Work Text:
Matthew and Taerae are tucked in a corner of the living room where they can hear each other over the shitty bluetooth speaker in the kitchen, blasting summer songs that are about to officially be out of season for the year.
"And then I sent him this," Taerae says, holding his phone out for Matthew to see. Matthew leans in and focuses his eyes on the bright screen. It's one of Taerae's infamous bed selfies. He used to get flustered seeing them, but he's immune now.
"Damnnnn," Matthew says appreciatively, because not getting flustered doesn't mean he's blind. The dude looks good as hell. "And what? He still blew you off?"
"Yeah I don't know what his problem is," Taerae complains. He swipes off of the photo and shows Matthew the texts that followed it.
"Why haven't you ditched him, Tae?" Matthew asks as he scans the texts. He doesn't really understand how Taerae flirts; to him it kind of looks like he's the one that pulled back first.
"He's…" Taerae pauses dramatically. "So hot. You've seen him," He says with finality.
"Wait wait," Matthew says, scrolling further down their texts. "He's like, super into you. Why are you shutting down here?" he asks, pointing at a specific message. Taerae scoffs at him like he can't believe he's asking.
"He's supposed to chase me," Taerae says like it's obvious. "I can't let him know I like him."
"You're never going to pull him thinking like that, dude," Matthew says, shaking his head and putting his arm around Taerae to comfort him.
"I'm not trying to 'pull' him, you pig," Taerae chastises him, pocketing his phone again. "That's why you're single. You don't understand romance at all," he says. Matthew puts his hand on his chest like he's hurt.
"You're single too," he counters. Taerae's face goes totally serious, a little irritated.
"I'm Jiwoong's. He just doesn't know it yet," he deadpans.
"Okay, Tae," Matthew agrees, laughing a little and patting him lightly before removing his arm. Taerae opens his mouth to argue more when they're interrupted.
"Ssaem!" A voice comes from behind them. Matthew looks over his shoulder in that direction, because he can think of one person who calls him that.
"Oh! Gunwook!" he says when he spots him, turning to dap him up. Gunwook fumbles for a split second, like he's not expecting it, but pulls it off without being awkward. It's not how they usually greet each other to be fair.
"Weird seeing you here," Gunwook says, subtly giving both him and Taerae a once over. He towers over the two of them; usually he's sitting down when Matthew talks to him so he doesn't notice. His hair is pushed back by a backwards cap so his eyebrows are visible, and his shirt is a little bit too short, so when he reaches up to adjust the hat it reveals a sliver of his abs. "Aren't you, like, a teacher?" he asks. Matthew laughs at him.
"Gunwook, you're what? Twenty?" Matthew asks, pursing his lips to keep the rest of his laughter in.
"Twenty one," Gunwook clarifies, holding up the beer in his hand like it's proof. It's cute, despite the hot college boy thing he has going on.
"I'm only twenty four," Matthew tells him. "I'm just a grad student, dude."
"Ohhhh," Gunwook says, and then laughs a little. "I get it," he says, nodding his head. Matthew nods along with him. A couple boys start trying to get his attention across the room, yelling "Hey! Wook!". One of them waves his arms wildly. Gunwook peeks over his shoulder at them but then turns back. "So, you party often?" he asks.
"Yeah?" Matthew answers, kind of caught off guard. "I guess so," he says. He's not nearly as crazy as he was in undergrad, but he still shows up when invited. He doesn't think it's an important trait about himself. He hears Taerae laugh behind him.
"Cool," Gunwook responds. Matthew just nods. "See you around, ssaem," he says, waving and leaving to join his friends. Matthew smiles and waves back, watching him leave until he's out of earshot.
"That was awkward," he says to Taerae now that they're alone again.
"Oh my god, who was that?" Taerae asks instead of comforting him. He sounds way too excited, like Matthew is going to regret entertaining him. "Tell me now," he urges him.
"A student from my lab," Matthew answers. "I'm surprised we haven't run into each other before."
"Wait," Taerae says, eyebrows creasing. "The student? That guy?"
