Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Figure skating.

It was something that Sieun had grown to revolve his life around.

Since Sieun could walk at the age of two (yes, he's aware he learned slower than other kids), his parents had him on the ice. Naturally, it was a mess, especially for a toddler that had just learned to walk. His parents would often tell him that he could barely last five seconds on the ice before falling on his face and bursting into tears, a memory they would tease him about on the rare occasions they had dinner together as a family. The first few times Sieun had heard it, he'd burst into a fit of laughter, it was something he found funny when he was six, especially because at that age he had considered being six practically adult age, two seeming like it was decades ago when in reality, it was only a few years. The older Sieun got, the more repetitive and bland the story sounded to him, opting to just let out a fake laugh, his knee bouncing under the dinner table and his chopsticks poking at the barely edible food his mom made. He used to enjoy the little time he got with his parents, something he'd often looked forward to when he knew they would be back from business trips abroad. However, the older he got, the more he dreaded their return, often spacing out or drowning himself in schoolwork so he could avoid them as much as possible until their inevitable leave.

Sieun doesn't know when he began to resent his parents, when the line that divided the love he held for them as a child blurred with the hostility he felt for them now as a teenager. He figures it was when he started middle school, when his parents visits felt less like family time on the ice and more like them overworking him until they were satisfied with his skills. Their once sweet coos and praises were quickly replaced with harsh remarks and a few slaps to the face.

"You need to be perfect. If you aren't perfect then you are nothing.", they'd often tell him after grueling hours on the ice, when Sieun would have bruises from falling on the ice and a body so sore that even breathing hurt.

At first, Sieun wasn't sure why his parents had been so insistent on getting him into skating, a sport that, if you asked, many wouldn't even consider to be a sport, let alone a man's sport. His question wasn't answered until a month later, after he had just gotten back from practice and his ankle was throbbing in a way that had him holding back tears. The ache had gotten so bad that he could barely sleep, thrashing and squirming in his bed before carefully getting up, making his way to the kitchen to grab a pack of ice. He stopped when he heard hushed voices coming from the dining room table, his view covered by the wall that separated him from the room. He didn't have to guess who it was, his parents voices going back and forth with the same aggressive tone that let him know they were definitely arguing.

Per usual.

Sieun let out a quiet sigh, ignoring the ache in his ankle as he went to turn back to his room, knowing there was no way in hell getting ice would be worth walking into that.

"This is all your fault you know.", Sieun heard his dad say, the words making him stop in his tracks as he turned his head back slightly, as if the movement would help him hear better.

"My fault? He's the way he is because of you; your whole family is full of weak, pathetic men.", his mom seethed, his dad scoffing at the comment.

Sieun could feel his heart beating so loud he was scared his parents were going to find him, his stomach swirling in a way that made him forget about the ache that tortured him not even a few seconds ago. His ears were ringing and he could already feel the bile at the bottom of his throat, nausea often a response when he was scared or nervous.

"I didn't even want to have kids, let alone any with you! It was you who forced me to give you a precious son.", he heard his mom add on, her voice slightly rising. "I wanted a son, a man. Not that weak excuse of a son you gave me. He looks like a girl, and I knew the moment I saw him he'd never be fit to do any real sports. Do you know how much shit I get when everyone at work brags about how their sons are champions in soccer or baseball and I have to tell them my fourteen years old son does fucking figure skating!", his dad replies, so loud he's practically shouting at this point. If they were trying to keep this conversation quiet and hidden from Sieun, they were doing a poor job.

"At least I'm making him do something! Would you rather he lay around and waste away like his father?", his mother shouted back, the sound of a chair slamming to the floor startling Sieun, a sign for him to get back to his room.

He couldn't sleep that night, not because of the ache in his ankle (not that he could really feel it anymore), but more because his parents words swarmed his mind. Sieun knew these things already, could feel it every time his parents criticized him or his fathers gaze would linger on his face for too long, a look of disgust every time he would turn away.

He knew all of this and yet... he couldn't help the tears that welled in his eyes from actually hearing it. He thought there was nothing else his parents could do, could say that would get to him, immune to the way they treated him.

He was wrong.

________________

"The ice princess has arrived!".

Sieun rolls his eyes, throwing Baku a glare, "Don't call me that.", he says, putting his books down on his desk. Sieun lets out a small sigh of relief when he sits down, the cool air from the conditioner blowing in his face, making him feel slightly gross, forehead sweaty from waking up late and having to run to class. Well, more like hobble, his injury from practice last night leaving a stinging feeling in his leg every time he set it down.

