Archive of Our Own

made with lots of love by emi, my lovely and incredibly talented partner for the starswon fest! please give her gorgeous art lots of love ♡

· ·—  ·☆· —· ·

“You better be joking, Soobin.”

“Soobin hyung,” the older boy corrected with a low, tired sigh. “And no, I’m not joking. I really can’t go,” he added, before silence started stretching between them. “I’m really sorry, Gyu.”

After another, heavier beat, Beomgyu groaned into his phone, throwing the folded towel he was about to pack in his bag to his bed, where he was sitting, instead. He couldn’t believe everyone was canceling their camping trip at the very last minute and the worst part was that he wasn’t even the one who had planned it– he hated bugs for suck’s sake! But as much as he complained about the idea at first, he had secretly been looking forward to it, not so much for the camping part itself, but for the chance to reunite with his friends, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, except for dumbass Soobin, who he had the displeasure of working with in the same office everyday.

Ever since the five boys all started working, finding time to hang out together had become nearly impossible, so this trip had been the perfect opportunity to finally get everyone back together again and more importantly, it was a chance to see him. 

Choi Yeonjun.

“You suck,” Beomgyu muttered with a childish pout, feeling utterly defeated.

Soobin had the audacity to chuckle at Beomgyu’s response, making the younger frown, before he replied, “I’ll make it up to you with some after-work take-out when you get back. Maybe I’ll even let you win a few rounds in any game of your choosing, huh, what do you say?”

With a roll of his eyes, though a small smile was tugging at his lips, Beomgyu retorted, teasing, “I say that it’s hilarious how you’re clearly just looking for an easy excuse when I kick your ass…” Sitting up straighter and completely abandoning his half-packed bag, he added after a small sigh, “but seriously, I don’t even know if I want to go anymore.”

“C’mon, Gyu, just go,” Soobin coaxed, his voice turning slightly whiny. It caused Beomgyu to raise an eyebrow, because why would his friend even care if Beomgyu still went on the camping trip or not? “You’ll have fun, I promise. Just… talk to Yeonjun hyung about it, yeah?” He finished, tone still soft like he was trying to reason with a clingy pup or a sulky child.

At the sound of the name he had been trying so hard not to linger too much on, Beomgyu felt a shiver ripple down his spine, sharp and sudden, like a draft of cold air managed to slip into his bedroom, even though the AC wasn’t even on. Yeonjun was now the only one still going on the trip, one by one, the other guys had dropped out– Taehyun first, then Kai, and finally Soobin– each with their own flimsy excuses, leaving only the two of them, alone. Beomgyu’s stomach couldn’t help but twist at that very thought, his grip on the phone slick with sweat, almost causing it to slip out of his palm.

Ever since high school, Beomgyu had perfected the art of never being left alone with Yeonjun, slipping out with some, in his humble opinion, very clever excuse or ensuring at least one of the other boys was always around as a buffer. However, that was years ago, he was an adult now and they had been friends for far too long, so it would feel really childish and almost cruel to keep dodging the sweet older boy, to avoid giving him at least a brief, harmless camping-trip-cancelation phone call.

Swallowing the dry lump in his throat, he hesitated for a couple of seconds, before finally muttering, “okay… I’ll talk to hyung.”

“Good,” Soobin said, sounding satisfied. Then, just as Beomgyu thought the conversation was over, he added casually, “oh, by the way– Yeonjun hyung is single now. Just thought you should know.” Despite the nonchalant tone, the teasing lilt in his voice, especially after years of knowing the older guy, was impossible to miss.

“What–” Before Beomgyu could ask any further, or at least pretend to not understand why Soobin thought that knowing that would somehow change Beomgyu’s mind, the call had ended.

As the call ending tone rang in his ear, Beomgyu lowered the phone from his warm cheek and stared at the screen, his heart stumbling in his chest and he forced himself not to dwell on why the news Soobin had shared made it race a few beats faster.

Shaking his head, he scrolled back to his contacts until his thumb hovered over a familiar name: Healingie hyung– unachanged since high school, ever since Beomgyu had heard Yeonjun’s mother call him that adorable, and full of teasing material, nickname. Beomgyu’s stomach twisted even tighter than he cared to admit, his throat dry and eyes flicking nervously over the glowing screen. He took too long to make a move, causing the phone to dim, locking itself and leaving his own tense, idiotic-looking reflection staring back at him.

Gosh, this was ridiculous. Yeonjun was his friend, for fuck’s sake! They had known each other since forever. That dumb high school crush had been buried years ago, back when they went off to different colleges and Beomgyu swore he would strangle the feelings for the gorgeous, older boy before they ruined their precious friendship. So why, even now, did his hands shake at the thought of just calling him?

Before he could talk himself out of it, in an act of impressive bravery Beomgyu unlocked his phone and pressed the call button, only to immediately regret it, feeling a sense of dread settling over him as the ringing tone buzzed against his burning ear. As the ringing dragged on and on, Beomgyu felt the tiniest flicker of relief, exhaling a breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding, already pulling the phone away from his ear to hang up–

“Beoms?” A quiet voice rang out, barely audible. 

Fuck.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Nearly dropping his phone, Beomgyu scrambled to press it back against his ear, heart hammering against his fragile chest. “Oh. Hi, hyung.”

“Hi,” Yeonjun replied with a low chuckle, his voice warm and soft as always.

Beomgyu froze, panic and embarrassment rooting him in place, his lips shut tight as he tried to recall why exactly he had called Yeonjun in the first place. The silence stretched, awkward, thick and unbearable, until he forced out a laugh so thin and shaky that betrayed him instantly. “So, uh… what’s up?”

After a pause, Yeonjun answered, confusion clear in his tone, but with a obvious hint of amusement mixed in, “you called me, Beoms.”

Right… This was so hard.

“Yeah. You’re hard– right!” Beomgyu nearly choked on air, stuttering in his words as he corrected himself, repeating, “y-you’re right!” His thoughts were already getting in the way of his actual speech, and he really didn’t want to think about his hyung being hard, at that moment, he had enough of those thoughts back when he was dealing with his raging crush. 

Gorgeous laughter burst through the speaker, loud and rich, sending yet another shiver down Beomgyu’s weak little spine. “You’re so cute,” Yeonjun commented, still laughing under his breath, clearly very amused by Beomgyu’s shameful mistake.

At the unexpected compliment, Beomgyu’s heart nearly leapt out of his mouth, even though by now that dumb little organ, that seemed to have a mind of its own, really should’ve been used to it. Afterall, ever since their teenage years, Yeonjun had always had a habit of tossing him casual praises, with a teasing little smirk, that clearly meant he was just being playful, yet each one managed to leave Beomgyu speechless and hopelessly flustered.

His skin was already getting too warm and the hand holding his phone way too clammy, so before the older boy could tease him any further, Beomgyu blurted out, “maybe we should just cancel the trip, hyung.”

The laughter faded and then, there was a deafening pause, before Yeonjun’s voice rang out, soft yet firm, “why?”

Beomgyu coughed, gripping his phone tighter. “Everyone canceled on us, hyung. It’s just– just us now.”

“So?” Yeonjun answered without hesitation, as if that was no problem at all and he couldn't understand Beomgyu’s point. “We can still go together. I already bought a tent and everything,” Yeonjun continued, making the younger boy gulp. “We are going,” he finished, his voice final.

“You bought stuff?” Beomgyu asked, incredulous. He had just planned on using the group’s shared gear, he hadn’t even thought of buying anything new, so Yeonjun must’ve been really excited about their camping trip.

“Of course I did.” Yeonjun huffed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “So don’t bail on me too, Beoms.” 

The way Yeonjun said it, so gentle but insistent, like he wanted him there– made something in Beomgyu’s chest ache and his stomach to form yet another knot, at that point he was pretty sure he had a whole scouts’ tying manual inside his belly. “Okay,” he finally murmured before he could stop himself.

Yeonjun hummed in satisfaction. “Good. Pack warm clothes. You’re not freezing your ass off on my watch.”

Biting his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling, Beomgyu wiped his free hand against his pants, trying to get rid of the sweat still gathering at his palm, before he quietly answered, “you sound like a mom.”

“Well, one of us has to be responsible,” Yeonjun teased. “And I would like to survive this trip.”

“Bold of you to assume I won’t leave you stranded in the middle of woods,” Beomgyu teased back, the twists and loops in his belly slowly starting to unknot at the comforting bickering. 

“Didn’t assume that, darling. I would never underestimate you like that,” Yeonjun remarked, the flirtatious tone he always loved to use to tease Beomgyu didn’t go unnoticed by the younger boy, who almost blacked out at the word ‘darling’. 

If he weren’t already sitting on his bed, he was pretty sure his knees would have given out right then and there, but he willed his body to calm down, but it was no use, Yeonjun’s low voice, teasing and way too attractive, was messing with him.

“So… the trip is still on, right?” Yeonjun asked, breaking the silence.

Beomgyu cleared his throat, struggling to find his voice. Then, he hummed in vague agreement, before finally replying, “sure…”

“Nice!” Yeonjun cheered, a bit childish and oh so adorable. “It’ll be fun, Beoms!” That was the second time someone had said that to him that day, and who knows, maybe if he heard it enough times, he would start believing it too. “I’ll pick you up in about two hours, yeah?”

Beomgyu glanced at the mess on his bed, his half-packed bag and clothes scattered everywhere. Technically, all he had to do was finish packing. Realistically, he needed at least an hour to mentally prepare himself for the fact that he would be alone with a single Yeonjun for an entire trip.

Still, he found himself saying, “Okay. I’ll be ready, hyung.” Even if he wasn’t entirely sure that was true– he felt like he could never be fully ready. 

· ·—  ·☆· —· ·

After taming his longish brown hair, Beomgyu was still fussing with his jacket in the mirror and trying to make himself look at least somewhat presentable beneath the endless layers of winter clothing, when the unmistakable rumble of an engine echoed outside his apartment building. He groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

Yeonjun and that stupid old car.

That awful greyish car had been with Yeonjun ever since he first got his license. Beomgyu remembered the day way too well, the way Yeonjun had dragged all of them to the lot to pick up that second-hand Honda, how he had insisted on driving them around for a test ride, windows down, music blasting, wind ruffling his pretty, dark hair. And then, how he had paid for their lunch afterwards with money from his first part-time job at a bakery, so effortlessly cool, so grown-up. God, Beomgyu had been so whipped back then, even thinking about it still made his heart race the same way as it did all those years ago.

With a resigned sigh, he grabbed his far too heavy bag and trudged out the door, barely making it to the curb before the car honked twice, very impatiently. 

Unbelievable.

Sure enough, the sight before him was exactly what he expected– his beautiful hyung grinning behind the wheel of his beat-up, way-past-its-prime car, the grey already white in some zones due to sun damage, one arm draped lazily over the open window like he was the main character in some old-fashion corny coming-of-age movie.

And of course, he looked effortlessly good doing so. The evening golden hour light caught on his freshly bleached hair– something Beomgyu hadn’t yet had the misfortune of seeing in person, though Soobin recently had randomly flashed him a photo Yeonjun had posted on his Instagram account, a place Beomgyu avoided visiting like the devil avoided church. But seeing it now, seeing blond Yeonjun in the flesh, with his own two eyes, was worse, and for a fleeting second, Beomgyu actually considered turning on his heel, hiding in his bedroom, and pretending he hadn’t seen the car at all– like Yeonjun wasn’t looking right at him– maybe he could even fake a very sudden illness, cancel the trip once again, and save himself from this particular brand of torture.

It didn’t help that the soft light also carved along his jawline, tracing the curve of his cheekbones and sharpening features that were already, by all standards, unfairly perfect, only now made even more striking. To make matters even impossibly worse, he was wearing sunglasses that framed his face perfectly, his pink, plump lips curled into that signature lopsided, flirty smirk– the very one that made Beomgyu’s body temperature to increase in a way he flat-out refused to acknowledge because he no longer was that same hormonal boy with a big fat crush on his hyung anymore. 

Finally, Beomgyu shook his head, pushing away his thoughts and focusing instead on glaring at Yeonjun’s pretty face, pretending to be annoyed at all the honking, before yanking the passenger door open, flinching at the loud creak that followed, wondering if the door would've fallen off if he had opened it any faster. “Jesus, hyung, this ugly thing is at death’s door. Are you sure it’ll survive the trip?”

Yeonjun scoffed, reaching out to pat the dashboard like it was some kind of beloved pet. “Don’t listen to him, baby. He doesn’t mean it.”

Horrified, Beomgyu asked, “You still talk to it?” He had honestly thought that Yeonjun would have long lost that weird ass habit of his.

“She’s been with me through thick and thin, Beoms,” Yeonjun said, that damn, annoying smirk still tugging at his lips, eyes no doubt glittering with teasing joy behind those dark sunglasses. Then, with a dramatic sigh, he leaned back into his seat, blond strands of hair tousled against the worn-out leather, and uttered, “unlike you, who was so ready to ditch me all alone in some scary woods just because our friends bailed with some dumb excuses.”

Tossing his heavy bag into the backseat with a scowl, and ignoring the way Yeonjun’s words made heat travel up his face from embarrassment– he had indeed been fully ready to ditch Yeonjun too– Beomgyu answered, “yeah, yeah. Whatever. If this thing breaks down, I’m not helping you push it, FYI.”

“Didn’t you say in the group chat that you’ve been hitting the gym?” Yeonjun asked, one eyebrow arched playfully.

Instead of letting his expression falter, caught off guard that Yeonjun had remembered such a throwaway comment he had made in their group chat with the others, Beomgyu managed to successfully mask his surprise behind another sharp glare at the older boy as he replied, “I’ve just been trying to get my muscles back, hyung. Besides, my arms are still too sore from working out– there’s no way I’m dragging your dying Honda all the way to Cheongpyeong.”

Yeonjun snorted, shifting gears with practiced ease as he waited for an opening in the road to pull out of the parking spot. “Guess I’ll just have to rely on my own god-like strength, then.” If not for the sunglasses, Beomgyu could have sworn the older had just thrown him an exaggerated wink.

With that shameful remark, Beomgyu rolled his eyes and shook his head, but the corners of his lips twitched upward despite himself, his cheeks already feeling a bit warmer than they were supposed to.  It was almost too easy to slip back into the comfort of it all, into the warmth of hanging out with Yeonjun, the effortless way they fit together– the very same things that made his younger self develop a crush for his hyung in the first place.

As he buckled in, his eyes drifted to the faded leather seats, then to the fuzzy fox charm slightly swinging from the rearview mirror, a small, worn-out thing Yeonjun had won at a claw machine years ago– the fact that he still had it, still kept it hanging there… Beomgyu’s fingers twitched in his lap, Yeonjun was too cute.

The car all but lurched forward and Beomgyu, not expecting the sudden movement and too distracted with his own thoughts, let out an undignified yelp, gripping the seatbelt for dear life, since that was the only thing keeping him from knocking his head into the front glass. Yeonjun only laughed, the sound easy and familiar, and Beomgyu stretched his arm to give him a little slap on the bicep, on his so-called god-like muscles. 

The road stretched ahead of them and after a while Seoul started fading into a blur as Beomgyu rested his head against the window next to him, watching the scenery shift before his eyes, as they drove farther and farther away from familiarity. Just the two of them in the small car, Beomgyu and Yeonjun. Alone. Just like Beomgyu had feared. 

Trying to ease the sudden dryness in his throat, Beomgyu swallowed, before forcing himself to face away from the darkening sky outside the car. Instead, he pulled out his phone and opened a random game, tapping at the screen in a weak attempt to distract his loud thoughts and even louder heart. This trip was going to be dangerous, and it had nothing to do with the damn death-trap of a car.

“I was thinking,” Yeonjun’s voice cut through the silence, making Beomgyu pause his game. He turned to face his gorgeous profile, noticing that at some point the elder had removed his sunglasses, revealing those foxy, sharp eyes that were fixed intently on the road ahead. “Soobin told us about that lake near the campsite. How about we go for a swim when we get there?”

Beomgyu nearly shivered at the thought alone– it was November, the sun already dipping below the horizon, not exactly swimming in cold ass lakes type of weather. 

Does he want us to freeze to death?

Besides, there were other, more important things than dying of hypothermia running around his brain, way worse torments that lake could offer…

The last thing he needed was to find himself in a situation where his entire vision was filled with a wet Yeonjun, dripping and glistening, probably wearing some tiny shorts that barely covered his goods. 

“I didn’t bring any swimming trunks,” Beomgyu said quickly, almost patting himself on the back for the flawless excuse. 

Yeonjun, of course, had the audacity to shrug. “It’s fine. I brought extra ones.” 

Of course he fucking did.

Clicking his tongue, Beomgyu shifted in his seat, starting to feel quite uncomfortable. “With the way you’re driving, we’ll be lucky if we get there before midnight, hyung.” He gestured at the speedometer, which stubbornly hovered just under 80 km/h– he was actually surprised no one had honked at them yet.

“That’s as fast as this baby can go, okay?” Yeonjun shot back, pouting slightly, which Beomgyu had to admit was pretty goddamn adorable. Beomgyu forced himself to look away from his pretty, pouty lips. “Besides,” Yeonjun continued, now smirking as he side-eyed Beomgyu, “who says we can’t go swimming at midnight? What’s the problem?” He tilted his head slightly, facing Beomgyu when he really should be facing the road ahead and absolutely nothing else when driving that piece of shit car. “Unless you’re scared, Beoms?”

A low chuckle escaped Beomgyu’s throat, amused by the irony. Yeonjun, the one who jumped at horror movies and screamed whenever the lights would go out, was trying to call him scared? As long as no bugs got near Beomgyu we would be perfectly fine, thank you very much.

“You’re so right, hyung,” Beomgyu drawled out the honorific, voice baby-ish, but clearly dripping with sarcasm as he theatrically shivered in his seat. “I’m terrified.”