"What?" Matthew asks. The corners of Taerae's mouth pull into a flat line. "What are you talking about?"
"You had that meltdown a month ago about your hot student," Taerae says, putting his hands on his hips. He doesn't look impressed by Matthew trying to deflect.
"Fuck, I told you all that?" he says, face falling. He rubs the heels of his palms into his eyes to relieve some pressure. "Fuck me," he whines.
"Oh, you told me. You were like, 'Just his sweat smells so good he doesn't need cologne!'," Taerae says, smiling ominously now that he gets to make fun of Matthew for it. "Ugh," he says, mimicking a full body shiver at the memory.
"Please don't remind me," Matthew groans. "I'm not proud of that." Taerae is the last person he should have told about it; he's nosy as hell and never forgets a single side character in Matthew's life, no matter how NPC they are.
"So do you have dibs?" Taerae asks. Matthew stops moping and looks at him incredulously. "Or, can I hit him up?"
"I don't even know if he swings that way, dude," Matthew says.
"Okay," Taerae says. "Your dibs, then."
"What?" Matthew laughs.
Matthew is writing the midterm details on the blackboard, syllabus in one hand and chalk in the other, when Gunwook comes in. He's usually among the first students to arrive. Sometimes Matthew catches him leaning in the hallway outside, waiting for him to unlock the door.
"Hey, seonsaengnim," he greets him, stopping near him with his backpack hanging off one shoulder. It's kind of a joke between them, since they bonded over both being Korean at the beginning of the semester.
"Hey Gunwook," Matthew says back, not turning from the board. "You don't need to call me that," he says, like always.
"Okay," Gunwook agrees, but he'll still call him that next time, like always. "It was fun seeing you and your boyfriend," he says.
"Taerae is not my boyfriend," Matthew laughs, messing up the date he's writing and starting to erase it.
"Oh?" Gunwook says.
"Just because I'm gay doesn't make every guy I hang out with my boyfriend," he explains, finishing writing and setting the chalk down. He turns to Gunwook. He's wearing that astronomy club tshirt that's too tight on him. Matthew can't figure out what he's thinking; his eyes are trained on Matthew but his face is carefully friendly and neutral.
"So you're single?" Gunwook asks, for some reason.
"Yep," Matthew answers. He shoos Gunwook off to his seat and starts class.
me
he asked if im single
does he want to hit
tayray
ride that stallion
yeehaw
me
blocking you
tayray
<3
Matthew gets messy that weekend. Taerae makes him take all his penalty drinks when they face Hanbin and Hao in beer pong. And like, the other two are not very good. But Taerae is worse. Then after that, Hao starts hand feeding him shots and he doesn't say no to any of them. It's like being a freshman again. The older two fuss over him the way they usually do when he gets drunk with them. Sometimes Matthew wonders if they do it on purpose. Not that he has to be intoxicated to fall into them, but it's a good excuse to put their hands on him, makes it easier to coax heated kisses out of him. Whatever, he feels safe with them. So he gets messy.
His head still hurts when he makes it to the lab on Monday. Gunwook is waiting outside the door for him. He's wearing a hoodie today. It makes him look boyish and cute, but Matthew mourns seeing his arms a little bit. He doesn't greet Matthew when he starts unlocking the door. He probably looks like shit.
"So ssaem," Gunwook says as Matthew starts setting his stuff down. "Does it mean you're boyfriends if you make out with the guy?" He didn't even try to go towards his seat, just boxing Matthew into the front table.
"Oh god," Matthew groans. He doesn't really want to deal with this right now. "You were there?" he asks.
"Yep," Gunwook snorts like its funny. "Two boyfriends now? You're greedy, ssaem."
"Gunwook, this is my job," Matthew says, gesturing around the room, and at the other students coming in the door. "Let's not talk about it now. But no, not my boyfriends."
"You mean we can talk about it outside class?" Gunwook asks. That makes alarms go off in Matthew's head. But he needs to shut this down before the conversation gets too personal while he's on the clock.
"Yeah, sure," Matthew agrees. Gunwook obediently sits down after that.