Baku pouts, turning his face towards Gotak, "Sieuns being mean to me.", he complains in the baby voice he uses every time he wants to act like the victim. It makes Sieun cringe.

Gotak rolls his eyes, using his finger to push Baku back by his forehead, the other giving him a look of shock. "I can't blame him, it's too early to start annoying people Baku.", Gotak says, Baku letting out a huff, hand on his heart like someone just told him they spit in his food.

"You guys are so mean, Baekjin would never treat me like this.", He says, walking over to his seat to sulk. Out of the corner of his eye, Sieun can see Juntae looking between the two, a quiet laugh escaping his lips as he watches them, amused at their stupid antics. Sieun can't help the small smile that finds its way onto his lips as he opens his math workbook.

"Good thing we aren't Baekjin.", Gotak replies, Baku not even bothering to turn around as he throws him the finger. Sieun doesn't even have to look up to know Gotak went over to strangle Baku, the older of the two throwing insults as he attempts to free himself from Gotak's grip.

"Sieun...what happened to your leg?", Juntae asks, his gaze focused on the bandages wrapped around Sieuns left leg.

Sieun drowns out Gotak and Baku, turning to look at Juntae, then down at his leg. He lets out a quiet laugh, a habit he had adapted every time he was embarrassed or wanted attention to be drawn away from him, moving his leg to cross behind his right one.

"Accident at practice, you know how it is.", Sieun answers quickly, hoping his answer had satisfied Juntae as he begins to work on the homework he had neglected last night after staying unnecessarily late.

"What happened?", Juntae questioned.

So much for letting it go.

Sieun has to take a breath before turning to Juntae, the ache on his leg mixed with his lack of sleep tended to put him in a mood that he really didn't want to take out on the younger.

"I collided with...someone and the blade cut my leg. It really is fine Juntae.", Sieun says, shifting Juntae's attention to his leg, flexing it back and forth, biting his cheek from the stinging sensation he felt every time it moved. "See, doesn't hurt.", Sieun reassures, Juntae seemingly satisfied with his answer and turning his attention back to Baku and Gotak, who were now coddling each other.

Those two were weird.

Sieun focused his attention back on the equation in front of him, taking his time to solve the answer, going back and forth through the book to make sure he was using the formula correctly. However, by the third problem Sieun was starting to space out, mind wandering to the semi-finals Friday. His parents had excitedly called him on his seventeenth birthday to let him know they had entered him in the South Korean figure skating competition. Sieun had simply thanked them before hanging up the phone, mind racing and anxiety levels rising through the roof. He knew this was coming, knew it by the way his parents constantly sent him flyers about the competition or criticized his skating more harshly these days, forcing him to practice harder. A little over a month ago, Sieuns parents had driven him to the tryouts, a three day event that took place in each city and would determine which set of skaters would be eligible for the competition. Sieun was one of the first skaters to get a call back, something his parents bragged about to anyone who would listen.

Sieun figured that other children would be happy to know their parents were praising them, boasting about them to others. But, Sieun knew better, knew his parents only talked about him when it benefited them, when it made them look like good parents. For any competition or award Sieun got for figure skating, instead of celebrating or congratulating him, they took the praise to other people. They enjoyed the compliments they got in return, the praise they received for raising such a talented son.

And Sieun was talented, one of, if not the best figure skater in Seoul. He had the advantage of learning young, something a lot of other skaters his age lack, starting only a few years ago. That mixed in with the fact that Sieun practices everyday for as long as he can before his legs give out keeps him miles ahead from the competition.

Well, kind of.

Sieun had met Geum Seongje roughly a year ago, when the other had joined the rink Sieun practically lived at. Sieun didn't think much of him at first, he was tall, subjectively attractive, and had decent skill. Sieun wouldn't say it was the best he had ever seen, but it wasn't the worst. What irritated Sieun was Seongje constantly trying to talk to him, often interrupting Sieuns routines to ramble about complete nonsense. It didn't help that he was insanely narcissistic, Sieun often catching the other talking to himself in the locker room mirrors, praising his good looks. And while Seongje had gotten significantly better at skating from when Sieun had first met him, Sieun knew he was no real threat.