Yeonjun’s laughter was warm, spilling into the car like a familiar melody and richer, more harmonious than whatever Western song was playing softly on the radio, and then, before Beomgyu could react, a large, warm hand landed on his dramatically trembling thigh, which immediately went still at the touch. A gentle pat, then another. One, two, three times.  And Beomgyu stopped breathing.

“Don’t worry,” Yeonjun murmured, his voice teasing but so soft, lingering in the suffocating air between them and almost choking Beomgyu to death. Suddenly, Beomgyu wasn’t so worried about dying at the lake, either by the temperature or by Yeonjun’s hotness, because he was pretty sure he wasn’t even going to make it to the campsite at all. As if proving his point, Yeonjun’s hand gave his thigh one final, reassuring squeeze. “Hyung will keep you safe,” he teased.

It was only when Yeonjun’s warmth disappeared that Beomgyu felt like he could breathe again. With his hyung’s words, Beomgyu was seriously considering acting a little scared once they arrived at the campsite. Play up the tension, lean into it, see if it got him a little closer to getting some cuddles from Yeonjun. But Beomgyu knew better, the older boy was simply teasing him. Yeonjun wouldn’t buy a scared act– not when he was the real scaredy-cat between the two of them.

“As effective as getting protection from a house cat,” Beomgyu teased, shooting Yeonjun a sideways glance.

At that, Yeonjun cooed, like Beomgyu wasn’t trying to get on his nerves but instead was giving him a sweet, heartfelt compliment. “Cats are deadly predators. I’m honored you see hyung that way.”

“Deadly to rats, maybe.”

Gasping lightly, and with his brows furrowing in feigned offense, Yeonjun playfully asked, “why do you always have to answer back, huh?” He shot Beomgyu a look, half-exasperated, half-amused. “Can’t even let hyung win one single time?”

Beomgyu couldn’t help but giggle at Yeonjun’s expression, his fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the fabric of his jeans– right above where Yeonjun’s hand had rested moments ago. “Fine,” he nodded, trying hard not to smile. “I’ll let you win this once, hyung.”

“Yes!” Yeonjun cheered, releasing one hand from the steering wheel to pump his fist in triumph.

Fondly, Beomgyu rolled his eyes, a grin still annoyingly tugging at his lips. “Well, enjoy it while it lasts. Not sure when I’ll ever be this nice again,” he said like a liar. He knew full well that when it came to Yeonjun, he’d always be a little weak. No matter how much time had passed since his high school crush, he could never shake the overwhelming fondness he had for the sweet, older boy.

“I’m grate– shit!”

It happened in an instant. One second, Yeonjun was basking in his victory, and the next, he was yanking the wheel hard to make a sharp exit he nearly missed. The sudden movement sent Beomgyu flying sideways, his head colliding with the car window with a loud thunk. A sharp pain bloomed on the right side of his forehead.

“Ow!” Beomgyu yelped, immediately gripping his aching head. With his free hand, he blindly swung at Yeonjun in retaliation, landing another weak slap against his arm– the second one since he got in the car. “Watch where you’re going, dude!”

“Shit, shit!” Yeonjun panicked, his eyes darting between the road and Beomgyu, one hand reaching out to check on him. “Let hyung see!”

Beomgyu weakly batted his arm away. “Focus on driving, you’ve done enough damage already.”

Even though Beomgyu was clearly teasing, Yeonjun groaned, guilt dripping from his voice. “I’m so sorry, Beoms. I didn’t mean to, I got distracted.”

Sighing dramatically, Beomgyu kept cradling his forehead with an exaggerated pout on his lips. “I swear, if I get a nasty bruise, I’m making you carry all my stuff,” he said, even though he had only brought a single bag, most of the stuff in the backseat were from Yeonjun, who had actually taken his time in fully preparing for the trip.

“I’d carry you too if you asked,” Yeonjun shot back without hesitation, throwing him a quick, worried glance.

Beomgyu almost choked at those lovely words spoken so unceremoniously, causing him to cough twice  quick, sharp– he hoped it sounded casual enough, that it seemed like he was just clearing his throat. His fingers curled into the fabric of his jeans again as he forced out a response, “no need.”

Despite the hum in agreement, Yeonjun’s eyes still flickered over to Beomgyu every few seconds, as if debating whether to tease him or keep apologising. He finally decided on neither, changing the topic completely for the rest of the car ride. After that, every turn and bump in the road, Yeonjun made sure to place his arm in front of Beomgyu, preventing, as best as he could, the younger boy from hitting his head again.

· ·—  ·☆· —· ·

It was already dark by the time they arrived at Cheongpyeong’s campsite. The only sources of light were the car’s weak headlights and the dim glow of their phone flashlights, casting flickering shadows over the clearing. Beomgyu sat on a log, turned into a make-shift bench, a bag of ice pressed against his hurt forehead as he pouted, his attention flickering between the stars overhead and his hyung, who was currently waging war against the very uncooperative tent he had brought.

Yeonjun was crouched on the ground, squinting at the instruction manual as if it were written in another language. The tent poles were scattered around him like the aftermath of a battlefield, some already half-bent from his failed attempts at forcing them into place. Every few seconds, he would try to slot two pieces together, only for them to either not fit at all or collapse entirely when he let go– to call it a disaster would be very generous.

After a while, Beomgyu finally started feeling the secondhand embarrassment from witnessing his hyung’s struggle and asked with a sigh, “need help?” Even though he really, really didn’t feel like getting up at that moment, he felt obligated to help out a little, after all he needed that tent to sleep in. 

At the sound of Beomgyu’s voice, Yeonjun startled, hands fumbling, and in a tragic chain reaction, one of the poles slipped from his grip, knocking into another piece, which then caused the entire half-constructed tent to crumple in on itself like a house of cards.

“Fuck,” Yeonjun groaned, dropping his head in defeat. He turned to face Beomgyu, his expression barely visible in the dim lighting, but the frustration was obvious. Beomgyu could still make out some features in his hyung’s pretty face from the faint glow– his slightly furrowed brows, the way his lips jutted into a small pout, his dark eyes gleaming under the soft light– somehow even struggling, Yeonjun looked ridiculously pretty and that simply didn’t seem fair.

After he forced himself to stop admiring the older, Beomgyu clicked his tongue and shook his head. “This is getting painful to watch, hyung.”

Huffing and crossing his arms over his chest like a sulking child, Yeonjun replied, “I swear I watched a tutorial for this. The guy made it look so easy.”

“Maybe the guy wasn’t a complete dummy.”

“Ah ah. Very funny,” the older boy said ironically while shooting him a glare. “I hope a bug crawls into your sleeping bag tonight.”

Beomgyu’s smirk faltered immediately, quickly retorting, “okay, no need to get all evil!” He pushed himself from the log, setting down his ice pack. It seemed that, for the sake of their survival tonight, he had no choice but to save his useless but stupidly pretty hyung. “Move over, let me help before you make it even worse somehow.”

Yeonjun chuckled, his annoyed expression quickly disappearing as he stepped aside to make space for the younger. 

Stepping closer with his phone flashlight and peering down at the instruction manual Yeonjun had been intensely analyzing for the past ten minutes, it only took Beomgyu a second to realise his first guess wasn’t that far off, it was indeed written entirely in another language– English. Yeonjun was actually pretty good at it, but Beomgyu however wasn’t fluent at all, so he wasn’t sure he could be much help. 

At least there were some diagrams in the manual, so he squinted at the tiny little stick figures assembling a tent, trying to decipher their wisdom. “Hey, hyu–”

His sentence got cut off short as he turned around and realised Yeonjun wasn’t even looking at the manual anymore, and instead, the older boy was staring at him, brows slightly drawn together, lips parted like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words, and his sharp eyes were intense, but there was something else in them, something softer, almost sad.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, ignoring his own stuttering heart.

Rather than answering, Yeonjun first reached up, brushing the long strands of hair from Beomgyu’s face before letting his fingers rest gently on the aching skin of his forehead, the skin still pretty numb from the ice, making Yeonjun’s touch feel featherlight but still overwhelmingly hot.  

“Your head,” he finally murmured, thumb ghosting over the spot he had slammed against the car window. “It’s still pretty red. Does it hurt?”

Beomgyu could have easily played it cool, could have made some sarcastic remark to brush it away, but with Yeonjun looking at him like that, touching him this gently– he couldn’t possibly lie.

“A bit,” he admitted quietly.

And then, the unthinkable happened. Yeonjun leaned in, tilting his head slightly, and pressed the softest, most fleeting kiss to Beomgyu’s forehead, right above the sore spot. It was barely a touch– just warmth and the faintest pressure of plump lips against his skin– but it still sent an electric heatwave down Beomgyu’s body, lighting every nerve ending in his body on fire. He barely registered the way his fingers clenched around the instruction manual, threatening to rip the paper. 

Yeonjun had always been the touchy one of their friend group, besides the cuddle monster Kai, of course. He was affectionate with everyone– hugs, casual touches, playful kisses between friends– it was just the way he was, and Beomgyu had known that for years, however that knowledge didn’t make it any easier whenever the older boy filled him with physical affection.

Back in high school, when Beomgyu’s crush had gotten too much for the young boy to handle, he had started avoiding those moments, learned to keep just enough distance between them– sidestepping hugs, pulling away when Yeonjun got too close. Beomgyu hadn’t let himself get too deep, he was scared that those touches would make him get his hopes up, make him believe he actually had a shot. 

But now, he was an adult, he knew this soft kiss had meant nothing more to Yeonjun than just a friendly apology, just a cute way of ‘making the pain go away’ and he wouldn’t allow himself to make any more of it.

“There,” Yeonjun said softly, after pulling away, the warmth from his lips still lingering, seeping beneath Beomgyu’s skin like an imprint. “All better now,” he added, voice light and teasing, but it barely registered in Beomgyu’s mind, drowned out by the relentless thumping of his own heartbeat echoing in his ears.

After swallowing the dry lump in the back of his throat, Beomgyu asked, willing himself to sound normal, “how exactly? Does your saliva have some magical healing powers?”

“Saying that as if I tongued your forehead or something.” Yeonjun scoffed, shaking his head with a smirk as he turned back to the half-assembled tent. “But yeah, it does.”

“Ew,” Beomgyu deadpanned, making a face of disgust. That seemed like a normal reaction, something any friend would say, right? Because that’s all they were. Friends.

After what felt like an eternity, and way too many incorrectly assembled poles later, they finally managed to set up the tent. It was already dark out when they arrived and it was of course even darker by the time they finished, the tall trees creating a large shadow over them. Yeonjun stood beside him, hands on his hips, admiring their work with a proud grin. Meanwhile, Beomgyu frowned, eyeing the tiny structure with horror. 

“Hm,” Beomgyu hummed hesitantly, before carefully asking, “isn’t it... too small?”

Yeonjun tilted his head, looking at him a little lost. “Well, yeah. It’s just for one person,” he said like it was obvious. “I got it just for myself since you were supposed to share Soobin’s.” Right… He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to share Soobin’s spacious two-person tent, almost as big as his apartment back in Seoul. “But it’s fine,” Yeonjun continued, completely unbothered. “We can share!”

As soon as Beomgyu’s brain processed those words, he froze in place, arms stuck out awkwardly at his sides, eyes wide and unblinking like some dumb NPC.

They could… share?

Well, clearly there was no other option available. The two tall boys would have to stay together, crammed into a tent that barely looked big enough for one, sleeping shoulder to shoulder, pressed close in the cold night air– sounded absolutely fucking splendid.

With an obviously forced smile, he replied, “yeah… that’s lovely.”

Playfully pretending not to notice the sarcasm laced Beomgyu’s words, Yeonjun loudly laughed before uttering, “so glad you love the idea.” He started walking away from Beomgyu, the teasing in his voice obvious as he added, “would hate to make you sleep out in the woods, Beoms.”

Ignoring the obvious idle threat, Beomgyu crouched down to peer inside the tent, assessing the painfully tight space and immediately tried to strategise– maybe if he lay completely still, pressed against the farthest corner, he could avoid any accidental brushes with Yeonjun… It would be a tight fit sure, very uncomfortable of course, but he could make it. He had to do everything in his power to prevent himself from rubbing against his hyung during the night, he really didn’t want to explain a boner first thing in the morning. 

Suddenly, his train of thought was abruptly derailed, passengers screaming in horror and clutching their kids, by a sharp clang of metal ringing from Yeonjun’s direction. Startled, and with his neck flushed like he was caught thinking something he shouldn’t, Beomgyu scrambled out of the tent just in time to see Yeonjun pulling a small grill from the back of his car, followed by a hefty bag of charcoal. 

Before he could question it, Yeonjun immediately explained himself, flashing a satisfied grin, “I brought the grill and some meat for us to cook up.” 

When Yeonjun had grabbed the ice pack for him, Beomgyu did get a brief glimpse of meat inside the small, full cooler, but the younger hadn’t acknowledged it. Hell, he hadn’t even considered what they were supposed to eat out here! But of course, this was Yeonjun– silly, sometimes irresponsible, not exactly the most reliable person when it came to himself– but when it came to his friends? He never slipped up. Yeonjun was always looking out for them, always making sure no one was cold, hungry, or upset. He was a good hyung and that had been yet another reason Beomgyu’s stupid crush had spiraled so hard.

After a shake of his head, to somehow help push away the thought before it could dig any deeper, Beomgyu crossed his arms and scoffed with a smirk. “You mean for me to cook,” he corrected.

Yeonjun let out a chuckle, eyes and hands still focused on assembling the grill. “Well, you are better at it, Beoms.”

Humming, the younger boy stepped forward, kneeling beside Yeonjun to help him set it up. “You don’t need to get it ready today, hyung. It’s already late, and the smell might attract animals.”

With lips curled into a mischievous smirk, Yeonjun cooed, “awn. Is the little bear scared of his own kind?”

“There aren’t any bears here– c’mon,” he said, rolling his eyes with a small smile, then, after a beat, his smile faltered. “…right?”

Yeonjun glanced at him, then back at the grill, biting back a laugh. “Right,” he reassured. “Don’t worry, Gyu. No bears here. I checked.”

Already bracing himself for the inevitable battle against bugs, and, more importantly, against his own heart and boner, which seemed very likely to pop up at some point considering their future sleeping arrangements, the last thing Beomgyu needed at that moment was to add bears to that list of worries, so he let out a sigh of relief at Yeonjun’s words.

“So, no grilled meat today?” Yeonjun asked, full lips jutted out in a cute pout. It almost worked, almost convinced the large, Yeonjun-shaped spot in Beomgyu’s heart to give in.

But Beomgyu stood his ground, shaking his head. “Tomorrow,” he said firmly. “It’s late. Let’s just sleep.”

“Sleep?” Yeonjun asked, his tone with obvious confusion, and the pout not leaving his lips. “Weren’t we supposed to go swimming when we got here?”

Beomgyu’s jaw dropped in sheer disbelief. Here he was, Yeonjun the silly, irresponsible hyung– the other side of Yeonjun that younger Beomgyu would find himself also fawning over. “That was if we arrived early,” Beomgyu pointed out, exasperated. “It’s literally so dark right now, hyung. Maybe you should’ve driven that piece of junk a little faster.”

“You dare trash-talk my baby again?” He warned after a gasp, pointing an accusatory finger at Beomgyu, though with absolutely no real threat behind it. 

Beomgyu had to admit– he still owed that piece of junk some gratitude, since its headlights were the only thing keeping the suffocating darkness of the woods at bay. The night here was nothing like the city, where neon lights, distant car horns, and the chatter of late-night wanderers kept Seoul alive. Here, it was quiet, eerily so, the kind that made it feel like it was just him and Yeonjun, alone for miles– and it likely was. 

“I’m still not going,” Beomgyu insisted, trying to sound resolute.

The older boy didn’t even blink, his voice confident and easy. “I’ll convince you.”

“I’d love to see you try.” Beomgyu scoffed, a smirk tugging at his lips.

· ·—  ·☆· —· ·

Small weak twigs snapped underneath Beomgyu’s shoes, its soles worn from use, as they followed the narrow hiking trail, guided by the faint glow of Yeonjun’s phone flashlight only . Every so often, a wooden signpost with an arrow reassured them they were on the right path, leading them to the lake.

Beomgyu let out a dramatic sigh as he hugged himself in a feeble attempt to keep warm, fingers digging into his bare arms, as he trudged right behind Yeonjun. The borrowed t-shirt and swim trunks Yeonjun had forced on him did little to shield him from the cold, the freezing night air nipping at his skin. 

“Can’t believe you actually convinced me…” He should be in the tent, wrapped in his sleeping bag, far away from the inevitable embarrassment of seeing Yeonjun half-naked under the moonlight. An involuntary shiver went down his spine and he wasn’t sure if it was due to the cold anymore.

On the other hand, Yeonjun seemed completely unbothered by the freezing temperature, only stopping casually whistling to laugh at Beomgyu’s words. “Don’t blame yourself, Gyu. I’m quite persuasive,” he smirked, one corner of his lips curving upwards just slightly. “It’s a talent, really.” His flashlight bounced with each step, casting long shadows against the trees. “You’re gonna thank me for this, Beoms,” he called over his shoulder, before adding, “midnight swims are magical.”

“You sound like a bad horror movie protagonist,” Beomgyu grumbled, shifting uncomfortably in the borrowed swim trunks. “This is how people get killed by evil forest creatures.”

At that, Yeonjun snorted, before replying, “oh, don’t worry. I’d survive if we were attacked.” He turned his head to look at Beomgyu with a teasing grin. “You know what they say– you don’t have to outrun the evil forest creature, just your friend.”

Beomgyu rolled his eyes but felt his lips twitch in amusement. “You really think you’re faster than me, huh, you loser?” He squinted his eyes in defiance, challenging him, “race you to the lake?”