After class, Matthew doesn't exactly run away, but he does leave quickly before Gunwook has the chance to corner him again.
me
he saw me with haobin
im fucked
tayray
so he knows youre a freak!
now you dont need to hide it <3
me
what if hes weirded out
tayray
then hes not right for you
me
i hate when youre right
Taerae invites Matthew out to the only decent bar on campus Wednesday night because Jiwoong said he might be at this weekly trivia thing. They strategically get there after the actual thing has started so neither of them have to try and fail to answer the random questions when they really should be looking out for Jiwoong's blonde hair in the crowd. Matthew nurses a single beer for the entire hour, until the condensation off the bottle makes a wet ring on the table and it's kind of warm when he takes a sip. It's a week night, and he's not great with alcohol. Like, he has the enthusiasm for sure, but alcohol doesn't love him back.
They see Jiwoong come through the door after a while, and Matthew starts to wave him over, but Taerae quickly stops him before he notices.
"Didn't we come here to see him?" Matthew asks, confused. He's going to be a little pissed if they did all this and Taerae doesn't even talk to the guy.
"Yes," Taerae hisses, eyes following Jiwoong as he walks up to the bar without seeing them. "But I want to see if he'll look for me first."
"Okay," Matthew says, relinquishing control.
Before Jiwoong can turn to look at the rest of the place and maybe spot Taerae, one of the guys on one of the trivia teams that was going pretty well goes up to him. They clearly know each other, Jiwoong smiles and greets him and they chat a little bit. Actually, Matthew might recognize that broad back.
"Oh shit," Matthew says under his breath.
"What?" Taerae asks. Matthew can hear the anxiety in his voice, waiting for the moment Jiwoong's eye might meet his.
"That's Gunwook," Matthew says.
"They know each other?" Taerae asks, then stops to hold his breath as both of them turn around. Jiwoong finds Taerae easily, smiling sweetly at him, but even the most earnest smile still looks a little coy with a face like that. Gunwook notices them too and raises his eyebrows at Matthew. They come closer and Matthew tries to form a polite smile. He's still a little nervous to talk to Gunwook outside the lab after their last conversation. Taerae straightens up obviously and tries to nonchalantly look at Matthew, but it comes off cute and shy instead. Time for Matthew to drive.
"Jiwoong!" he says when he approaches, greeting him and hopefully breaking the ice for Taerae.
"Hi Matthew," Jiwoong says, turning that smile to him. He easily pulls him into a hug. They've only met a couple times, but Matthew is a natural hugger and Jiwoong is an overly familiar, touchy guy in general. They get along pretty well for near strangers. He can feel Gunwook watching the interaction. There's not even anything for him to misunderstand this time; Taerae is right there. Jiwoong greets Taerae too, easily fitting himself between Taerae and Matthew so their shoulders bump together. Gunwook stands on Matthew's other side.
"Hi," Taerae says with a tight smile. God, he's so awkward about Jiwoong. Matthew isn't sure which one of them he feels worse for.
"Seems like I only get to talk to you like this," Gunwook says, stealing Matthew's attention away from the other two. He hears Taerae's too-loud laughter pretty soon after. He'll be fine without Matthew.
"If you have time to worry about me you should be studying more," Matthew scoffs, then takes a serious sip of his beer. He needs to finish this off and make his excuse to leave so the other two can be alone. Maybe he should try to get Gunwook out of the way, too.
"I study plenty," Gunwook defends himself, but he's smiling teasingly at Matthew. "You've seen my grades," he says. Matthew rolls his eyes. He tips back the rest of his beer and sets it on the table where he's totally going to abandon it.
"I'm gonna head out," he tells Taerae and Jiwoong. "Still have some grading to do." Taerae's eyes widen almost imperceptibly, but he reins it in quickly enough.
"Get home safe," Jiwoong says. His smile is seriously blinding. Matthew feels like his eyeballs are going to melt out of his head from how attractive he is. How is Taerae alive?