His only real threat was-

"SUHOOOOO!", Baku exclaimed with a shout, Sieun looking up to see Suho waltzing into the classroom, thing one and thing two (Sieun didn't care to remember their names) walking in right behind him, laughing about something that Sieun guessed was stupid. Sieun watched as Baku walked right up to Suho, first bumping the other as they fell into a conversation, Suho smiling brightly before his eyes wandered over to Sieuns, his smile contorting into a smirk that Sieun wanted to slap off his face.

Ahn Suho.

Sieun had only known Suho for six months, despite the fact that they'd been attending the same high school since freshman year. He had heard a thing or two, seen Suho in the hallways when classes ended, but he didn't really know him and he didn't care to either.

That was until six months ago, when Seongje was talking Sieuns ear off during a small water break, Sieuns eyes lazily scanned the rink and saw Suho across the bleachers with his friends, talking loudly and laughing while he clumsily tied his skates. Sieun couldn't help the way his eyebrow raised, he had never seen Suho here.

"No way... is that Ahn Suho?", Seongje asked, gaze following Sieuns.

"You know him?", Sieun asked, not that he really cared to know, just wanted to stop listening to Seongje talk about how sexy he'd look as a mermaid.

Seongje gave him a look of surprise, Sieun typically opting to stay quiet every time Seongje talked to him.

"Not really, but I know he does a ton of sports, I heard he just quit doing basketball not that long ago.", Seongje responded as Sieun finished the last of his water, getting up to throw the plastic bottle in the nearest trashcan. Now that he thought about it, he had heard Baku talking about his friend Suho who had recently quit the team, Gotak jumping in and saying it was such a loss because he was an amazing player.

"Maybe he's gonna learn how to figure skate.", Seongje added, following Sieun to the snack bar trashcans.

Sieun let out a scoff, throwing the trash away as he made his way back to the rink, his body itching to get back on the ice.

Figure skating took time and excessive practice, it wasn't something that was achievable overnight. Sieun knew Suho would be in for a world wind of disappointment when he realized skating wasn't as easy as bouncing a ball and shooting it through hoops.

It didn't take long for Sieun to find Suho and his friends on the other side of the rink, barely making it a few seconds before falling on their ass, bursting into a fit of laughter. Sieun watched the group pick themselves back up to try again, ending up back on the floor only a few seconds later.

Sieun smiled to himself, a sense of pride as he made his way onto the rink, gliding onto the ice like it was as easy as walking. He let his eyes find Suho, the group watching him in awe as he let himself speed up, taking in a breath as he lifted himself off the ice, spinning three times before landing on his left foot, arms and right foot in the air as he let himself glide.

"I'm going to learn how to do that.", He could hear Suho tell his friends, the other two shutting down his idea just as quickly as he said it.

"Just wait and see, I'll prove you both wrong.", Suho huffed out, as he tried to stand, only to fall face first.

Sieun silently laughed to himself.

There was no way in hell Suho would be able to learn how to skate, let alone be able to spin, in the air or on the ice.

Sieun was very quickly proven wrong.

At first it was entertaining, humorous almost, the way Sieun would see Suho at the rink, practicing for a few hours before giving up, cursing to himself as he would take off his skates, clearly frustrated by the lack of progress. Sometimes Suho would be so frustrated he wouldn't show up to the rink for a week before ultimately finding his way back. Sieun had to hand it to him, he was slightly impressed that Suho hadn't quit. When Sieun had casually mentioned that he had seen Suho a few times at the rink, Baku had mentioned that he shouldn't get used to him being there, Suho would often get bored quick, especially if he wasn't very good at what he was doing.

Sieun couldn't help the way he felt slightly sorry for him, understanding how he must feel because he's been there before. Not that quitting was an option for him.

Sieun remembers one afternoon, when Suho was particularly frustrated, huffing and puffing as he struggled to spin on the ice, looking completely defeated, Sieun had gone up to him, ignoring the look on Seongje's face as he made his way over to Suho.

"Tilt your right foot up.", Sieun had said, Suho slightly startled as he turned around, tripping on his foot, Sieun quickly grabbing a hold of his arms before he could hit the ground. Suho looked up, hair draped over his eyes as he looked at Sieun, "Huh?", he said, confused as he attempted to stand up.

Sieun helped him until he was standing, letting his arms fall to his sides, "You wont be able to turn properly if both of your feet are flat on the ground.", Sieun explained, ignoring how Suho's gaze made him feel embarrassingly small. Suho only continued to look at him with the same confused look, Sieun sighing before moving back slightly.