Shaking his head, the older boy laughed, before tilting his chin forward. “No need, we're already there.”

Following Yeonjun’s gaze, Beomgyu finally turned to face ahead of him, noticing that the tall trees further into the hike had given way to an open expanse of water, creating a large clearing. The lake stretched wide, its edges vanishing into complete darkness, the occasional glimmer of light from the full moon above them catching on the small waves of endless water that gently rippled with the night breeze, and in return reflected stars like scattered drops of silver. 

He had seen pictures of the lake online– courtesy of Soobin, who had spammed their group chat with every possible ‘fun’ detail about the trip– but standing here now and seeing it with his own eyes under the vast night sky, it felt different. The lake was breathtakingly beautiful and the photos hadn’t done it justice at all.

“See?” Yeonjun spread his arms wide, like he was presenting a grand masterpiece. “Totally worth it.” Not even waiting for Beomgyu’s answer, the older boy, with a satisfied beam, dropped the bag he had been carrying onto the worn-out dock, the wood groaning under the weight, before he pulled out two small beach towels, spreading them carefully on the dark planks before slightly stepping back with a triumphant grin. “Perfect.”

Even though a part of Beomgyu wanted to argue, to grumble and complain about how utterly insane all of this was, he didn’t. Instead, he huffed– standing there, beneath the stunning, star-dotted sky, with the lake shimmering in front of him and Yeonjun’s gorgeous face glowing with childlike excitement, he couldn’t deny it: it was perfect. 

And it was indeed worth the hike too, just to see Yeonjun happy, it was so worth it. 

“I’ll give you this,” Beomgyu muttered with crossed arms, still shivering as he kicked at a stray rock from the dock. “It’s pretty.”

“Told you,” he simply said with a small grin, and then, without adding another word, Yeonjun grabbed the hem of his shirt and peeled it off in one swift motion.

Instantly, Beomgyu snapped his head away from Yeonjun’s bare chest, his cheeks heating up almost immediately. “Jesus, hyung, warn a dude before you start stripping!”

As Beomgyu’s cheeks flamed, despite the cold wind cutting at his face, Yeonjun laughed casually, a beautiful, effortless sound. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Beomgyu turned his head to look at the older boy again. It would be far more suspicious to keep avoiding looking at his hyung… especially half-naked, right?

“You act like you’ve never seen me shirtless before,” Yeonjun playfully commented with his sparkling gaze locked onto the endless lake.

Little did Yeonjun know, that was exactly the problem. Beomgyu had seen Yeonjun shirtless more times than was probably good for his mental health, and every time, it chipped away at the fragile remnants of his self-control. Yeonjun wasn’t just fit– he was effortlessly sculpted, the kind of lean, natural muscle that came from years of dancing rather than lifting weights at a gym. His shoulders were broad, his waist trim, and his skin the prettiest shade of golden, that at that moment glowed under the soft moonlight, dewy from the night air. It was truly unfair how fucking good he looked without even trying.

His eyes traced the curve of Yeonjun’s spine, the way his back muscles and legs flexed subtly as he slowly moved down the dock, and with very casual, unbothered step something hot and restless tumbled down in Beomgyu’s guts. He wanted to look away again, to stop staring, but he couldn’t, because as long as he could see Yeonjun ahead he wasn’t actually alone with his thoughts, which, at the moment, was a very dangerous place to be.

After a beat, he watched Yeonjun jump, his body hitting the lake’s surface followed by the telltale sound of water splashing and sending a cascade of shimmering droplets into the air, some landing on the dock, some on Beomgyu’s bare legs, that immediately got shaken off. 

Like a scene straight out of a cheesy, romantic movie, Yeonjun quickly broke through the surface, tossing his head back as he emerged. Despite the movement, bleached hair still clung to his forehead, messy and damp, and slow rivulets of water ran down the sharper lines of his face, tracing his cheekbones and jaw, touching his pink lips, before dripping from his chin. His long fingers pushed back the soaked strands from his eyes, blinking away water as he turned to look at Beomgyu.

And then, Yeonjun smiled.

Beomgyu momentarily forgot how to breathe.

How could anyone breathe while watching the small droplets of water clinging to Yeonjun’s tanned skin, the lazy, radiant smile lighting up his entire face, with his pretty lips slightly swollen from the cold. Beomgyu had never believed in divine punishment, but he was starting to think the universe was out to get him– get him hard that was.

Because right now, standing there, half-neck deep in the water, wet and beautiful and completely unaware of the effect he had, Yeonjun looked like temptation incarnated, and Beomgyu wasn’t sure how much longer he could resist.

“Come in!” Yeonjun called, his hand waving, motioning for Beomgyu to join him. “Water’s nice!”

Actively pretending the back of his neck wasn’t on fire, Beomgyu raised an eyebrow to the older boy. “You, sir, are a liar.”

“Okay, maybe a little cold at first, but you get used to it,” he corrected, the happy grin never leaving his face.

As he gazed down at the small waves under the dock, Beomgyu hesitated, not just because of the cold water, but because he knew that the second he stepped into that lake, there would be no going back. The intimacy of the moment, the seclusion and quiet isolation of the woods, the way Yeonjun smiled at him so prettily, unaware, of simply not caring about the droplets of water trailing down his temple and neck– it was all too much, too overwhelming. He could feel it happening, the way his old crush, once carefully buried, was clawing its way back up, threatening to take root in his chest all over again.

But then Yeonjun called his name, “C'mon, Gyu,” voice playful, expectant, his eyes bright with mischief and still grinning up at him, and Beomgyu had never been able to say no to him, not back when he was a reckless, love-struck, hormonal teenager, and clearly not now either.

With a heavy sigh, he yanked off his thin shirt and tossed it aside, purposely looking anywhere but at Yeonjun as he did. However, the elder’s reaction was immediate, preventing the younger boy from looking away for too long. "Yeah!" He whooped, throwing his arms in the air like he had just won a bet, before adding between loud cheers that echoed through the quiet forest, "that's my boy!"

That caused Beomgyu to roll his eyes so hard he nearly saw the back of his skull, as he pretended the words didn’t send a welcoming flicker of warmth through him. Then, ever so slowly, he crouched down, lowering himself onto his knees, the rough wood of the dock pressing sharply against his icy skin. His curious, careful hand hovered over the water for a second before dipping in, the icy temperature immediately biting at the tip of his fingers and he instantly flinched, pulling his hand back as if it burned, shaking off the droplets before rubbing his hands together for warmth.

"Jesus, it's freezing," he grumbled out, shooting a glare at the water like it had personally offended him. “If I die of hypothermia, I’m coming back to haunt you, hyung.”

Completely unbothered, Yeonjun only grinned wider, swimming closer to the dock. Once he reached the edge, he crossed his arms over the wooden planks and pushed himself up slightly, his body emerging from the water like a Siren– Beomgyu indeed felt like a silly little sailor at that moment. 

“Fair trade,” the older boy mused, resting his chin on his crossed arms over the dock, eyes twinkling with amusement as he looked up at Beomgyu. “But at least wait till I make it back to civilization before you start messing with hyung, yeah? Really don’t wanna be haunted while I’m in these creepy woods.”

Beomgyu was about to snap back with something equally sarcastic, but then, Yeonjun tilted his head, lips curled in that familiar, easy smirk, and his words caught in his throat. Yeonjun’s chest was barely submerged, collarbones sharp and glistening, light hair still damp and framing his face in a way that made him look frustratingly, unfairly hot. His skin looked heavenly, beads of water running down the defined lines of his arms and shoulders, gleaming and gorgeous.

He wasn’t sure if it was Yeonjun’s dream-like looks or just another gust of wind that caused goosebumps to prickle all over his arms. Beomgyu’s fingers twitched at his sides, as he hesitated. He was really starting to regret this whole fucking trip, wondering if he could leave Yeonjun here and somehow drive himself back to Seoul in the elder’s shitty ass car. 

Yeonjun chuckled, clearly entertained by how long it was taking Beomgyu to get in the water. “Just jump right in! Don’t overthink it, Gyu!”

“Easy for you to say–” Before he could finish, Yeonjun lunged forward with alarming speed, his hands latching onto Beomgyu’s wrist before he had time to react. "Wait–" Beomgyu barely got the word out before a sharp tug sent him toppling forward and his breath caught in the back of his throat as the dock disappeared from beneath him, his body plunging straight into the dark, deep water.

Cold. 

Cold cold cold.

The lake swallowed him whole, the shock of the freezing temperature completely knocking the air from his lungs as the world around him blurred into nothing but darkness, muffled and weightless, before he kicked his legs frantically and burst back to the surface with a sharp gasp for air.

“Hyung!” Beomgyu yelled out, sputtering with shivering lips as he wiped his long, soaked hair from his gasping mouth.

Yeonjun was cackling, completely unrepentant, not a trace of shame or regret on his infuriatingly gorgeous face– at least the part visible through Beomgyu’s damp strands of dark hair. “Hyung had to! You were taking too long.”

“You’re so mean,” Beomgyu whined, his lips pulling into a pout as he tried to wipe the lake water from his shut tight eyes with the back of his hands. He made an effort not to think too hard about how dirty the water probably was, forcing himself to block out the TikTok he had seen of lake water under a microscope– a haunting image of microscopic creatures wriggling around. 

That thought alone made his stomach churn, especially considering the fact that he had swallowed a whole mouthful of water when Yeonjun yanked him in, and his face instantly scrunched up in disgust, before he spat faintly, trying to rid himself of the ghost sensation of the water on his tongue. “Ew, ew, ew.”

That only made Yeonjun laugh harder, like that had been the best entertainment he had seen in weeks. “It’s good for your immune system, Beoms!”

Prying his wet eyes open, strands of hair still stubborning covering his vision, he groaned at the older boy, while his legs lazily kicked beneath the water to keep him afloat. “Oh yeah? And what exactly is the immune system, hyung?”

Yeonjun blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. 

Then, just as he opened his mouth to answer, Beomgyu cut him off. “Exactly.”

Before Yeonjun could even process the insult, Beomgyu struck with a sharp flick of his wrist sending a splash of water straight into Yeonjun’s face and parted lips, causing the older boy to recoil with a splutter, his arms flailing as he spat out dramatically, undoubtedly having swallowed his own fair share of cold, nasty, lake water.

“Oh, that’s gross,” Yeonjun choked out, rubbing his face.

“What? Just giving you an immunity boost,” Beomgyu teased, giggling at his own words, but his laughter quickly died down once he caught the way Yeonjun’s brows furrowed in retaliation. He raised his hands in surrender, already backpedaling in the water, eyes wide and pleading, as he supplicated, “it was just a small revenge, please–”

However, it was too late for begging, because the moment Yeonjun’s lips curled into a devious smirk, Beomgyu knew he was completely doomed. 

Without another second to spare, Yeonjun all but lunged at him, his larger frame crashing into Beomgyu’s and dragging them both under as the younger yelped in an embarrassing high pitch, choking on another mouthful of water as he dived. Beomgyu thrashed beneath Yeonjun, trying to escape the elder’s hold as his legs kicked uselessly against Yeonjun’s, who seemed completely unfazed in the icy lake. Beomgyu opened his eyes to try to find an opening, however everything was pitch-black beneath the surface, he could only feel some bubbles bursting against his face and the faint sound of chuckles carried down from above, it was clear Yeonjun was having a blast. 

A light bulb lit up in his head– figuratively, because electricity and water don’t really match– and in a flash of pure genius, Beomgyu tightly hooked his arms around Yeonjun and tugged him ever closer, one of his legs sliding neatly into place between Yeonjun’s own, and suddenly the sound of muffled laughter died in an instant. Beomgyu smirked underwater, before pressing his knee upward, with as much strength as he could with the water pressure surrounding him, and landing straight into Yeonjun’s groin, which had to be just as sensitive from the cold as his own.

A strangled gasp escaped Yeonjun, before the older boy’s grip on Beomgyu loosened, who immediately shot to the surface, coughing up all the water he had swallowed between rough, breathless giggles as he happily spotted Yeonjun emerging too, wet biceps flexing as his hands clutched something beneath the water,  presumably his pride. 

“You brat,” Yeonjun spat, lips trembling, already tinged purple from the cold.

“You had it coming,” Beomgyu shot back, chest still heaving with strangled breaths as he grinned.

Yeonjun nodded, a smile tugging at his swollen lips. “That’s fair.” Then, unexpectedly, as if he couldn’t stand letting Beomgyu have the last laugh, he drifted closer, enough that his warm breath fanned across Beomgyu’s freezing skin.

As the gap between them decreased, their eyes locked and unmoving, Beomgyu’s lips remained parted, breath uneven, and though he almost had it under control at first, the closeness of their faces unraveled him all over again. He wanted to say something, anything, but words felt too loud, too clumsy against the quiet backdrop of the woods, the soft ripple of water, the chirp of distant crickets, so he said nothing.

Wide eyes, half-hidden by damp strands, held fast to Yeonjun’s sharp gaze, before he watched a hand rise, brushing back the wet hair from Beomgyu’s face with fingertips as icy as his skin. Beomgyu didn’t dare move, terrified of shattering whatever fragile moment they had stumbled into, only his legs stirred beneath, struggling to keep him afloat– though it hardly mattered, because in that moment he felt like he was suffocating in cold water anyways, lungs tight, air caught in his crushed chest.

“At least the cold probably made that bruise better, huh?” Yeonjun teased, fingers brushing against the sore spot on Beomgyu’s forehead, making the younger hiss. Yeonjun chuckled, dropping his hand as he corrected, “or maybe not.”

Beomgyu’s face twisted into a frown despite himself, because that was not where he thought all that tension had been heading. He couldn’t believe that, for a brief second, he had actually let his hopes climb, his dumb little teenager self that would blush every time their eyes met, hands trembling whenever Yeonjun leaned too close.

With a roll of his now-uncovered eyes, he turned and started swimming back toward the dock. He ignored the confused “hey” that followed him, focusing instead on dragging his trembling arms through the water until he reached the wooden planks. He tried to haul himself up, frustration burning hotter than the cold cutting his skin, when a strong arm caught around his waist and pulled him up.

Beomgyu groaned but didn’t resist, letting Yeonjun help him get on the dock. As he sat down, cold, cold water streamed down the skin of his heaving chest, due to the quick swim, and he looked down at Yeonjun who was still in the lake, silver light from the moon carving over his features, beautiful and untouchable beneath the rippling dark. He groaned again, louder. 

“Are you still mad about that?” Yeonjun asked with a pout, pointing at Beomgyu’s forehead.

“No,” Beomgyu snapped, sharper than intended, and seeing the way Yeonjun’s eyes immediately widened at his tone made guilt pinch at him, and he forced himself to soften. It wasn’t Yeonjun’s fault that, even after all these years, Beomgyu still apparently carried a hopeless crush, still wished for something more than the beautiful friendship they already had. He shook his head quickly, saying more gently, “it’s nothing. I’m just… really cold.”

Seeming to understand and relate to Beomgyu, Yeonjun nodded, his lips still curled into a stubborn pout, before climbing onto the dock beside him. Their soaked thighs brushed, skin slick and chilled. “Yeah, the water’s fucking freezing.”

“Not to say ‘I told you so’, but…” Beomgyu teased, nudging Yeonjun’s trembling shoulder with his own. 

The older boy let out a laugh, warm enough to cut through the night air. “You’re right, Beoms.” Then, he hummed, looking behind them. “We should dry up a bit.”

After Beomgyu’s nod, he watched the older boy get up and reach the towels, expecting Yeonjun to grab one of them to dry off, instead, he stretched out on his back with a satisfied groan, arms folded behind his head like he was sunbathing, never mind the fact that he was bare-skinned beneath the winter moon, the freezing air clinging to them both.

With a reluctant sigh, already giving up on arguing with the elder, Beomgyu followed suit, lowering himself onto the towel beside Yeonjun with numb hands settling over his chilled stomach as he stared up at the night sky.

Despite the freezing temperature numbing his fingers and toes alike, the sky above them was surprisingly clear for a winter day, showing a vast blanket of darkness pricked with more stars than Beomgyu had ever seen, with no clouds or city lights covering their beauty. Only the sharp wind reminded Beomgyu that it was indeed winter, and how stupid he had been to follow his hyung into the lake, every gust prickling against his damp skin and bringing goosebumps into every inch.

“You know, that’s the Andromeda constellation,” Yeonjun said after a quiet moment, his voice soft enough to blend into the stillness around them.

Following Yeonjun’s pointed finger, Beomgyu’s gaze landed on a cluster of stars forming a pattern, some dimmer than others, but all much, much brighter than the washed-out sky of Seoul. The younger boy’s breath hitched in quiet awe, a quiet ‘wow’ escaping his parted, shivering lips. “I didn’t know you were into astronomy, hyung,” he muttered quietly, as if raising his voice any higher would ruin the moment between them. 

At that, Yeonjun let out a low chuckle, tilting his head towards Beomgyu with the moonlight lighting up the seductive lines of his smirk and his wet, blond hair attractively pushed back from his forehead. “I’m not. I have no idea what that is, I’m just trying to impress you.”

With Yeonjun’s head shifted towards him, suddenly Beomgyu became painfully aware of the distance– rather the lack of it– between their cold-flushed faces, to the point he could see Yeonjun’s breath, warm and ghostly white, curling through the icy air right in front of him. With a sharp little huff, Beomgyu tore his gaze upward, forcing himself to admire the dazzling spread of stars above him once again instead of the entire galaxy he kept accidentally finding in Yeonjun’s sharp, beautiful eyes.

“You revealing it after five seconds completely defeats the purpose of leaving me impressed, hyung,” the younger utters.

“I know,” Yeonjun agrees with a playful, dramatic sigh. “But you know I’m terrible at keeping things from you.”

“Oh, really?” Beomgyu teased, crossing his arms full of goosebumps in a pathetic attempt to trap heat against his skin. “So there’s no secret Yeonjunnie hyung is hiding from me?”