"You coming?" Matthew asks Gunwook. It obviously catches him off guard. To be fair, Matthew is playing dirty; he knows Gunwook feels something, and he's taking advantage of that. But it's only to give the other two some alone time. Okay, maybe part of him also hopes Gunwook will obediently follow if he beckons him.
"Sure," Gunwook says, a little breathy, like it made him feel shy.
The air is chilly when they get out on the street together. Matthew starts walking in the direction of his apartment and Gunwook follows.
"So…" Gunwook says, trailing one step behind him.
"Sorry, but I only said that to give Taerae and Jiwoong some space," Matthew quickly clarifies.
"Ah," Gunwook says. He looks a little disappointed. Matthew pretends he doesn't notice. "So it's Taerae and Jiwoong?"
"Yep," Matthew says. "Don't tell him I said this, but Taerae is totally fumbling it. He's lucky Jiwoong likes him so much."
"Yikes," Gunwook laughs. Matthew wonders if he's going to follow him all the way home. "Imagine how I felt when he said he was meeting his boyfriend and then I saw you were there. How can you have four men, seonsaengnim?"
"Seriously? I don't even have one man, Gunwook," Matthew says, laughing.
"I don't know, he was pretty familiar with you," Gunwook says, dragging it out like it's funny to him.
"Jiwoong's just like that," Matthew deflects. Then it hits him. "Wait wait." He stops in his tracks. "Jiwoong said 'boyfriend'?"
"Yeah?" Gunwook answers. "But I guess that's Taerae," he says, like he doesn't fully believe it.
"Oh fuck," Matthew says. "Tae's a fucking idiot." They're definitely still together right now. If Matthew texts him, will he even read it? Should he drop that bomb now so they can resolve things while they're together or save it until Taerae can process it alone? He can't just keep it to himself. He takes his phone out. There's a text from Taerae already.
tayray
why is he only touchy with you ):
me
tae
babe
he thinks youre dating already
tayray
no
me
yeah
gunwook said
he called you his bf
tayray
im going to throw up
shouldnt you be getting laid right now
why are you ruining my life instead
me
im not sleeping with my fucking student
no matter how hot he is
now FIGURE OUT IF YOURE DATING JIWOONG
tayray
if i dont break this bottle on the table and use it to gore myself first
"Oh my god, they're so stupid," Matthew says as he puts his phone away.
"What happened?" Gunwook asks, trying to catch a glimpse of his screen as it goes dark. Matthew hopes he didn't see the texts.
"Taerae doesn't know they're dating," Matthew says, starting to walk again.
"Oh shit," Gunwook laughs, following him again. "Poor Jiwoong."
"Poor both of them," Matthew says. "They'll figure it out, though. If Taerae doesn't go nuclear. Anyways, I'm going this way," he says, pointing down the street they just reached. He doesn't have to turn here, but he's trying to get Gunwook off his trail by signaling that they're parting ways.
"Okay," Gunwook agrees, perfectly polite. "See you in class, ssaem."
He turns around and walks back the way they came. Matthew already suspected he had no reason to be walking the same way as him. It's kind of cute, how obvious he is.
Matthew's usual office hours are Tuesday and Thursday evenings, extending well after the sun has set so his students don't have conflicting classes or other obligations. The next day, Thursday, about ten minutes to the end off his office hours, after everyone has cleared out and left him to close up the room, Gunwook comes in. He sits down and takes out his notes, like any other student would.
"Hey Gunwook," Matthew says, smiling at him. He can feel the sleep in his eyes as the end of the day approaches. "Only ten minutes left, just so you know."
"That's fine," Gunwook says. "It's quick questions."
Gunwook asks about a couple things Matthew is sure he already knows. He still earnestly explains them, because he's a good TA. But Gunwook doesn't write anything down, and he barely looks at the diagrams Matthew draws, watching his face instead. The clock hits the hour and Matthew starts to pack his stuff into his own bag.
"Thanks, Matthew," Gunwook says as he starts picking up too. It's normal for students to call him by name, but it still makes Matthew's stomach flutter a little. "I'm about to go get a coffee," he says, motioning in the direction of the 24 hour cafe on the corner near the bio building. "Can I get you something? As thanks, y'know."
