Juntae freezes, his eyebrows shooting up. He nearly drops his cup. “You what?” Hyuntak leans back down, voice a bit quieter. “We kissed.”

For a moment, Juntae says nothing, just stares. It makes Hyuntak uncomfortable for some reason. “When?” Juntae finally asks. “Last night,” Hyuntak says, swirling his drink like it’ll calm his nerves. “Ah,” Juntae nods, settling into his seat again.

“Well, I kinda figured it was only a matter of time.” Hyuntak narrows his eyes. “How?” Juntae grins. “Just a gut feeling. The tension’s been there for a while.” Hyuntak groans and buries his face into his arms on the table. Juntae chuckles, tapping a finger against his cup.

“Do you regret it?” Hyuntak lifts his head just enough to meet his eyes. “No.” Juntae nods with a satisfied look. “That’s good. Honestly, it’s stranger that you guys haven’t been dating. I mean, you’re in a poly relationship. You all care about each other. It just makes sense.”

Hyuntak sits up straighter. “We’re not dating.” “Wait. What? You kissed and you’re still not dating?” Hyuntak grimaces. “We haven’t really talked about it... or anything, really.” “You’re so dumb,” Juntae mutters, genuinely baffled.

Hyuntak scowls. “Yah. He hasn’t said anything either!” “Probably because he’s waiting for you to say something first. Knowing how closed off you were, he’s probably giving you space.” Hyuntak lets out a groan, dragging a hand through his hair.

“This is insane. I don’t even know where to start.” Juntae gasps, realization dawning. “Wait. Is that why you weren’t replying this morning?” Hyuntak nods, slightly bashful now. “We slept in his room.” “You guys fucked?”

Hyuntak chokes. “What the—! Where did that come from?! God, your mate’s foul mouth is totally corrupting you.” Juntae laughs heartily. “Okay okay, calm down. I’m just messing with you. So... you cuddled and kissed?” Hyuntak nods reluctantly, ears red.

“Isn’t that basically something already? How come you’re not talking about it?” Hyuntak sighs, gaze dropping to the table. “It’s only been ten days. Isn’t this too fast?” “Maybe. But it also makes sense. It was bound to happen. I’m pretty sure Suho likes you.”

“You think?” Hyuntak raises an eyebrow. “Yeah. I mean, not in the loud, heart eyes way he shows Sieun. But yeah. He used to sneak glances at you all the time.” “…He did?” “Mhm. Before, at least. I don’t know what changed lately.”

Hyuntak sits back, sighing. “A lot to unpack now.” “Do you think he likes you?” Hyuntak doesn’t answer right away. Then he exhales. “I mean... the way he’s been acting. Flirting, cooking. It’s either he likes me or he’s just an asshole who likes playing with people’s feelings.”

Juntae giggles at the blunt honesty. “So you do think he likes you.” Hyuntak groans. “I just… I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve stopped pushing him away, but I still don’t know what to expect.”

“What if it’s only an illusion and we’re only acting like this because Sieun’s not home? What if whatever shit this is, disappears when Sieun comes back?”

Juntae gently takes his hand. “Tak-ah, you letting him in already means something. I doubt Suho’s going to vanish the moment Sieun walks through that door. He’s not that type. He’ll stay.”

Hyuntak shuts his eyes, his other hand cradling the side of his head. “I think the problem might be me.” “…Have you fallen for him?”

Hyuntak knows the answer, but there’s something in his chest, in his gut, deep in his mind that holds him back from saying it out loud, or even letting himself fully think it.

Juntae squeezes his hand with both of his own. His expression softens. “I know you’re scared. You want to take your time and go through it at your own pace. That’s okay. Just don’t shut it out before it even begins. Let it happen. Let yourself feel it.”

Hyuntak squeezes one of Juntae’s fingers in return, nodding faintly. Juntae’s smile grows, warm and proud. “I’m just worried about how to tell Sieun...” “Oh, he’ll be thrilled,” Juntae says confidently. “Even Baku and I knew how much he wanted you both to get closer.”

Hyuntak snorts. “Probably not this close.” “Oh, no, no. He wants you two doing all kinds of stuff, trust me.” Hyuntak laughs despite himself. That much was true. Sieun has been teasing them both relentlessly ever since he left.

They talk a little longer, shifting to other topics, the kind that feel easy and familiar. Before long, the sky is starting to shift into evening. When they stand to leave, Juntae pulls Hyuntak into a tight hug. “Baku’s visiting in a few days, so clear your schedule.”