After a thoughtful hum, Yeonjun answered, “just one, I guess. A big, big one.”

“Big?” Beomgyu echoed, feeling slightly intrigued even though a part of him knew he couldn’t expect a serious answer from the older boy, but instead some sort of dick joke, or something equally dumb.

“Enormous,” Yeonjun corrected, a spark of amusement in his voice. 

Yeah. There was very likely a dick joke incoming– no pun intended. 

Not allowing him to deliver the joke, Beomgyu playfully squinted at the elder, before asking in a hush, secretive tone, “what is this huge secret, hyung? Do you have a body hiding in your apartment? You can tell me.”

Yeonjun’s laugh burst out, so warm and bright that Beomgyu swore it felt like a wave of heat rolled straight through him. “Worse than that.”

“Two bodies?” Beomgyu shot back loudly, a beam spreading across his lips. 

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Yeonjun shaking his head in amusement, but before Beomgyu could snicker at his own joke, something soft dropped over his eyes, startling a small yelp out of him. The younger pulled it off immediately, to see it was just his own shirt, still faintly warm from where Yeonjun had been holding it.

“You got it,” Yeonjun said, softly smiling back. “Now put that on before you turn into an ice pop.”

Sitting up, Beomgyu tugged the shirt over his head, relief flooding through him as the warm fabric, however faint, met his icy skin. “Thanks hyung.” Then, he added for good measure, chin slightly lifting in mock pride, “but I would be a lovely flavour.”

With a shake of his head and a low, breathy chuckle, Yeonjun rose to his feet, his eyes watching the younger with a gentle fondness that almost felt heavier than the cold. “Not sure if ‘brat’ flavour will have a high demand.” 

Beomgyu’s mouth fell open in offense, one accusing finger pointing at the older boy, who really had some fucking nerve in him– having his balls frozen by the lake water must’ve gotten him some extra boldness somehow. “I’ll let you know I would totally be a fan favorite!” 

The younger boy was ready to fire back if needed, but Yeonjun didn’t argue, instead his voice dipped into something softer as he asked, “do you want hyung’s shirt too?” The older boy had likely noticed Beomgyu was still very much shivering, his bottom lip quivering slightly and every single hair on his bare arms and legs standing up, and decided to offer up his own shirt. 

Ignoring the way his heart skipped the tiniest of beats, Beomgyu immediately shook his head. “No, no! You put it on, no reason to play hero.” And no reason to keep showing off that dripping, unfairly defined body.

Yeonjun didn’t persist, saying in a sing-song tone, “if you change your mind I’m not lending it to you.” Then, his long fingers hooked into the hem of his shorts, lifting one leg slightly to wring the fabric up his thigh tightly, muscles flexed beneath golden skin as water streamed in thin trails down his calves before falling into the wooden dock. Beomgyu tried not to stare, he really, really did, but the motion was quite… hypnotic, the kind that made you forget the cold and forget how to breathe.

“Sure thing,” Beomgyu simply murmured, tone distracted as he watched Yeonjun switch sides, repeating the slow squeeze of fabric on the other leg of the shots before finally grabbing his dry shirt and pulling it over his head with a blissful little sigh.

Taking Yeonjun being fully dressed as a cue, and a little bored now that the show was over, Beomgyu scrambled up from the towel, shaking off the leaves and twigs clinging to it before draping it around his shoulders. The damp cloth clung to his chilled back, but at least it gave him something to do with his hands that were eager to reach for Yeonjun for warmth like an idiot.

Yeonjun casually slung his own towel over one shoulder, tilting his head as he asked, “shall we go?”

Out there, in that romantic place, with a gorgeous, charming Yeonjun around, it was harder and harder to remain sane, so Beomgyu was glad to be leaving, to be returning to their tent where he could sleep and, hopefully, drift off to a wet-Yeonjun-less dreamland– choosing to ignore the fact that he had to share a tiny tent with that same boy. 

As they walked back, their footsteps loud against the quiet of the dark forest, Beomgyu clutched the towel tighter around himself, like that could muffle out the pounding happening inside his chest, soften the loud hammering of his pulse against his own ears– that was so loud that he half-expected Yeonjun to notice it and ask if he was dying, or worse… if he liked him.

“So, hyung,” Beomgyu blurted out looking for a distraction, voice a bit too loud. “Why exactly do you have all those bodies in your apartment?”

Yeonjun flashed him a sly, lopsided grin, the kind that Beomgyu knew that with proper lighting was very dangerous, close to deadly for the weak-hearted like himself, so the younger was suddenly thankful for the huge trees covering most of the moonlight. “Well,” the older boy hummed, dragging the word out. “People who make fun of my tent just… tend to disappear.” He pointed a mock-accusing stare directly at Beomgyu.

“I only said it was small!” Beomgyu objected, voice pitching into a whine that echoed off the long, dark path ahead of them.

“Hey! It’s above average,” Yeonjun insisted dramatically. Of course, he had managed to fit another dick joke in– again, no pun intended.

Beomgyu huffed a laugh and nudged his shoulder against Yeonjun’s own as a cute, tiny act of retaliation, only to feel Yeonjun nudge him back, just as gentle, just as confusing for Beomgyu’s little lovesick heart.

Thinking about people disappearing reminded Beomgyu of something that had been burning in the back of his mind since his talk with Soobin. 

“Hyung,” he mumbled, voice quiet as if he was testing the waters– even though he was very much done with cold water for the rest of the trip. After a low hum from Yeonjun, the younger boy added, “how is Minjun? Did he not want to come on the camping trip?”  

That question seemed to catch Yeonjun off guard, his eyes widened for just a fraction of a second– a small shift that the untrained eye wouldn’t even notice, but could never be missed by Beomgyu, who spent hours and hours staring at the older boy and essentially knew his every expression by heart. “He’s probably fine,” Yeonjun said after a beat. “I don’t think we would enjoy coming here since we aren’t together anymore,” he continued with an awkward chuckle.

“Oh,” Beomgyu uttered out, trying to sound surprised, despite already having gotten that information earlier that day from his blabbermouth best friend. “What happened?” That, however, Soobin hadn’t told him, and Beomgyu was very curious. 

Yeonjun simply shrugged, sharp eyes looking down and focused on kicking a small rock on the ground. “Same thing as always. We just… didn’t fit,” he said with a small laugh. He didn’t seem heartbroken or anything close, just a bit uncomfortable with the subject in general. Even though Beomgyu wanted to pry more, wanted to know why exactly they didn’t fit, why that was a recurring issue with Yeonjun’s relationships, he didn’t push it. 

With a small nod, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment before releasing, Beomgyu muttered quietly, “I see.”

After a beat of silence, one Beomgyu was starting to wonder if it would stretch the entire walk back to the campsite, Yeonjun spoke again, deep, beautiful voice filling the silence, “what about your little situationship?”

And that Beomgyu did not expect, almost sending the younger tripping over nothing– he could always blame a random twig if Yeonjun noticed, but thankfully the older didn’t comment. “Who? Jaehoon?” Beomgyu snorted, rubbing the towel tighter around himself. “I haven’t seen him in ages. Keep up, hyung,” he let out a small chuckle, trying to keep his tone light and playful despite the heat he could feel travelling to the back of his neck, where long, damp hair was still clinging at. 

“Is there someone else you’re seeing?” Yeonjun asked carefully, his tone oddly serious, not chuckling back at Beomgyu’s little joke or even showing a small smile. 

Beomgyu shook his head, damp strands barely moving from where they stuck to his forehead, now with both gross lake water and gross nervous sweat. “No. Not really.”

His flashlight trembled in his grip as his hand shook, the beam unsteady as it darted over roots and rocks ahead of them. Beomgyu swallowed the dry lump stuck in the back of his throat that was almost completely restricting his airways. It was just a normal conversation between normal friends on a normal camping trip, so why was sweating up a storm despite the close to zero degrees temperatures? 

However, Yeonjun clearly wasn’t done making Beomgyu’s pulse almost break free from his icy skin. “It’s the first time in a while we’ve both been single,” he said, visibly lost in thought, loud enough for the younger to hear, but sounding like the words came from somewhere far away. “At the same time, I mean.”

At that interesting observation, Beomgyu didn’t dare look at the older boy and instead he kept his eyes fixed on the ground beneath his feet, widened in silent disbelief.  Because Yeonjun was right– ever since Beomgyu could remember, they had never been single at the same time, not technically at least. Every time Yeonjun started dating someone, Beomgyu would try to move on and throw himself into dates that never quite worked, and by the time Beomgyu at least found someone actually nice, Yeonjun would’ve been single again. The timing had always been wrong, a cruel and endless cycle, a lopping joke the universe never seemed to get tired of, as though it was hilarious to dangle hope in front of Beomgyu and snatch it away each time.

“It’s quite funny, isn’t it?” Yeonjun chuckled with a shake of his head. 

“Yeah,” Beomgyu forced out with a breath, hoping it sounded somewhat close to a laugh. “Funny.”

“You always date douches anyway,” Yeonjun casually mentions, followed by a quiet, breathy huff.

What in the actual hell?

Beomgyu’s brows drew together as his head snapped in Yeonjun’s direction. The older boy had some fucking nerve in him, trashing his previous boyfriends and flings when the best man he could ever have, Yeonjun himself, wasn’t even giving him a chance and instead going around dating other people.

“Well! And you always date dumb, little twinks,” Beomgyu shot back, the words slipping out of his mouth a tiny bit sharper than he originally intended. For a second, he worried he had gone too far, showed the older boy a sliver of the jealousy he had been piling up for years, but thankfully Yeonjun didn’t seem to catch on– or maybe he just didn’t mind– letting out a surprised but bright and unbothered laugh at Beomgyu’s jab.

Nonetheless, embarrassment prickled at the back of Beomgyu’s sweaty neck. He was frustrated with himself, because he obviously had no right to sound jealous over Yeonjun’s past lovers, not when Yeonjun wasn’t his to be jealous over in the first place. But still, thinking back to all those pretty faces Yeonjun had dated twisted something ugly in his stomach, just like it had for years now, even when Beomgyu actively pretended to be over his crush. 

So, trying to escape the conversation that was becoming lethal to his sanity and dignity alike, Beomgyu quickened his pace before Yeonjun could add anything else to the topic that Beomgyu very much wanted to drop completely. Long strides kicked up bits of loose dirt as Beomgyu rushed ahead, hearing Yeonjun’s laughter right behind him, the sound growing fainter with each fast step as the distance stretched between them.

“I guess I have a type,” the elder joked, laughter still lacing his voice. Then, his footsteps grew louder and quicker against the dirt as he hurried to catch up, a little breathless when he called out, “hey! Don’t leave your hyung behind!”

A relieved sigh slipped past Beomgyu’s lips, his body still shivering slightly due to the cold, though not as much after his little jog, as the shape of their small tent and Yeonjun’s car came into view– he never thought he would feel so much gratitude for the sight of that ugly piece of junk.

Yeonjun’s heavy footsteps caught up to him moments later. 

“You walk fast,” he said, breath puffing in the chilled air.

“You’re the one who taught me how to escape any monsters,” Beomgyu shot back playfully, remembering Yeonjun’s earlier ‘don’t outrun the creature, outrun your friend’ joke.

The craving for warmth guided Beomgyu’s steps as he slipped into the tent. The air inside was still chilly, but at least it wasn’t biting like outside. He quickly zipped the entrance shut, sealing himself off from the cold breeze, and set his phone on the blanket-covered floor, its dim light casting soft shadows against the tent walls. Then, Beomgyu started peeling off his damp clothes, his skin prickling from the sudden exposure, and tugged on the first warm pieces he could find in his bag, eager to chase away the cold clinging to him. 

Through the thin fabric of the tent wall he could see Yeonjun’s silhouette outside, hands on hips, posture impatient. “C’mon, be quick. I’m freezing out here,” came Yeonjun’s muffled complaint.

“You didn’t seem too worried about the cold when you jumped into the lake,” Beomgyu muttered as he changed into his cozy, dark green sweatpants and oversized, grey sweater, rubbing his arms to bring back some extra warmth to his goosebump-filled skin. 

Outside, Yeonjun playfully scratched the tent wall with his short nails like an impatient cat. “Let me in,” he whined, dragging out the last word.

With a resigned groan, Beomgyu finished tying the strings of his sweatpants before tugging the zipper of the tent down and stepped aside so the older boy could get inside. “Here.”

For obvious reasons that absolutely did not need to be named, Beomgyu decided it was in everyone’s best interest if he stayed outside while Yeonjun changed, but unexpectedly the older boy ducked in immediately and zipped the entrance shut behind him. “It’s freezing out there,” he said, tossing his damp towel to a corner where it landed in a crumpled heap. “Why did you let us swim in the lake?”

“I–” Beomgyu started, only to immediately cut himself off. He shook his head at Yeonjun’s taunt and started to busy himself spreading his sleeping bag over the blankets lining the plastic floor of the tent. “Whatever. If you get sick, I don’t wanna hear a single sneeze out of you.”

Once everything was set up, Beomgyu climbed over his sleeping bag, lying down on top of it with a long, content sigh. When he turned his head, Yeonjun was already half dressed, loose, dark grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips, the waistband of his boxers peeking through as he tugged a black hoodie over his head. He shook out his damp, blond hair before sitting down on his sleeping bag, looking entirely too effortlessly hot for someone just wearing some casual clothes after a quick swim. 

“I’m starving,” Yeonjun said after a beat, eyes flicking towards Beomgyu. “We should’ve cooked some of that meat.”

Suddenly feeling like a single father taking care of his overgrown child, Beomgyu tilted his head and pouted, before answering in a sweet, high-pitched tone as if talking to a baby, “first thing tomorrow, we can cook something, yeah?”

Not offended in the slightest, Yeonjun perked up instantly, his grin so wide and goofy that Beomgyu struggled not to reciprocate as the older boy flopped down beside him onto his one sleeping bag. Their arms brushed, too close and too warm for comfort, but the tent was far too small for Beomgyu to be able to move away from the faint contact. “We could do a bonfire too! I even brought marshmallows.”

The thought of Yeonjun with fire anywhere near his hands was terrifying, and Beomgyu didn’t exactly trust himself not to burn down the whole forest either, but he ultimately decided that snapping that idea out of Yeonjun seemed like a problem for morning-Beomgyu and not him. “I’ll think about it,” he muttered.

“Nice,” Yeonjun hummed, before finally sliding inside his sleeping bag, wriggling his feet happily. “We can search around for some twigs and dry leaves tomorrow.”

Beomgyu hesitated for a moment before finally deciding against doing the same thing– the thought of getting trapped in the bag with a bug crawling up his leg made his skin crawl and his stomach to twist– so he just threw a fluffy blanket over himself instead.

“It would be nice to eat something yummy tomorrow,” he admitted after getting more cozied up underneath the blanket, every cell in his body thanking him as his blood feeding them returned to a normal temperature, but his stomach still very much empty and angry. “Since my dinner was essentially lake water.”

After a snort, Yeonjun turned on his side, facing Beomgyu and decreasing even more the distance between the two. “Do you think that water is actually harmful?” He asked as Beomgyu tried not to visibly gulp under Yeonjun’s sharp eyes.

With mock seriousness, Beomgyu nodded. “Oh, definitely. Probably full of brain-eating bacteria.”

“Fuck,” Yeonjun said, half-laughing though there was just enough worry in his nasally voice to make Beomgyu grin, clearly a part of him was the tinniest bit concerned about it being a real possibility. “You think?”

“Yeah. But you clearly don’t think,” Beomgyu teased with a casual shrug, still refusing to look back at the older boy’s face that he could feel was lingering too close to his own. “So you have nothing to worry about.”

There was a brief beat of silence before Beomgyu dared a glance at the boy beside him to see that Yeonjun’s brows were knitted together, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and concentration. Beomgyu had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing as he watched the exact moment Yeonjun finally realised that he was being called brainless.

His indignant voice filled the quiet tent. “Keep that up and you’ll be walking up floating in the middle of that brain-eating lake.”

Not taking the elder’s threat even a little seriously, a bright giggle burst out of Beomgyu, his shoulders shaking with laughter as that familiar warmth bloomed in his chest, that exact one that always came so easily when he was joking around with Yeonjun. Still wearing a wide beam that refused to fade, he rolled onto his side, turning his back to the older boy and sing-songing, “good night, hyung.”

“I should’ve peed in that damn water. Then I could’ve gotten my revenge,” Yeonjun said after a deliberately exaggerated groan in feigning frustration, but the teasing in his voice was so clear, so warm, that it somehow spread to Beomgyu’s cheeks, despite the absolutely revolting image of him accidentally swallowing piss-filled lake water.

“Hyung,” Beomgyu whined, grinning anyway. “That’s so gross,” he added, as his tired eyes began to flutter shut, the warmth wrapping around him, both physical and emotional, slowly lulling him towards some lovely, much needed sleep.

“Don’t you worry,” Yeonjun teased again as one of his long fingers reached to poke at Beomgyu’s side over the blanket, earning a startled yelp and a sleepy shift of the younger’s body. “I’ll get my revenge another way.”

“Hm, sure thing,” Beomgyu murmured, voice soft and fading, before biting his bottom lip slightly.

Yeonjun seemed to understand that Beomgyu’s quiet tone meant it was time to sleep and said nothing more, letting the younger drift off to the quiet chorus of crickets and soft breathing. Maybe Beomgyu should’ve turned off his phone flashlight, but he had to admit the idea of sleeping in pitch darkness in the middle of a forest was quite terrifying. 

Sleep was nearly pulling him under when a whisper came from behind him, “Gyu.” It was Yeonjun. It could only be him, because if it wasn’t, Beomgyu would have to eat his pride and admit to Yeonjun that ghosts were real.

Beomgyu didn’t open his eyes as he mumbled back, “yeah?”