Matthew thinks of the pile of lab write-ups waiting for him at home. Some caffeine sounds good as fuck right now.
"Sure," Matthew agrees. He probably shouldn't, but he does.
Next, they're sitting at a table in the cafe. Matthew has the hot coffee Gunwook bought him, and Gunwook has an iced americano. Matthew feels a little self conscious, unable to help worrying that someone from his department will catch him here, chatting with Gunwook outside class. It's not disallowed, or anything, but he would still be kind of embarrassed.
He looks surprisingly pretty in the artificial light. The dim, warm light brings out the wheaty tone of his skin better, and he looks so innocent with his face a little puffy and sleepy. The arm muscles have been hidden since the weather turned colder, but he's still much broader than the chair. The sheer size of the boy can't be concealed.
"Look, Gunwook," Matthew says. "Whatever you want from me, it can't happen while you're in my lab."
Gunwook doesn't look too sad, but he purses his lips in frustration and blinks a couple times at him, just waiting for Matthew to continue.
"It's, like, forbidden. It's a conflict of interest; I literally grade your exams. I'll lose my place in the program," Matthew explains, trying to stay neutral. He has to be the responsible one, to look like the limitation doesn't bother him. He should be the one helping Gunwook make good choices.
"So… What if I wait?" Gunwook asks. Matthew admires his tenacity. He keeps finding ways to push closer to Matthew, despite the lines he tries to draw. "Is after okay?" he asks. He's so confident. That Matthew will want him back.
"Maybe… after is okay. Technically," Matthew says.
"Okay," Gunwook agrees.
So, Gunwook waits. He pulls back and is the perfect, polite student to Matthew. He's still more friendly than the kids that come in and leave without saying a word to him, or don't look at him when he answers their questions. But he keeps it all above board; strictly course-related topics only. The midterm passes and Gunwook naturally gets great marks, not that Matthew is paying special attention. The weather turns colder still and Gunwook comes in wearing a beanie that makes his head look like a cute little egg. Matthew keeps that to himself. Taerae and Jiwoong actually get together, but Taerae goes through a phase of ignoring him out of mortification. They work through it though; Jiwoong is a patient bastard. It's exactly what Taerae needs.
Matthew helps collect the test forms at the final exam. After time is up and everyone leaves, he and the professor organize them in alphabetical order and he packs up the written portion from his students to take home and grade. When he opens the door of the quiet lecture hall, now abandoned by students braving the snow to get to their next final, or already on their way home for the holiday, Gunwook is there. He's leaning against the wall next to the door, just looking out at the snow. He finished pretty early in the allotted exam time, so he's been waiting here a while. Not that Matthew took special notice, or anything.
"Oh, Gunwook?" Matthew says, stopping to check on him. He should convince him to go home and get warm, at least.
"Matthew," Gunwook says, happy to finally see him again. His nose is all pink and shiny and somehow the snow makes his eyelashes look longer. "Um," he starts, standing up straight again and fidgeting.
"I still have these to grade," Matthew says, holding up the folder. Gunwook deflates a little. "Give me a couple days. Are you going home for the break?"
"No." Gunwook shakes his head. "Couldn't afford the plane ticket. I'm saving it for the summer," he explains.
"Good," Matthew says before he can stop himself, nodding his head. "I mean, sorry that you won't get to see your family," he tries to backtrack.
"It's okay," Gunwook says, laughing lightly. It's so loud, with everything else muffled by the snow. It's like the air is completely still. "There's something I wanted to do here anyways."
"Cool," Matthew says. He's quiet for a second.
"Can I have your number now, at least?" Gunwook asks, starting to pull out his phone. "That's okay, right ssaem?"
No, it's probably not expressly allowed. But Matthew is getting impatient too.
"Fine," he agrees.