“When I said your boyfriends were douches, I didn’t mean to, like… attack your taste or anything.” Beomgyu’s eyes snapped open, staring at the fabric of the tent beside him as his back was starting to sweat, burning up with Yeonjun’s presence just inches away. 

Perhaps the younger should say something, at least just hum in acknowledgment, but he remained silent, not sure why Yeonjun was bringing back up the subject Beomgyu had so flawlessly escaped from. “I didn’t mean to offend you,” Yeonjun continued after a long, heavy pause. “I just think… you deserve much better.” The words were soft and kind, something a friend could easily say… yet, surrounded by the still night, the mingling of their breaths in that small space, and the faint heat between them, they landed differently. 

“Gyu?” Yeonjun called again, but Beomgyu stayed quiet, pretending to be asleep, trying hard not to move despite his heart racing more and more by the second, hammering against his chest. There was a small sigh, the soft rustle of the sleeping bag as Yeonjun moved, and then, quieter this time, almost tender, “sleep well, Beomgyu-yah.”

· ·—  ·☆· —· ·

A soft, quiet snorting behind Beomgyu woke him up. Falling asleep hadn’t been easy after Yeonjun’s sweet, sweet words. Beomgyu wasn’t a complete utter moron, he knew very well he shouldn’t have been overthinking them, because of course Yeonjun would say something like that. Afterall, the older boy was kind and endlessly caring, the kind of person who always wanted the best for his friends, so it was only natural that he wanted the best possible lover for his good friend Beomgyu. 

However, the way he had said it... it had felt too personal. And the more Beomgyu replayed the words in his annoying, loud head, the more he swore he heard a little shake in Yeonjun’s voice, as if he was nervous or perhaps even trying to hint at something…

No. 

Beomgyu couldn’t do that to himself. Especially not now, when they were alone in this ridiculously romantic setup. He refused to let his heart get carried away again, to get his hopes up with Yeonjun’s sweet smiles and even sweeter gestures like so many times before, only for the older boy to start dating someone and break Beomgyu’s fragile, and so stupidly hopeful, little heart.

So, ignoring the thoughts running around his mind at faster speeds than Yeonjun’s car could ever hope to achieve, he had forced himself to sleep. Or tried to, at least, because his brain clearly had other plans, since he was awake once again, eyes dry and body stiff. He wasn’t even sure how long he had slept for, but considering the lack of sunlight burning his eyelids and his tired muscles, he could easily guess not very much.

Giving up, Beomgyu groaned softly, opening his eyes to the faint light inside the tent, and rolled onto his back, placing his hands over his belly. With his vision still blurry from sleep, he noticed something black moving slowly across the top of the tent. It took him just a couple of seconds to realise it was a huge, crawling bug– a spider. 

A huge fucking spider.

A piercing scream left his lips before he could stop himself and Yeonjun jolted awake in an instant with a noise somewhere between a groan and a whine leaving his plump lips, pursed with sleep and confusion, one eye still shut and blond hair a wild mess. “What’s wrong?” he rasped, voice low and hoarse with sleep– a voice that Beomgyu hadn’t heard in a hot while and somehow always messed with his head a bit.

But he ignored the flip in his stomach, because there were way more important issues at hand– or rather on the top of the tent– like the enormous monster lurking right above their heads. “Spider!” Beomgyu yelped, scrambling closer to Yeonjun for protection, who blinked slowly in confusion before making room for him, a steadying, warm hand landing on Beomgyu’s shaking shoulder. “There’s a spider in here,” he adds, voice coming out a bit too babyish for his own liking.

“Where?” Yeonjun asked, head turning as scanned around the tent. Beomgyu refused to look at that, but he raised his index finger to point up at the general direction of where the evil creature was last seen. “Oh. It’s outside, darling,” Yeonjun murmured after a beat, voice impossibly sweet and caring, but also slightly amused. “That’s just its shadow. Don’t worry,” he explained, oh so softly.

Slowly and carefully, like a startled puppy, Beomgyu’s wide eyes darted upward again. Now that they had adjusted to the dim light and the blur of sleep had faded, he could see more clearly it was indeed just the shadow of the spider. The light from his phone’s flashlight casted every awful detail of its huge silhouette, each spindly leg moving in slow, horrifying rhythm as it crept across the thin tent fabric.

But still, it was too close. Way too close. 

And there was no way in hell Beomgyu was going to sleep with that gross thing right above him. What if it found a way inside the small tent? Crawled under his blanket? Touched him? He wasn’t safe– he needed that spider gone.

“Kill it. Kill it, kill it, kill it,” Beomgyu chanted under his breath, voice trembling just like his body as he buried his face in Yeonjun’s chest, all of his dignity forgotten back in Seoul.

Thankfully, Yeonjun didn’t seem to mind his childish behaviour, or maybe he just took pity on him, and didn’t push Beomgyu away, who tried his absolute best to ignore how goddamn warm and soft Yeonjun felt and how good he smelled, that faint trace of cologne stubbornly clinging to his skin despite the lake water that had been dripping down his body earlier.

In his peripheral vision, Beomgyu saw Yeonjun lift the hand that wasn’t holding him to rub at his own eyes with a tired sigh. Then, it drifted down, fingers threading briefly through Beomgyu’s hair, a gentle pat that felt like a quiet, gentle cue for Beomgyu to move back.

Obediently, Beomgyu shuffled back, wide, almost watery eyes tracking Yeonjun as he stood up– as far as the small tent allowed him too– and stretched, lazy and unhurried, revealing a sliver of golden skin above the waistband of his boxers that caught the faint light inside the tent. Afterwards, without a word, he slipped out of the tent and into the darkness, something Beomgyu knew must’ve not come easy for the older boy who was absolutely terrified of being alone in the dark because of ghosts, and not realistic and much manlier phobias like spiders. Beomgyu watched his shadow slowly move outside, saw a quick shake of the fabric, a loud stomp, and it was done. Almost instantly, relief left Beomgyu in a visible puff of cold breath.

When Yeonjun came back, shivering slightly, he immediately zipped the tent shut and dove straight into his sleeping bag like an excited child. “Not gonna lie, it was pretty big,” he admitted with a tired laugh, as he closed his eyes with a small smile on his lips. “I’ll also sleep better knowing it’s dead.”

Despite the clear relaxation in Yeonjun’s face, Beomgyu, however, didn’t share his calm just yet. He sat stiffly beside Yeonjun, still very much shaken up by the huge spider and unable to move back to his corner, eyes darting towards the tent ceiling every few seconds as if another bug might pop up any second. 

Ever perceptive, Yeonjun must’ve noticed that Beomgyu wasn’t fully at ease– the younger not moving back to his side of the tent was likely an obvious tell– because his eyes cracked open again, still heavy with sleep, as he murmured sweetly, “you okay?” 

At that, the younger boy quickly nodded, fingers tugging at the strings of his sweatpants. He didn’t want to bother Yeonjun, didn’t want to sound even more childish, but the truth was, he didn’t feel safe and he really didn’t want to be alone at that moment.

A thoughtful hum left Yeonjun as he studied him for a moment, dark, beautiful eyes flickering across Beomgyu’s face in the soft light, before unzipping his sleeping bag and lifting a corner of the thick fabric in a quiet invitation. “Come here,” he said softly, his voice warmer than any blanket in that tent.

Before he could overthink it and say something very dumb he would regret later– like ‘no, thank you’– Beomgyu grabbed his fluffy blanket and crawled beside him, tucking it over them both. In a rush of pure bravery, he pressed his icy nose against Yeonjun’s warm neck, brushing against the smooth skin that smelled so so good, as he settled under the sleeping bag and tried not to freeze– or combust, whichever came first.

Visibly shocked, Yeonjun froze for a bit, before he, ever so gently, chuckled, arm casually looping around Beomgyu’s waist to pull him a little closer as if it belonged there. 

“Thank you, hyung,” Beomgyu whispered, voice quiet but honest. 

Beomgyu felt the low vibration of another hum against Yeonjun’s throat where his nose rested. “Hyung’s always here for you, yeah?” His voice came in a quiet murmur, followed by what felt like a hug, as his arm tightened slightly around Beomgyu’s waist, their legs brushing and curling together beneath the multiple layers of fabric and blankets in the cramped space. “Always,” he added, followed by a gentle press of lips to Beomgyu’s hair, feather-light but enough to unravel the younger boy completely.

For a few long, painful minutes, Beomgyu simply forgot how to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. He repeated in his short-circuited brain, the wheels not turning properly and his entire nervous system falling apart as every thought got drowned out by the pounding of his own heart. Despite the struggle, he tried his hardest to keep his breathing steady, to prevent his heart from beating even faster to the point Yeonjun would be able to feel it from where his chest was pressed against Beomgyu’s quivering own. Lost in his own overheating mind, Beomgyu shut his eyes tightly and gripped Yeonjun’s hoodie for dear life, making the older boy chuckle again, probably assuming he was still scared of the spider. 

If only it were that simple. He wasn’t just scared– he was terrified. But not of the fucking spider corpse crushed somewhere outside their tent, but of his own feelings, his own stubborn, traitorous heart. Years of being into Choi Yeonjun were crashing down on him all at once, unstoppable, feelings he had tried to lie to himself about, to run away from, to hide behind dates with other people– but somehow, everything always, always led him right back to him, to Choi Yeonjun. 

He loved him. 

· ·—  ·☆· —· ·

A low groan escaped Beomgyu’s dry lips as someone delicately shook him awake. Opening his heavy eyes with effort, he was immediately greeted by Yeonjun in all his glory, gorgeous as always, the sunlight outside the tent tracing the sharp lines of his face, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he sat next to Beomgyu. The younger boy blinked a few times to adjust his vision– feeling like a sleeping beauty waking up to a beautiful, beautiful prince charming– his body still curled up and tucked inside Yeonjun’s sleeping bag, his hair likely a mess and face warm and swollen from sleep. Suddenly, he felt shy, as if Yeonjun hadn’t seen him post-nap countless times before.

With his cheeks heating up almost instantly, Beomgyu sat up and yawned, covering his mouth with a sleeve-swallowed hand. “Good morning,” he mumbled, voice rough and raspy.

“Morning, Gyu,” Yeonjun replied with a soft smile before standing on his feet, long legs stretching and head hitting the top of the tent. “I wanted to let you sleep more, but it’s already two p.m. and you should eat something.”

Two p.m.? He could’ve never guessed he had slept so goddamn much. It seemed that staying awake so late into the night had really wrecked his sleep schedule and it certainly didn’t help that even when he was close to falling asleep his dumb brain would wake him up to remind him of how close Yeonjun was, their bodies pressed together, Yeonjun’s arm around him, their legs intertwined…

“Fuck. I slept a lot,” he muttered in disbelief, hand reaching up to shake his long hair and somewhat fix it as best as he could without a mirror to check himself.

“You did.” Yeonjun nodded gravely. “I was starting to think the brain-eating bacteria had finally gotten to you.”

“Ah. Ah,” Beomgyu responded, deadpan, though a reluctant, annoyingly fond smile tugged at his lips at Yeonjun’s little joke.

Chuckling, Yeonjun leaned down slightly to set his hand on Beomgyu’s head, messing up the hair the younger had just fixed. “I’m grilling some meat right now. Let me go check if nothing is burnt yet.”

After Beomgyu gave Yeonjun a short nod, the older boy stepped out of the tent. Beomgyu followed soon after, shaking off the warmth of the blankets that still smelled faintly like Yeonjun as he tried not to linger  on the memory of the night before– how perfectly they had fit together, how even their breathing had seemed to sync– and instead he reached for his jacket on the far side of the tent and put it on, zipping it up like he was trying to muffle the sound of his own racing heart.

Last night should have left him confused, but instead it had done the exact opposite, because everything was clear now, way too clear. The way his heart leapt to impossible heights in his chest every time that wonderful, sweet boy got near; the way conversation with Yeonjun always flowed effortlessly, like it could go on forever no matter how long they had been apart and never ran out of things to say; the way he felt most himself, most free, in Yeonjun’s presence. It was clear that it was never just a crush, it hadn’t been for a long time, no matter how much he told himself it was simply that– he was very much in love with Yeonjun.

Completely, hopelessly and foolishly in love with the same boy who, back in high school, had shaken a vending machine when Beomgyu’s soda got stuck, and then proceeded to smile like sunlight and speak like honey when he introduced himself to the younger. Long years had passed since that very first meeting and Beomgyu still loved him just as much, probably even more. Because no matter how much time slipped by, that feeling never quite faded, and it didn’t seem like it ever would. Beomgyu would just have to learn to live with it– to smile through the heartache each time Yeonjun showed up with another boyfriend, to keep his composure and not get drunk and sob at Yeonjun’s wedding to some random twink, ruining the whole ceremony and their friendship forever.

The cold air bit at his face the moment he stepped outside the tent, and he was suddenly really glad he had decided to put on a jacket that he could put his cold hands inside its pockets. The wind was even sharper than yesterday, colder and reckless, but the smell of grilled meat in the air quickly distracted him as his feet followed it instinctively, like a cartoon character chasing a floating pie scent.

Yeonjun stood by the grill, smoke curling around him and a pair of tongs in his gloved hand as he flipped pieces of meat on the grill, some clearly a little more… overcooked than others. It was so incredibly sweet of Yeonjun to take on the challenge of cooking by himself instead of waking Beomgyu up, even though he always preferred when Beomgyu did the grilling. 

“I already have some meat ready for you,” Yeonjun said with a proud grin– one that Beomgyu would absolutely make fun of under any other circumstance, but not when he was starving and that meat sizzling on the grill looked criminally good. “It’s not perfect, but it should be edible. You hungry, right?”

As if on cue, Beomgyu’s excited stomach growled, his mouth already starting to water– and for the first time that weekend not over Yeonjun’s body– as he nodded his head quickly in response. “Hm. Yeah,” he said, trying not to sound too eager, but his voice and body language failed him. 

Still wearing that stunning smile, because of course he was, highlighted by the rays of sunlight sneaking through the big forest trees, Yeonjun slowly nodded back before placing a few pieces of cooked meat onto a plastic plate. Then, as Beomgyu shivered faintly watching him, the older boy crouched beside the small cooler– completely unnecessary to even bring it in that freezing-ass weather that could preserve human life for centuries– to pull out a bottle of water.

“Here, darling,” Yeonjun said, handing Beomgyu both the plate and the drink.

The casual way he said it– just like the night before– made Beomgyu’s stomach twist in a huge knot. Yeonjun wasn’t teasing, he was simply getting too comfortable with those sweet pet names and that  made Beomgyu both flustered and irritated. 

Don’t get my hopes up, Choi Yeonjun.

“Thank you, honeybuns,” Beomgyu shot back playfully, since two could play that game, voice sing-song and sugar-sweet as he finally pulled his freezing hands from his pockets to take the food. “How romantic– feeding me lunch in the middle of the woods. Should I swoon now or wait until dessert?”

That caught Yeonjun off guard for a second before he let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as he glanced back down at the grill, his cheeks tinted red, probably due to their proximity to the fire. “I guess you can wait for the marshmallows,” he teased back, one corner of his lips quirking up. Before Beomgyu could come up with a really clever reply, Yeonjun added, pointing his tongs towards the tent, “you can go inside to eat if you want. It’s really cold out here.”

At that offer, no matter how desirable, Beomgyu hesitated. He wanted to stay with the older boy, didn’t want to leave Yeonjun standing out here in the freezing wind, but his own body was trembling too much to pretend otherwise. With a reluctant sigh, he nodded. “Just finish cooking those pieces and join me,” he said, then immediately widened his eyes in surprise at how clingy that sounded– perhaps the filter connecting his brain to his mouth was still back at the tent sleeping. He scrambled to cover it up, “don’t wanna deal with you getting sick, hyung. You get extra whiny and annoying.”

“Hey!” Yeonjun protested, making Beomgyu laugh. “Sure, thing. Just eat before those get cold, though. I’ll join you soon…” With a nod, Beomgyu turned back towards the tent when Yeonjun finished his sentence, voice slipping into that infuriatingly sweet, but audibly playful, tone once again, “princess.”

Mayhaps, in an alternate reality, Beomgyu might have fallen face-first into the dirt and dropped all that delicious-smelling meat right onto it. But, miraculously, he managed to ignore Yeonjun’s teasing words and goofy laughter that followed, and walked back to the tent with what he hoped was composure.

Once he was inside, he sat down, pulling Yeonjun’s sleeping bag over his legs, hoping the warmth still lingered there, and pretended the nickname hadn’t done anything to him at all. Yeonjun was obviously just teasing– he gave those sweet, sweet pet names to his car, for crying out loud! It didn’t even make sense for Beomgyu to like being called ‘princess’. He didn’t. He didn’t. 

And yet, his heart was sprinting laps inside his chest, betraying him with every stupid thump as he tried to focus on the food in front of him instead of replaying that one word over and over in Yeonjun’s stupidly attractive voice.

A little while later, Yeonjun returned with another plate full of meat, cheeks still that pretty rosy tone, and they ate together in an easy chit-chat and banter as always, the food tasting absurdly good– probably only because they were starving, as Beomgyu pointed out when Yeonjun started fishing for compliments about his cooking, which earned him an adorable pout, childish and exaggerated, that made Beomgyu laugh mid-bite despite himself.

What Beomgyu didn’t expect, however, was for Yeonjun to bring back up the whole stupid, so very stupid, bonfire idea. But since the older boy had been nothing but the sweetest, most precious human being in existence throughout the entire trip– offering his shirt, killing a massive spider for him, cuddling him when he was scared and cooking for him while he slept– searching up a quick YouTube tutorial on how to safely build a bonfire felt like the very least Beomgyu could do in return.

Except, when he reached for his phone for some quick research, he found it completely dead, since its flashlight had been on the entire night– what felt like a genius idea the previous night, but completely idiotic at that very moment. Yeonjun, ever the helpful one, mentioned that the campsite’s website said there were bathrooms near the cabins at the entrance of the campsite, probably with outlets they could use to charge their phones.

At the mention of the bathrooms, with actual showers they could use, Beomgyu nearly wept with relief and rushed the older boy to finish eating quickly so they could enjoy a nice shower. As soon as they arrived, he took his chance first, enjoying the warm water after the freezing lake and long night with nervous sweats, while Yeonjun stayed at the entrance of the bathrooms to watch over his charging phone. Then, once Yeonjun went in for his own shower, and now with some battery on his phone, Beomgyu headed to a nearby store to pick up everything they might need for the bonfire: dry wood; lighter fluid; matches; some ointment for burns, just in case. The more things he gathered in his arms, the more it confirmed it all to be a terrible, completely reckless idea, but still he brought it all back to the tent– or rather to the bathrooms where an excited Yeonjun immediately offered to carry everything back.

It was winter, so there were fewer daylight hours, and so, by the time the two boys finally started setting up, with arranging rocks in a rough circle to contain the fire and stacking bigger logs in the center so the flames would last longer, it was already dark out. And by the time they actually managed to spark some flames– without anyone getting hurt, miraculously– the night had already fallen and the forest around them was swallowed by darkness, their breath visible in the freezing air since the temperature had plummeted even further. What was supposed to be a silly, and mildly dangerous, bonding activity had quickly turned into a full-blown survival mission. Either they got that fire going, or they were going to freeze to death in the middle of nowhere in complete darkness. They needed that bonfire.

Something bigger than them must’ve taken pity on their quivering bodies and trembling lips, because the stubborn little spark finally caught and the bright flames slowly climbed higher as the boys fed it handfuls of twigs and dead leaves, until, mercifully, it steadied, crackling into a proper bonfire that Beomgyu was quite proud of.

“Still can’t believe you convinced me to do this,” the younger boy muttered as he watched their beautiful creation, curling in on himself as he perched on the log. One arm hugged his knees for warmth, the other stretched out toward the fire, his stick-impaled marshmallow slowly blistering over the flames. The bonfire did wonders for his hands and face, but the winter wind still sliced at his back like punishment– maybe for all the gay thoughts he had been having about his very close friend during this innocent trip.

Mid-chew, Yeonjun just shrugged, his face partially hidden under his black hoodie. “How could you ever say ‘no’ to such brilliant ideas of your genius hyung?” he asked once he swallowed.

With his lip trapped between his teeth, Beomgyu bit back a laugh, humming as he playfully poked Yeonjun’s now empty stick with his own, that still had a deliciously golden marshmallow at its tip. “Genius, huh? You think I forgot your tragic attempt at assembling the tent by yourself?”

Yeonjun’s lips curled, plump and flushed a pretty pink under the orange glow of the fire, before he stabbed another marshmallow onto his stick, completely unfazed. “Genius or not, I kept us alive, safe and well fed, didn’t I?”

“Wow. Talking like a real alpha male,” Beomgyu deadpanned, voice dripping with sarcasm just like the way his sweet treat dripped molten sugar into the fire. Before he could risk losing the marshmallow to the greedy flames, he pulled it out, blewing on it before taking a small, tentative bite as he tried to not burn his lips.

As he happily ate, humming with contentment, he noticed the silence forming around them– a suspicious kind of silence. So Beomgyu turned, only to find Yeonjun already staring back, a smirk stretched across his stupidly gorgeous face.

“Is it good?” Yeonjun asked, leaning in just a fraction. “Have you been swooned yet?”

Thank god Beomgyu only ever took small bites of food or he absolutely would have choked at Yeonjun’s words. At least he could blame the heat creeping up his neck on the bonfire and not at all on Yeonjun casually flirting right after having cuddled him through the entire night with a cute, almost dorky smile on his lips.

“Not yet,” Beomgyu said, keeping his eyes firmly on his stick as he skewered another marshmallow. Anything to avoid accidentally blurting out ten years’ worth of feelings. “You’ll have to try a bit harder, hyung.”

“I’ll take on that challenge,” Yeonjun replied immediately, determination settling on his face and complete with an adorable, focused pout as he twirled his marshmallow over the flames.

The sight had Beomgyu giggling, as he shook his head and placed yet another sugary piece of cloud on his stick, because his hyung really was too cute for his own good sometimes, especially when he was teasing in that flirty, offhand way that always managed to short-circuit Beomgyu’s three main organs;

His brain was already getting foggy like the smoke drifting off the bonfire, and his heart felt like the toasted marshmallows slowly melting on their sticks. Thankfully, his other organ wasn’t hard like the log they were sitting on– give him a little credit when it’s due. A couple of years ago, back when he had been a hopelessly horny teenager for his hyung, this story would’ve taken a very different turn, but he could keep his hormones in check now, mostly.

Beomgyu was stuck inside his own head for so long that it took him a moment to realise Yeonjun had gone quiet too, and he found the older boy staring into the fire with a tiny, almost secret smile on his pretty lips. The flames reflected in his sharp eyes, making them shine even brighter, and the warm orange tone of the fire painted his skin golden in a way that made him look unfairly pretty, highlighting his sharp cheekbones and jawline. His hood cast soft shadows, covering a bit of his face but still allowing a few stray strands of blond hair to glow under the shifting light.

Suddenly, a sharp, louder pop cut through the soft crackle of the fire, snapping Beomgyu out of his dazed staring as Yeonjun’s marshmallow erupted into full, raging flames. The older boy yelped, jerking back, clearly he had been far too distracted to notice it catching fire in time and at that moment was too confused to do anything about it. So, acting on instinct, Beomgyu snatched the stick right out of his hand and launched it into the bonfire like a grenade, both boys watching as the disintegrated marshmallow met its dramatic, sugary demise.

“Idiot,” Beomgyu muttered fondly, handing over his own stick– this one holding a perfectly toasted marshmallow, golden all around– to the older boy as a pout on his lips instantly started to form as he watched his own treat burn. “What got you so lost in thought, anyway?”

Still a little stunned, Yeonjun accepted it with a soft ‘thank you,’ before shaking his head, replying, “nothing much. Don’t worry, Beoms.” Then offered the younger a smile, small and just as gentle as before.

Tilting his head, Beomgyu narrowed his eyes, not ready to drop the subject just yet. “Clearly it was enough to almost burn the entire camp down, hyung.”

“The drama,” Yeonjun groaned back with a laugh, shoving the whole marshmallow into his mouth and chewing painfully slowly as an obvious stalling tactic, but Beomgyu only lifted a single unimpressed eyebrow at that, the kind that showed he wasn’t backing down and simply demanded ‘talk’. Eventually, Yeonjun’s shoulders sagged and he let out a quiet sigh, gaze drifting toward the flames. “It’s silly,” he admitted quietly.

“I expected that much from you,” Beomgyu teased, loosening his hold around his own body to lean closer, so he could hear the older boy a bit better, close enough to feel the heat radiating off Yeonjun more than the fire.

“I’m just… really happy to be with you,” Yeonjun said softly. “Really happy. We never hang out alone since– what? High school?” Guilt crawled up Beomgyu’s throat, and he tried to swallow it down, feeling its acidic, bitter taste even with the marshmallow sweetness still lingering on his tongue. “It was almost like you were avoiding me…” Yeonjun added in an afterthought, beautiful eyes dimming just a little.

“I wasn’t–” Beomgyu blurted, too fast, earning him a chuckle and a half-smile from the older boy, one corner of his lips rising in a sad curve. “Alright… maybe I was,” Beomgyu finally admitted after years of thinking he hadn’t been that obvious, his shoulders sinking. “But I have a valid excuse, okay?” Yeonjun nodded, quietly urging him to keep going, his eyes not as bright as they had been when he was watching the fire, and Beomgyu took a deep breath.

For obvious reasons, confessing to Yeonjun had never been part of Beomgyu’s life plans, a good one being not wanting to ruin the beautiful friendship they had spent years building, so he had promised himself he would take this secret to the grave. But Yeonjun, who had always been so impossibly kind to him, who always had his back, who treated him with this gentle fondness that got Beomgyu’s heart warming, he deserved to know at least why Beomgyu hadn’t been the best friend the elder deserved.

“Promise not to laugh, but I–” Beomgyu gulped once again, trying not to tear up. “I had a huge crush on you, hyung.” Half the truth, half a lie. Hopefully enough to explain everything without ripping his whole heart out.

The moment the words left his mouth, Beomgyu winced slightly, his eyes squinting, instinctively bracing himself for Yeonjun’s response. He knew Yeonjun would never be cruel, never mock him, but he wasn’t sure he could handle his pity, he really didn’t want to see sadness in those warm eyes. But instead of either, Yeonjun’s expression sharpened into something serious, too serious, eyes scanning Beomgyu’s flushed face with an intensity that made Beomgyu’s pulse throb in his heated neck.

Then, out of nowhere Yeonjun tossed his empty stick into the fire, the one Beomgyu had previously offered him, and before fully turning to face him.

“Hey!” Beomgyu yelped as he watched the stick burn, in a playful offended tone. 

“Really?” Yeonjun asked, cutting the younger boy off, and leaning in so close Beomgyu feared he might go cross-eyed if he dared meet his eyes. “Gyu, this… this isn’t something to joke about.”

“I’m not joking,” Beomgyu muttered, lips tugging into a defensive pout. 

“Then why avoid me?” Yeonjun demanded, tone whiny and genuine confusion widening his eyes as his hands slid down to tug gently, almost desperately, at the fabric of Beomgyu’s long sleeves. And before Beomgyu could even inhale, the older boy continued, “even when Kai asked that stupid ‘kiss, marry, kill’ question with the other guys, you said you’d kill me! And in very graphic detail may I add!”

Such a random, distant thought had popped in Yeonjun’s brain, that Beomgyu was completely caught off guard, blinking at the stunning boy in front of him. “Was I supposed to say marry you, hyung? When I was already being so obvious about liking you? The others would’ve teased me for months about it!”

It was like Beomgyu could see the puzzle pieces fall into place in Yeonjun’s brain as the boy froze, eyes still locked onto Beomgyu’s. “So they knew?” He asked quietly, voice suddenly small and distant as he processed the information he had just gathered, but his hands were still holding tight to Beomgyu’s sleeves. “Why didn’t they tell me? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“For the same reason I avoided you a little,” Beomgyu admitted, his voice instinctively softening to match Yeonjun’s. “I didn’t want my stupid crush to mess up what we had.” Under the flickering flames illuminating his face, far too bright and far too revealing, that Yeonjun’s unwavering stare seemed to be unable to look away from, made every inch of Beomgyu feel even more exposed. Beomgyu’s courage faltered and his gaze dropped to the dirt beneath their shoes, to anything that wasn’t those sharp, fox-like eyes he adored far more than he should. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“No, no,” Yeonjun said immediately, tugging Beomgyu’s sleeves back just far enough to wrap both of Beomgyu’s hands in his own and the warmth of the gesture alone made Beomgyu look up, startled, meeting those dark eyes again. “Hyung is the one who should be sorry. If I had told you back then that I liked you…” And just like that, Beomgyu’s heart stopped, his body shutting down. He was already clinically dead for Yeonjun’s following words, “then maybe you could’ve told me what you felt too…” Yeonjun finished in a whisper that had no business being that gentle, that damn soft and caring. 

“Y-you–” Beomgyu croaked, breath hitching, hands now fully imprisoned under Yeonjun’s sweaty palms and chest tightening beneath the height of Yeonjun’s voice, throat so tight it hurt to speak out the next words. “You liked me?” It sounded unreal to ask that out loud in the open air, ridiculous even, because how could Yeonjun, Yeonjun, the boy of his dreams, that he had loved for years with humiliating devotion, embarrassing obsession, reciprocate any part of that? How had their feelings ever overlapped without Beomgyu noticing?

“A lot… yeah.” Yeonjun nodded firmly, with eyes growing brighter and hotter than any fire, that left no doubt he was being completely honest.

“But you dated other people…” Beomgyu managed, his entire brain short-circuiting as he tried to comprehend how he had possibly missed all of this, how he had gone years thinking he was alone in his feelings, when at some point in time Yeonjun had liked him back?

Behind them, the bonfire crackled weakly, dying without the boys feeding it twigs or dead leaves and the winter wind kept mercilessly slicing through the weak flames, but neither of the boys cared. 

“I was trying to get over you. I thought I had no chance… with how you were avoiding me.” Yeonjun said, voice low, almost embarrassed, and Beomgyu tried not to hiss with pain at his words. “And, as you know, I wasn’t very successful in my dating around.” He let out a chuckle, before adding, “we just always matched so, so well, Gyu. Something I never really… felt with anyone else.”

“Oh…” Beomgyu breathed, still very much in shock, dazed by the sheer absurdity of fate’s timing and with Yeonjun’s words that were still very much unreal to him– to the point he considered if he had died of hyperthermia back in the lake and was now in heaven. A humorless laugh slipped out of him before he could stop it, and said, “I guess it’s a ‘right person, wrong time’ kind of thing, huh?”

“Why wrong time, though?” Yeonjun retorted without even blinking. His hands were growing colder as the bonfire was collapsing into just glowing embers, each gust of icy air slicing through what little warmth that remained, but he didn’t loosen his hold on Beomgyu’s hands. If anything, his grip tightened, coldish fingers curled around Beomgyu.

“What do you mean?” Beomgyu asked, his heart pounding so violently it felt like it was trying to claw its way out of his chest and sprint into the woods.

“It doesn’t have to be the wrong time…” Yeonjun said it lightly as if he wasn’t casually putting Beomgyu straight into cardiac arrest, like those words that seemed to be hinting at something Beomgyu couldn’t quite believe, wasn’t the emotional equivalent of dropping a nuke into Beomgyu’s fragile ribcage.

And then, because apparently Yeonjun had no intention of letting Beomgyu survive the rest of the night, one of his hands slipped free only to rise and cup Beomgyu’s cheek, freezing fingertips touching impossibly gentle as his thumb brushed just barely along Beomgyu’s flushed skin. For Beomgyu, it felt like the world under his feet violently tilted on its axis, suddenly leaving him dizzy and out of breath. 

As the dying fire hissed and Beomgyu’s heartbeat came to a halt, Yeonjun leaned in, and Beomgyu swore actual stars left the dark skies above them and burst behind his eyelids instead, either from the sudden closeness or from every neuron in his brain frying all at once. Yeonjun’s face hovered just inches from his own, noses brushing, his breath warm against Beomgyu’s lips, the soft fabric of his hood brushing Beomgyu’s cheek as he tilted his head slightly to the side. Then Yeonjun paused, just barely, his lips ghosting over Beomgyu’s like a question, just the faintest touch of skin against Beomgyu’s own lips.

No matter how stunned, it didn’t take long for Beomgyu to answer with his whole soul, surging forward to finally close the distance between their lips. If he was truly in heaven, then he finally understood devotion, worship, the entire congregation singing and he owed Christianity a big apology, likely even had some Sunday school attending days to make up for.

As Yeonjun’s soft thumb tenderly stroked Beomgyu’s cheek, his lips parted, slowly moving against Beomgyu’s own as if trying to savor something precious to him, sucking the younger boy’s bottom lip like he was afraid that moment would slip from his fingers. Little did he know Beomgyu had no intention of ever letting him go, not when he had those full, sweet lips exactly where he wanted them, right where he had fantasised having them for way too.

A soft, helpless hum slipped from Beomgyu as he tasted the faint sweetness of marshmallow on Yeonjun’s warm mouth, right before the elder’s smooth tongue brushed lightly at his bottom lip, tentative and teasing. The slow pace of it all, when all Beomgyu wanted to do was deepen, deepen, deepen the kiss was killing him in the gentlest, most excruciating way imaginable. 

With that thought in mind, Beomgyu released Yeonjun’s hand only to tug his hoodie down– the hood had started tickling his cheeks– then gripped the hoodie strings to pull Yeonjun even closer, trying to hint at Yeonjun that he wanted more, needed more. He had been imagining that moment for years for fuck’s sakes, he deserved it! The move earned him a small, surprised sound from Yeonjun, uttered right against Beomgyu’s open mouth and that shot straight through the younger’s warming body.

To Beomgyu’s chagrin, Yeonjun’s smooth lips pulled away with a soft, wet sound, and Beomgyu’s breath hitched as he stared at the mouth he had just kissed, at those plump, unbearably pink lips now slick and parted, hovering just a whisper above his own– those very same lips he had memorised in so many dreams, that he imagined tasting times and times over.

“Please tell me you still have feelings for me and I’m not reading this the wrong way,” Yeonjun said, voice low and unsteady, rough around the edges like he was scraping the words out of his chest as his gorgeous eyes darted across Beomgyu’s face with a sparkle too tender to be casual, too intense to be friendly. 

As soon as Yeonjun’s words left his beautiful mouth, Beomgyu genuinely considered using the hoodie strings he still had in hand to strangle the older boy for asking something so catastrophically stupid mid–makeout, but then Yeonjun added, “because I’m completely head over heels for you, Beomgyu-yah. Have been for a very long while…” And Beomgyu quickly decided against it, as the overpowering surge of heat, sparks of electricity, and absolute emotional combustion in his chest at Yeonjun’s confession overpowered his murderous urge.

Instead, a helpless giggle slipped past his lips, brushing against Yeonjun’s pursed ones, because what else was he supposed to do when the butterflies in his stomach were flying up his throat, hitting their little wings along the entire length and making it impossible for him to speak? How else was he supposed to react when everything felt unreal in the best way possible, leaving his skin buzzing with raw, pure excitement and his heart feeling a bit too big for his own ribs?

Completely smitten and so overwhelmingly happy, Beomgyu let go of Yeonjun’s hoodie to loop his arms around his neck, pulling him close before pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to Yeonjun’s pouty lips, before murmuring against them, “of course I still have feelings for you, dummy. I don’t remember ever not loving you.”