On Christmas Eve, Matthew finishes uploading his scores for the final. He pretends to wait, afterward. Gunwook doesn't need to know the second he's done right? It doesn't last long, though. Matthew isn't good at self control; why waste time ignoring the things he wants?
me
just finished
park gunwook
can i see you?
me
its too cold to go out
just come here
[you sent a pin]
park gunwook
omw
Gunwook looks out of place in his apartment at first. He's way too tall, for one, and the all-black hoodie and beanie combo looks so good on him but it really contrasts with Matthew's home, which is cluttered with bright colored things he likes. Honestly, Matthew is really nervous to have him there. His heart keeps skipping, like he's doing something he shouldn't be. They stand halfway between the entryway and living room, like they're hovering around each other, unable to get comfortable yet.
"So, what do you want from me, Gunwook?" Matthew asks, after they get through some polite small talk about the cold weather and the walk over to Matthew's place. Gunwook actually looks bashful. He usually comes off so confident to Matthew, like he never questioned taking what he wants.
"I.. don't know," Gunwook admits. "I want to be closer. I want to be close to you so bad. But I don't know what that means."
"Have you been with a guy before?" Matthew asks him. When he remembers being twenty one, it was still so confusing. Like being on the edge of knowing who you are, but not there yet.
"No," Gunwook says. "I don't even know if I'm…" he trails off and thinks for a moment. "I don't know what I am. I just know I like you."
"That's okay," Matthew reassures him. It was like that for him, too, at first. Gunwook has perfectly enticed Matthew without even realizing it; he has no business being as hot as he is, and his cute side has endeared him to Matthew too. He wants to help raise him, like a little puppy. Well, obviously not exactly, because he wants to fuck him too. "Should we just… try? It'll come to you. I won't be hurt if it doesn't feel right," Matthew says.
"Yes, please," Gunwook agrees eagerly, nodding his head a little too hard. Matthew is in for it. Earnest and enthusiastic plus that big body is a lethal recipe.
Only the first couple kisses are hesitant. Gunwook quickly turns hot and needy, like getting a drink of water after realizing for the first time he was in a desert. Like coming into the warmth of a heater after realizing for the first time he was out in the freezing snow. He encompasses Matthew, makes him feel small, like he could just take whatever he wanted from him if he decided to. He doesn't of course. He lets Matthew guide him, when he's not possessed by his need for him.
Matthew had planned to stop at kissing; letting Gunwook put his tongue in his mouth, maybe some heavy petting. (He's big, Matthew can feel it through his thick sweatpants.) But Gunwook is a shockingly fast learner. Passionate, too. And how can a good teacher stop their dedicated student from trying to learn more?
Matthew's bedroom becomes oppressively hot, despite the freezing temperatures outside. Gunwook is gentle, but strong. He doesn't hold back. It's impressive, how thoroughly he follows Matthew's directions, how deep his honesty reaches. Matthew is filled with warmth by his dedication to learning well. Gunwook is a good student.
He decides to keep him for himself. Gunwook needs an honest mentor, one who won't misguide him, to help give him a healthy outlet for his curiosity. They spend Christmas together, too, snowed into Matthew's apartment. And Matthew takes Gunwook out for his birthday a couple weeks later, buying him dinner and rewarding him for his good grades that semester. Gunwook sticks on him like he won't ever let go. Matthew is happy to let it happen.
tayray
go to karaoke with me tonight
me
yessss
double date?
tayray
NO
no more double dates
that boy is obsessed with you
i need my matthew time too
me
aw but he loves hanging out with us
tayray
he just cant leave you alone or he'll die
i want you to myself this time
me
ok ill break it to him
might be late though
tayray
i literally dgaf
stop telling me that shit
me
yea like you didnt blow up my phone when jiwoong bottomed for you for the first time
tayray
thats obviously different
and you use that example all the time
get new material
me
get your dick wet more often then
tayray
youre disgusting
me
jealous because youre not getting it from a 6ft guy with huge arms and big baby eyes
tayray
fuck you
i literally am
me
5'11
tayray
kill yourself
me
<3
see you tonight <3
tayray
ask gunwook if i can kiss you one time
me
youre so cute
asking permission
tayray
nevermind i dont want to see you
me
lol