For a brief second, Beomgyu watched Yeonjun’s eyes widened beautifully, before he closed the distance between them with another kiss, deeper that time around like he had been wanting so desperately. The older boy responded instantly, mouth parting with a small, happy sound, as he accommodated Beomgyu’s eager tongue, which was looking forward to hungryly exploring the elder’s mouth. As their tongues brushed– warm, wet and the tiniest bit messy at first– Beomgyu immediately felt drunk off the sweetness 99of Yeonjun’s mouth, off how smooth and full his lips were, how they molded against Beomgyu’s with a perfect rhythm that felt like both of them were trying to memorise each second of the moment. 

The kiss kept deepening naturally, like their magnetism finally doing what it had been trying to do for years and Yeonjun’s free hand found Beomgyu’s waist. Ice-cold fingers sneakily and slowly slipped right under the hem of his grey sweater and softly brushed the warm skin, causing Beomgyu to gasp softly into the kiss, which didn’t stop Yeonjun’s tongue from keep licking into his mouth, clearly getting more and more desperate as the air got cloudier with the suffocating lust and passion between them, but also the smoke from their long-dead dead bonfire– neither of them cared enough to give it a proper funeral though, the heat between their close bodies made the fire quite irrelevant anyways. 

“I’ve been meaning to do this for so long,” Yeonjun whispered against Beomgyu’s mouth, breath hot tickling his face before the older boy dipped down and ghosted Beomgyu's skin along the curve of his neck. 

Before Beomgyu’s slow reacting brain due to lust and so much love could process what was happening, Yeonjun started tenderly pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses in the skin of his neck, before slowly trailing upwards until his mouth lingered against the small sliver of sensitive skin just below Beomgyu’s ear. As his soft lips wrapped around the skin and sucked slightly, almost provocatively, Beomgyu’s whole body shuddered, his legs quivering as every nerve in his body lit up in pleasure. 

Presumably loving Beomgyu’s reactions, Yeonjun’s hold around him only tightened, tugging the younger boy impossibly closer, until Beomgyu had to swing one thigh over Yeonjun’s for balance– purely out of necessity and not at all for his own selfish desires– and half straddling his lap. 

“Me too, hyung. Me too,” Beomgyu responded in a broken breath, voice weak and trembling as he got a bit emotional. 

His vision blurred slightly, not from the closeness, but from the warmth swelling between his lungs until it pushed out small tears that quickly gathered at the corners of his eyes as Yeonjun’s oh so delicate lips worked on his warm neck, likely feeling his rapid pulse under them. 

“I love you, baby,” he murmured against Beomgyu’s skin, the words slipping out between kisses like he couldn’t hold them back anymore. “I’ve wanted you for so long… more than you can imagine.” One after another, more and more aching presses of his lips as if he needed to feel every inch of him under his mouth. 

If the honesty in Yeonjun’s voice wasn’t enough, then the hunger in his kisses made it unmistakable, as he pressed his blazing mouth to the curve of Beomgyu’s neck, tasting him with slow, purposeful drags of his lips, each gentle suck and lingering, but fat stroke of his tongue dragging petulant, helpless sounds tumbling out of the younger. It was the kind of touch that felt long overdue, clearly Yeonjun had been holding himself back for years and was finally letting the want leak through, he had been starving and Beomgyu could relate all too well to the feeling.

Without a single ounce of hesitation, Beomgyu climbed completely on Yeonjun’s lap, just letting his body and instincts guide him as he sat on the elder’s parted thighs over the log, as the want he had piled up after years of pulling back and avoiding the older boy suddenly snapped, until their chests were pressed flush, breathing in the same uneven rhythm. The kissing stopped for a brief second as Yeonjun’s breath got stuck in his throat in surprise, his hands immediately traveling a bit lower so he was holding Beomgyu’s lower back

Gosh, Beomgyu had no idea he could melt this easily under someone’s cold hands and curious mouth, like being with Yeonjun was the easiest thing in the entire world, like they hadn’t spent years orbiting each other in the most idiotic, painfully avoidant slow-burn the universe had ever witnessed.

“You drive me crazy…” Yeonjun complained, not actually seeking an answer and simply grumbling affectionately into the curve where Beomgyu’s neck and shoulder met. “Always batting those pretty eyelashes at me and testing my patience– how was I not supposed to fall in love with you?” He continued, making Beomgyu giggle and the vibration of Beomgyu’s laughter only seemed to encourage the older boy, his teeth only arousingly brushing along the sensitive spot as if proving his point and bringing goosebumps into Beomgyu’s ablaze skin. 

With hands that trembled from more than just the cold and a huge, fond smile curving his tingling lips, Beomgyu pushed lightly at Yeonjun’s head, guiding him away from his neck. The movement tugged the warm sweater off one shoulder, exposing more saliva-slick skin to the biting air, but Beomgyu didn’t care– he only cared about kissing Yeonjun again. 

As he gently cupped Yeonjun’s face, he could feel the older boy’s jaw muscles shift under his palms as their mouths slid together once again with ease and hunger, like they had been doing this all their lives, sending an electric, hot rush down Beomgyu’s spine.

Then, a single cold drop hit his cheek, sharp against overheated skin, tracing down until it slipped between their moving lips, melting between their passionate kissing. At first, Beomgyu suspected it had been one of the tears that had been gathering silently by his eyes, releasing once he tightly pressed them shut.

But then, a second and third drop landed, colder and heavier than the previous, before more droplets pattered against his burning cheeks, Yeonjun’s jaw, the bridge of his nose and reluctantly, breathlessly, Beomgyu drew back just enough to blink his eyes open and look up at the sky and realise it had started to rain. A sudden, steady fall, the sky above them slowly becoming a mass of dark grey clouds rolling in, promising things were about to get much, much wetter– and he wasn’t even talking about the spot threatening to stain his dark sweatpants. 

“Shit,” Yeonjun mumbled the swear, breath puffing into the cold air between the small distance between them, before he suddenly gripped the backs of Beomgyu’s thighs that were resting over his lap and effortlessly hoisted him up. 

Beomgyu let out a startled yelp as his legs instantly wrapped around Yeonjun’s waist, clinging to him as the older boy stood up from the log and matched them purposefully towards the tent. The cold rain, which was getting progressively stronger, felt almost refreshing on his blazing, buzzing skin, but the thought of getting sick when he had just started kissing Yeonjun felt like a cosmic crime, so Beomgyu was thankful the beautiful boy was so quick to take them back to the tent.

The younger’s long hair almost immediately started to soak under the rain, falling like a curtain over his face and plastering to his forehead as the thick droplets tried hard to pin it down. With his hands busy with clinging to Yeonjun’s strong shoulders, he blew the persistent strands of dark away with a huff as he watched the older boy crouch and maneuvered them inside the small tent. 

Beomgyu was hardly able to keep the giggles down, quipping, “so you were being serious when you called me princess, huh?”

Yeonjun didn’t bother answering Beomgyu’s taunt, he simply tossed the younger onto the messy pile of blankets with a groan, earning a breathless huff from Beomgyu as his back landed on the fluffy surface, before he broke into giggles. Beomgyu’s hungry eyes unashamedly lingered on the broad line of Yeonjun’s back, covered by the thick fabric of his back hoodie– Beomgyu couldn’t help but wonder if he would be able to trace his mouth along each line of muscle at some point– as the older boy zipped the tent shut, sealing them away from the storm and faintly muting its sound. 

As if Yeonjun had heard Beomgyu’s thoughts loud and clear, Yeonjun stripped off the rain-spattared hoodie the moment he turned to face Beomgyu again, revealing the tight, white tank top he wore underneath, the one that infamously tormenting Beomgyu for years, because it clung to all the places that made Beomgyu’s stomach flip. But at that moment, Beomgyu was more than happy to be reunited with that lovely shirt, actually, he adored every inch of that fabric, especially if soon it would be discarded, thrown somewhere on the tent floor. 

“Well,” Yeonjun murmured with a smirk as he crawled between Beomgyu’s spread legs, setting low and close to the younger boy as heat radiated off him. When his face hovered just above Beomgyu’s he playfully asked, “where were we again?”

“Something about my eyelashes,” Beomgyu teased back, his voice soft and breathy and not as bratty as he originally intended for it to be, but it was hard to remain cool and collected when Yeonjun’s lips brushed along the edge of his jaw.

As wet lips mapped every inch of his face, Beomgyu’s fingers slid up to cup the older boy’s bare biceps, feeling the delicate peach-fuzz hairs rise under his touch and the muscle beneath flexing in a silent, instinctive response to being touched by him.

“Oh, I remember,” Yeonjun groaned, his voice sinking low as he pressed a teasing bite to Beomgyu’s jaw and pressed his body just a tad bit closer to Beomgyu’s.

The younger boy let out a high pitched, unguarded sound, dangerously close to a whine, and immediately clamped his mouth shut in embarrassment. However, he felt Yeonjun smile against his skin, far from minding, Beomgyu’s sound seemed to spark something in him.

“Your eyes– they’re so beautiful… They always drive hyung crazy, you know?” Yeonjun murmured the question, voice trembling with restrained hunger. 

With purpose, the older boy dipped lower and bit at the base of Beomgyu’s neck, firmer this time, trapping the skin between his sharp teeth, not enough to cause any pain but to leave a mark for sure– something that Beomgyu was excited to see later– as his hips move just a fraction. 

The shock of it made Beomgyu’s back arch and his breath catch, his hips jolting forward on instinct and the movement accidentally dragged his pelvis against Yeonjun’s a little firmer, clothes still between them but not enough to hide the unmistakable outline growing and hardening there, mirroring his own.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

It was actually happening– him and Yeonjun were making out, their chests heaving, bodies shaking, lust-filled air clouding up the small tent as their hard-ons casually brushed against each other, right after the older boy had poured his heart out and confessed his feelings for him… It all felt a bit too good to be true, so Beomgyu couldn’t help but hold Yeonjun tighter just to make sure that the moment wouldn’t slip through his fingers– if he could he would keep him inside his chest, right next to his racing heart.

“The way you used them to get what you wanted because you knew hyung was weak,” Yeonjun added, voice still rough and oh so lustful. 

At that point, Beomgyu could barely remember what they were even talking about, what exactly Beomgyu had used, but he didn’t need to wonder because in one quick move Yeonjun caught his lips again, swallowing every soft, shaky noise that escaped the younger as Yeonjun’s big, cold hands roamed, slow but sure, mapping the lines of Beomgyu’s body through his clothes like he was memorising them by touch. He traced down Beomgyu’s sides, across his waist, until his palm found the curve of his thigh and harshly squeezed the meat there, as if he suddenly remembered something.

It made Beomgyu’s breath to break into a sharp, helpless sound, almost pliant, as the kiss fell apart, and he breathed into Yeonjun’s beautifully swollen, parted lips, his mind going hazy as heat pooled lower and lower, tightening everything, the wetness forming at his boxers getting quite uncomfortable. He needed them gone!

“Remember when you decided to join me and Tyun in the gym in those tiny shorts of yours…” Yeonjun’s voice was rough as he recalled that specific memory, dipping against Beomgyu’s ablaze ear as his hand slid to the back of his thigh, the touch burning through fabric. He uttered, “I could barely keep it together.”

Then, he lifted Beomgyu’s thigh around his waist, emphasizing the confession with a firm press of his fingers, short nails digging hard into the covered meat as he dragged his wet lips across Beomgyu’s earlobe, before giving it a small bite.

Instinctively, and already feeling out of breath, Beomgyu’s heel dug into his back to adjust the position and pull the older boy even closer, anchoring himself to him. His hands left his biceps to slide under Yeonjun’s tight shirt instead, gripping hard as he tried to maintain any composure at all, nails marking up the golden skin on his back hidden by defined muscle that he was dying to see again. 

“Oh. Did hyung struggle with having me there?” Beomgyu breathed, trying for teasing but failing when Yeonjun suddenly tugged off his grey sweater and shirt in one swift motion, leaving his heated skin exposed to the cool air, body quivering almost instantly.

Without giving him a single second to adjust, Yeonjun’s mouth immediately latched onto Beomgyu’s bare chest, his kissed-bruised lips closing around his pink nipple, that was already extra sensitive due to the cold air, before sucking it slowly and shamelessly. 

Beomgyu couldn’t trap the loud, fractured whine that escaped him, scratching his entire throat on the way up, as his head fell back in pleasure, both legs at that point completely wrapped tight around Yeonjun’s waist in a desperate attempt to ease the pulsating ache inside his pants. The throbbing was getting too much, too painful, he wanted more, needed Yeonjun closer, closer, much closer.

“Of course… You were so cruel to hyung that day,” Yeonjun muttered against his skin, giving the flushed nipple a break only to drag his mouth lower, leaving a trail of lingering kisses and not so gentle bites down his heaving ribcage.

However, before the younger could catch his breath, Yeonjun rolled his hips hard and that sweet, heavenly friction hit Beomgyu all at once, so dizzying he felt like he was right back at the dock seeing stars above him. It was impossible to ignore the hard length pressed against him through their clothes, the one that had just rubbed against his own.

Encouraging Yeonjun to keep going, to keep confessing, to keep moving, the younger boy gasped out a questioning, and almost provocative little, “yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Yeonjun responded, breath shaking and chest moving rapidly with irregular breaths, clearly just as desperate, if what Beomgyu had just felt against him wasn’t proof enough. “Showing off your pretty thighs and that perky little ass–” He cut himself off with a groan as he recalled that day, grinding into the younger again, even harder, rougher and making Beomgyu gasp so loud he doubted any animal in the surrounding area was still asleep. 

Dragging more and more pants and whines out of the younger, Yeonjun’s hips kept slowly, but fiercely rubbing right against Beomgyu with the exact right amount of pressure, making sure the younger felt everything and making him see double. “You don’t know what you did to me,” he groaned.

If Beomgyu remembered that day correctly, it had been a couple of months ago and Yeonjun had indeed looked unusually tense, but Beomgyu hadn’t thought much of it– Yeonjun often got that way when he was focused hard on something, so, naturally, he had just assumed it was the workout and nothing more. He also recalled Yeonjun slipping out the moment Beomgyu started on squats, but it had never once crossed his mind that the reason wasn’t irritation or fatigue, but that Yeonjun wanted him.

With that in mind, Beomgyu shifted tentatively, with his hands still holding Yeonjun’s onto likely marked-up back, he raised his hips and pushed his ass until it was pressing right against Yeonjun’s crotch instead, to feel the older boy a bit clearer through the material separating them right where the older seemed to be fantasising about previously. “But I want to know,” Beomgyu said, voice small, before he trapped his bruised lip between his teeth.

The motion caused Yeonjun to let out a growl, followed by a loud swear, before he left a particularly harsh bite by Beomgyu’s chest, who smirked at getting that reaction. He seemed to immediately understand what the younger boy was asking for and began guiding his hips into a slow, intoxicating rhythm that stole the air from Beomgyu’s lungs, making him lose his victorious smirk in an instant.

Still, he wanted more– exactly now that he could feel Yeonjun’s hard outline so clearly against the place he craved it the most. So one of Beomgyu’s hands slid from Yeonjun’s back into his blond hair, threading through the damp, blond strands of hair before tugging him up again just so he could kiss him. He was addicted, utterly and completely addicted, to the way Yeonjun tasted, to the way their mouths met like they had been made for it.

“Tell me…” Beomgyu whispered against his slick, swollen lips, breath shaky and thick with need as he gently tugged at his hair. “What you would’ve done back then.” Meanwhile, he tried to match Yeonjun’s slow movements, rolling his hips up to meet every hard, deliberate grind of the elder, unlike the fast heat that was quickly coiling low in his stomach. “If I was yours?” he added, barely a whisper.

Yeonjun, who had been essentially panting into the younger boy’s parted lips, froze slightly, breath stuttering as his forehead nearly rested against Beomgyu’s sweaty own. However, he didn’t stop moving with Beomgyu, the rocking of his hips creating a god-sent friction, maddening even through the layers between them. 

His eyes were glazed, as he visibly tried to process Beomgyu’s words, clouded with lust, with love, with so much more Beomgyu wished he had seen much sooner. “I wanted to…” Yeonjun swallowed, voice rough. “God, I wanted to bend you over the weight bench.”

A broken moan, that sounded a bit too much like begging, slipped from Beomgyu’s mouth as his fingers tightening in Yeonjun’s hair and his hips tried to keep up with the messier, needier rhythm that Yeonjun created and their bodies sought each other greedily, rubbing against each other in an irrepressible and unrestrained way that left both half-dazed and breathless. 

“I wanted to pull those damn shorts down,” he added, voice dripping with lust as thick as the length that was relentlessly grinding against Beomgyu’s ass. 

As if to prove his point, Yeonjun lifted himself just barely, their faces still mere breaths apart, and his hands drifted down to the hem of Beomgyu’s green sweatpants, curling his long, beautiful fingers into the fabric and slowly slipping them down. 

The relief was almost instant as the thick fabric was lowered down to the middle of his thighs, making Beomgyu whimper embarrassingly high, hoping it sounded similar to a ‘thank you’, as his mouth went slack with stuttering, aching breaths. 

“If you were mine back then…” Yeonjun repeated, smirking slightly as he clearly envisioned the full scenario in his head, dark eyes even darker with lust– so thick that Beomgyu could swear the small, plastic tent windows were likely fogged up. 

Painfully unhurried, Yeonjun’s big hand reached the hem of Beomgyu’s stained boxers next, making Beomgyu’s heart skip a whole cycle, before drumming into his chest. “I would’ve pressed your face into that damn bench.” He started to leisurely pull the fabric down, as he continued, voice low and dangerous, “placed your hands behind your–”

A sharp, violent noise suddenly blared inside the tent, far too loud against their ragged breathing and the softened drum of rain outside and causing Beomgyu to jolt so hard he smacked his forehead straight into Yeonjun’s, hitting the exact tender spot he had already bruised on the car ride earlier.

“Ah!” Beomgyu hissed, both hands flying to his forehead as the obnoxious ringtone kept shrieking in the background– he immediately regretted ever charging the stupid thing.

“Ow…” Yeonjun winced with a tiny pout on his bitten-red lips– Beomgyu was proud of himself for that–  as he rubbed his own forehead, before focusing right back on the boy in front of him. His long fingers gently wrapped around the younger’s wrists and pulled his hands away from his face so he could inspect the damage. “Are you okay, Beomie?”

“Just another concussion, I guess…” Beomgyu muttered in a playful tone, though he betrayed himself as his eyes squeezed shut and he let out a sharp noise of pain once Yeonjun’s soft fingers brushed the forming bruise. “I’ll survive…” Beomgyu added quietly. He just had to! There was no way in hell he was  letting a little cranial haemorrhage stop whatever he and Yeonjun were doing.

Those same soft fingers kept brushing along the sore skin, too gentle for the pain to really last, and almost soothing and inconveniently comforting, considering Beomgyu was still very much throbbing everywhere else.

“Right on the same spot again, huh?” Yeonjun mused, thumb tracing the painful bump. “I’d say you’re doing it on purpose, Gyu…”

Finally, the blaring ringtone was cut off and Beomgyu nearly sagged in relief. Fucking, finally– literally.

“Shit… you figured it out,” he groaned dramatically, before reaching out to take Yeonjun’s hand and pulling it towards him to press a soft, lingering kiss to the back of it– trying to get them back in the mood. “I actually just wanted another healing kiss,” Beomgyu added, voice flirtatiously teasing, as he lowered their joined hands to rest on Yeonjun’s lap. Then, he looked up through his lashes, the one move he had just found out really messed up with the older’s brain, right up there with gym shorts apparently.

“Oh?” Yeonjun murmured, already dipping back down as he lowered them both onto the mess of blankets with their joined hands stretching above Beomgyu’s head. He fit himself neatly back between Beomgyu’s half-naked body like it was second nature, his voice dropping into something warm and unbearably teasing as he said, “then, I guess–”

Suddenly, Beomgyu’s loud-ass ringtone exploded through the tent again and both boys groaned with the same pitch and same frustrated misery.

“Fuck. It might be important…” Beomgyu whispered reluctantly, head turning to the side to look across the small tent where his phone screen glowed against the darkness inside, with Soobin’s name flashing insistently above a deeply unflattering picture of the older boy mid-yawn.

“No, c’mon,” Yeonjun practically begged, pressing a full, desperate kiss to Beomgyu’s lips that almost convinced the younger boy. “Just tell him that we were busy spiritually, emotionally, biblically–”

It was easier said than done, because Beomgyu knew very well that his best friend wasn’t one to call often, he always preferred texting, and so phone calls were only destined to important subjects, like the cancellation of his spot on the camping trip he himself had been planning for months. So calling twice? It just had to be very urgent. The younger boy was feeling quite torn on what to do at that moment and the warm, solid weight of Yeonjun still pressed between his legs was making it nearly impossible to think, well… straight. 

Yeonjun saw the shift in Beomgyu’s face and exhaled, making the decision for the younger as he sat up a little and gave him space, even though it was clear every line of his body was screaming against it. “Go on,” he mumbled sweetly, his fingers brushing Beomgyu’s hip. “You can pick it up, baby.”

After an annoyed groan, Beomgyu reached for his phone with all the enthusiasm of a man choosing death as he tried not to move his body too much, because if he felt Yeonjun against him again, he might forget the concept of friendship entirely.

As soon as he picked up the call, Beomgyu muttered a curt, “what?” Because yes, he was worried it might be important. But yes, he was also still extremely pissed that his best friend had chosen now of all times to interrupt him kissing the gorgeous boy he loved– kissing him and touching him in ways his teenage self had replayed a hundred times alone in his room. So he prayed the conversation would at least be quick, so they could get back to the important business of being stupidly in love and all over each other.

Infuriatingly cheery, Soobin lets out a giggle. It sounded somewhat distant, like Beomgyu was on speaker. “So, little Beomgyu-yah… don’t you have something to tell us?”

Us? Were Taehyun and Kai with him too?

“Tell you what? What the fuck do you mean?” Beomgyu snapped, actively trying not to sound very annoyed but failing as he struggled hard to ignore Yeonjun’s smooth, teasing thumb tracing lazy circles over his hipbone, sending tingles straight down his body.

“I don’t know,” Soobin sing-songed as he dragged every word, the exact tone he used when he was being a menace for absolutely no reason, which was especially annoying at that moment where Beomgyu possessed no patience to deal with it. In the background of Soobin’s infuriating voice, Beomgyu could faintly make out what sounded like Kai softly giggling– great, so they really were all together. “You tell us,” Soobin added, in between those stupid little laughs.

“I seriously don’t get what you guys are talking about…” Beomgyu hissed.

And as if staying civil and nice wasn’t hard enough, when Soobin was being so goddamn cryptic, Yeonjun chose that moment of all times to leave Beomgyu more frustrated as he lowered his head and pressed a soft, lingering kiss, still wet from his slick lips, to his bare stomach– the same stomach that had been filled with butterflies since Yeonjun confessed. The younger squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the sound building in his throat as his hand flew to Yeonjun’s hair in a half warning, half plea, while Yeonjun mouthed gentle, maddening open-mouthed kisses just above the hem of his boxer that had been left unremoved.

“C’mon, Beomgyu-hyung!” Kai finally chimed in, sounding way too eager. “Isn’t there anything new to tell us? Any new developments after this trip?” His tone made it obvious he was hinting at something… but Beomgyu’s brain was currently fogged with both lust and the rising urge to strangle his friends to figure out what exactly he was trying to say.

“Hm?” Beomgyu managed, confused but still afraid of his voice cracking due to Yeonjun’s magical lips, 

The breathy sound made Yeonjun curiously lift his head to look up at him. Beomgyu still had his fingers tangled around blond strands of his sex-messed up hair, as he Yeonjun’s sharp, warm quietly watched him, red, swollen lips, stretching slightly into they curved into a fond, loving smile that caused two of Beomgyu’s three major organs to give an undignified jump.

Over the silence forming on the other side of the call, Taehyun suddenly yelled, “oh for fuck’s sake! Are you two idiots together yet or not?”

What the hell?

“What the hell?” Beomgyu repeated the words that were echoing as loudly in his skull as they came out of his mouth. Somehow he was even more confused than before, which was actually a very impressive fit, since he was already very confused prior to Taehyun’s question. At his loud outburst, Yeonjun’s eyes widened, one eyebrow rising in quiet questioning and Beomgyu slid his fingers through Yeonjun’s hair in a soft, reassuring pet. “How do you guys know?” he demanded, voice strained, doing everything in his power not to scream at his friends again. 

Then, unconsciously his gaze darted around the tent even though he knew for a fact that there were no cameras, since he had assembled the tent himself, but despite that acknowledge he still felt bizarrely watched at that moment. Because, how in the actual hell could they have figured out that he and Yeonjun had finally stopped being disasters and confessed after years of pining like absolute morons?

Before he could get a proper answer, his semi-admission that the two were actually together, triggered an eruption of cheers so obnoxiously loud he had to jerk the phone away from his ear, a frown on his face, as the three boys screamed like deranged seals. 

When he put the phone back, he could hear Soobin saying something about ‘paying up,’ Kai and Taehyun were yelling over each other, and all of it blended together into a useless mess that did nothing to help Beomgyu’s already overheating, overstimulated brain.

“I’m… I’m so lost. What’s going on?” he pleaded, his ears still ringing from the yelling on the other end of the call.

“We’re just so happy for you guys!” Kai shouted, his voice suddenly way too close to Soobin’s phone mic, sounding genuinely thrilled for the two boys who were not thrilled about being interrupted in the slightest.

“Especially happy that it happened during the trip I planned,” Soobin pointed out smugly, which in turn set off another round of chaotic yelling.

With a roll of his eyes as annoyance grew more and more by the second, Beomgyu raised his voice slightly so it could cut through the noise and asked, “why is this such a big deal, though?”

A brief silence followed as they processed Beomgyu’s question, before Soobins asked, “a big dildo?” He sounded genuinely intrigued, double-checking that he hadn’t misheard– though he obviously fucking had.

Before Beomgyu could even yell at him for being an absolute pervert, Taehyun was already half-screaming, “ew! We don’t need to know how you guys celebrated, what the fuck?”

“No, no! No dildos! Shut up, oh my God,” Beomgyu groaned, dragging the last word as he dragged his free hand down his face. He was about ready to just hang up on them and turn off the phone before the beautiful, and very confused boy who was still quietly watching him as he hovered over his stomach, would get turned off as well.

But then, as the fog of lust finally thinned just enough for Beomgyu to do some proper thinking, the dots finally started connecting in his brain– Soobin spamming their group chat with perfect, romantic camping spots; all three of them canceling at the very last minute; Soobin insisting Beomgyu to still go, fully aware he didn’t own camping gear and would have to share Yeonjun’s own, while casually pointing out that the older boy was single…

Beomgyu’s hand dropped from his still-flushed face as his eyes shot open. “You motherfuckers planned this?”

Silence formed on the other side of the line, a thick, guilty silence, the kind that told Beomgyu everything he needed to know. The only sign he had that the call hadn’t disconnected was the faint buzzing of static due to the poor signal in the woods. 

With the sudden quiet on the line, it became easier for Beomgyu to slot other pieces together, to have moments he had brushed off, now snapping into place with humiliating clarity.

The way Taehyun had constantly tried to drag Beomgyu along to workouts with Yeonjun, for one. Like that one day Yeonjun remembered way too vividly… Except that plan had crashed and burned because the moment Beomgyu actually caved and showed up, Yeonjun mysteriously decided to leave early.

And then there was Kai inviting the two of them to a movie and ‘accidentally’ buying two seats right next to each other and one seat way off by itself that Kai oh-so-nobly taking the solitary seat because it was closer to exit and he had a ‘small bladder.’ That attempt failed miserably too, considering Beomgyu had awkwardly spent the whole movie trying to shrink behind his popcorn, giving tiny, overly polite comments instead of his usual nonstop movie-yapper routine.

This wasn’t new, and the more Beomgyu thought about it, the more he realised there had been multiple little schemes like this. Clearly the three of them had been setting the two up for months, and judging by Soobin’s earlier comment about paying, they had even made a stupid little bet out of it.

“You really did,” Beomgyu breathed out in shock, tugging a little too sharply on Yeonjun’s blond strands, but the older boy didn’t even complain and just tilted his head in that worried, confused way, his pretty face still far too close to Beomgyu’s groin.

“Yeah…” Taehyun admitted, ever the most honest one, as always, but still a very evil boy, considering his master plan had involved Beomgyu watching Yeonjun work out all sweaty and gorgeous like some kind of thirst trap.

Rendered speechless, Beomgyu tried to figure out what he should say, what emotion he was supposed to land on. Should he be upset that they had orchestrated all of this behind their backs instead of just saying, “hey, you idiots are obviously into each other”? Should he be angry that they had turned his love life into a bet? Or should he be grateful that his friends had actually been rooting for them this whole time? 

His mouth parted uselessly as he tried to form words, but Kai spoke first, “we were just so tired of watching you two be obviously in love… We had to do something, hyung!.”

“It was fun for a few years– you know, watching you idiots be all dumb and oblivious,” Soobin added, absolutely unapologetic. “But it got so annoying,” he added, as if that explanation made it all better.

Finally releasing Yeonjun’s hair, sparing the older boy’s scalp from another tight, angry pull, Beomgyu muttered the only thing that felt appropriate, when he was lacking any better words to express his feelings and thoughts, “fuck you, Soobin.”

“Wow. So no ‘thank you’?” Soobin huffed, offended by Beomgyu’s reaction. And right there, his best friends officially topped Beomgyu’s list of ‘people he would hire a hitman for if the economy wasn’t so bad’.

“He’s speechless with gratitude, hyung,” Kai chimed in brightly, voice ever so hopeful and sweet. “Don’t worry, Beomie hyung! You’ll be able to thank us personally really soon!”

Despite being oblivious and a little slow at times, Beomgyu wasn’t an idiot, he knew that meant their friends were definitely all crammed into Taehyun’s car, on speaker, barreling toward the campsite like the unhinged little gremlins they were, already fully expecting Beomgyu and Yeonjun to be together by now before they even called to check.

Revenge simmered hot and satisfying as it cruised through his bloodstream as Beomgyu answered, voice sweet as cyanide, “oh, really?”

“Yeah. So prepare some cozy blankets in your guys’ tent, because it’s pouring out here,” Taehyun replied casually, completely missing the danger in Beomgyu’s dry tone.

“What if it’s all gross?” Kai whispered the question to Taehyun, except he was terrible at whispering and so Beomgyu heard every single syllable. The blankets under Beomgyu and Yeonjun were actually still pristine and the reason for that was the three dumbasses that interrupted them.

A sharp, fake laugh slipped out as a smirk curled on Beomgyu’s bruised lips. “Sure thing, guys. Drive safe and see you soon.” He hung up before any of them could answer and immediately powered off his phone so they couldn’t try calling again.

“So?” Yeonjun prompted softly, reaching up to brush loose strands of hair from Beomgyu’s face, revealing the wicked little smile growing there.

With a sudden spark of excitement as his eyes met Yeonjun’s, Beomgyu’s smile widened, a mixture of brightness and wickedness, before he grabbed the elder’s face with both hands and planted a fat, unapologetic kiss right on his lips. “Drive me to your apartment, hyung.” Multiple kisses followed, slow and plush, pressed to Yeonjun’s already kiss-reddened mouth. “Take me there as fast as you can, please,” he murmured in a low flirtatious tone, brushing their lips together in soft, teasing strokes as he batted his lashes.

“Fuck– Okay, okay,” Yeonjun’s voice cracked, as he shot upright so fast the blankets rustled beneath them. Beomgyu’s legs were left abruptly cold as Yeonjun scrambled around the cramped tent, grabbing whatever he could find and stuffing it blindly into his bag for a quick exit. 

“Just leave everything behind,” Beomgyu said as he got to his feet, yanking the damp sweatpants over his boxers with a wince, the sudden rub of fabric a bit too much for his still very sensitive length, before shoving his arms into his sweater that had been thrown into a corner of the tent. “The others should be arriving soon, so we don’t have much time.” When Yeonjun paused with a confused look, Beomgyu added, “believe me– They don’t deserve our company, hyung.”

That seemed to be all Yeonjun needed, because the questioning look in his eyes lingered for barely a second before he nodded. Clearly, whatever drama the phone call held couldn’t compete with his need to be with Beomgyu and the younger’s heart skipped a whole beat at that. They grabbed only the essentials, wallets and phones shoved into pockets as they stumbled into each other in the cramped space and let out breathless little laughs every time they collided.

Then they ducked out of the tent, Beomgyu’s jacket stretched over both their heads as a flimsy shelter from the thick, heavy sheets of rain that quickly soaked them. By the time they reached that sad excuse of a car, the two boys were drenched, panting and giggling like maniacs like they had just fled from the perfect crime scene.

Yeonjun peeled out of the campsite the second the trees cleared, pushing the car to a speed Beomgyu was pretty sure it had never experienced in its entire, pathetic life. The windshield wipers screeched frantically to brush away the restless rain, the road slick and dark, but Yeonjun still drove comfortably with just one hand, because the other immediately settled on Beomgyu’s thigh.

“Hm. Personally, I wouldn’t trust driving this car with just one hand,” Beomgyu teased, raising a brow.

At that, Yeonjun’s hand squeezed the meat of Beomgyu’s tight, the gentlest pressure, just enough to send Beomgyu’s mind spiraling back to when they were driving to the campsite, back when he had no idea Yeonjun actually reciprocated his feelings. “If you wanna be with me, you have to accept my car, Gyu.”

“I’m not sure I’m ready to join that trouple,” Beomgyu quipped, trying hard to hide his playful grin.

“But a couple…” Yeonjun countered, tone light but edged with something careful and soft. “Would you be ready?”

Looking away from the rain-blurred road and towards Yeonjun instead, at the profile he had stared at for countless days, Beomgyu took a moment to admire Yeonjun’s sharp jaw that was highlighted in the passing streetlights, glimmering, rain still dripping on his smooth, golden skin, blond hair stuck in messy strands across his forehead and his plump, red lips stretching into a soft, hopeful smile.

“I would like that… yeah,” Beomgyu finally answered, tone matching Yeonjun’s.

The answer made Yeonjun’s smile widen, taking a brief glance at Beomgyu before he forced himself to look back at the road, but Beomgyu kept staring, like he couldn’t believe the universe had finally given him Choi Yeonjun.

“So,” Beomgyu said after a moment of warm silence, “when you told me your type was ‘dumb twinks’…”

“I still don’t know how you didn’t catch the obvious hint, Beomgyu-yah,” Yeonjun shot back, with a shake of his head in feigning disappointment 

Dramatic and pretending to be actually offended, Beomgyu swiftly picked up Yeonjun’s hand and dropped it off his thigh with a huff, before crossing his arms. Yeonjun only laughed at the younger’s reaction, his grin curling like he knew he would get that hand right back in Beomgyu’s leg soon enough.

The storm outside was relentless, but the car’s overworked AC was doing its absolute best to keep them warm, just like how their full hearts felt on their drive to Yeonjun’s apartment. They most likely passed the other three boys on the road, who were completely unaware that Beomgyu and Yeonjun were long gone from the campsite and just a couple of miles away from making up for years of missed kisses and touches in the older boy’s bedroom.

· ·—  ·☆· —· ·