"Spinning can be tricky if your forms not right.", Sieun explains, moving his arms out in front of him. "Turn your body to the left, your left foot should be completely on the ground, bend your knee slightly.", Sieun demonstrates, Suho watching intently, like a dog learning a new trick.

"Keep your right foot tilted when you spin, helps keep you steady, its even easier if you lift it off of the ground. Put your left arm in front of you and your right one out, then just spin.", Sieun says, spinning in a wide circle before bringing his right arm to his chest and letting himself spin faster, keeping his right foot lifted slightly above his knee.

When Sieun stops spinning, he looks at Suho who stares at him in awe, bringing his hands together to start clapping.

Sieun feels his ears begin to burn, looking away from Suho's gaze as the other continues clapping.

"So... like", Suho says, Sieun turning back to look at Suho who copies Sieuns exact movements with a confused determination, "This?", he asks.

"Yes, just like that.", Sieun says, turning around to get back to practice, not before hearing Suho shout an enthusiastic "thank you!".

Seongje had teased him for the rest of the practice.

Looking back, if Sieun had known that Suho would have become some crazy talented skater, he would have never helped him. He would have watched him continue to fall on his ass and eventually give up.

He doesn't know how Suho had become insanely good, learning tricks that took Sieun months to learn practically overnight. He went from barely being able to stand, to gliding with ease and spinning in the air like it was as simple as breathing. For the first time in Sieuns life, he was intimidated.

It didn't help when his parents began to notice Suho.

"Sieun, who's that?", his mother had asked, pointing over to Suhos direction as he took a drink of his water.

Sieun saw the glint of curiosity in her eyes, ignoring the way his heart clenched as he looked over at Suho, who was practicing his spins, perfect landings every time he hit the ground. He would do a victory spin every time he did well, smiling to himself as he continued to practice. Sieun had once heard a couple of girls, that would often come by to watch Suho, exclaim how cute the habit was. Sieun had silently agreed, finding it slightly endearing how excited Suho was to learn. That was however, when he was still an amateur. Now, Sieun found the habit infuriating.

"Ahn Suho.", Sieun answered, not being able to conceal the bitterness of his voice as he went back to drinking his water.

"Ahn Suho.", his mother muttered to herself, watching the boy in awe.

It was from that point on that his parents began to constantly compare him to Suho, from skating to the way he looked.

"He's a newbie and he already skates almost as well as you do. You need to practice harder. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from Suho.", his mother had once told him, Sieun's blood boiling at the sentence.

"He's handsome, like a man should be. You could learn a tip or two from him Sieun. His body is built like a mans too, maybe you should ask Suho for advice on what workouts you should do to look like him.", his father had said after they had watched Suho take off his shirt as he walked to the locker room. It took everything in Sieun not to make a snarky remark about his fathers figure, nodding his head as he walked back to the rink.

Sieun began to resent Suho, resented the way skating came so naturally to him, despite Sieun only seeing him at the rink maybe four times a week. He resented the way he'd often play around on the ice, not taking practice seriously, opting to go to the snack bar more than being in the rink. He hated how carefree the other was, not caring if he couldn't nail a particular trick, shrugging it off and using it as an opportunity to call it a day. Suho didn't seem to care whether he was the best, didn't care to put in the effort Sieun was putting in. And yet, Suho was just as good as Sieun was, and it infuriated him to no end. No matter how much more Sieun practiced or how much effort he put into exercising, Suho was following right behind him with ease. And at times, Sieun felt Suho was better than him. His father was right, Suho was more of a man on paper. He was taller than Sieun, more built than he was and had the masculine features that Sieun lacked. And while Sieun would never admit it out loud, Suho was handsome.

Ridiculously handsome.

Girls flocked to Suho in a way his parents wished they would him. Suho's good looks and outgoing personality were what made him stand out in a crowd, what drew people to him. Suho was everything Sieun was not and that's what he hated. Hated that Suho got everything Sieun wanted, hated how he could do nothing and be praised simply for existing. Sieun had to work, exhaust himself until his body gave out just for his parents to acknowledge him. Everything Sieun did was to make up for everything that he lacked.

Suho had all of that and more.

It didn't help that Suho had a supportive grandmother, who would often come to watch him on weekends and cheer him on, never belittling him for a mistake he may have made, only praising him for trying his best. Sieun could only watch them in envy, the sweet moment feeling like a slap in the face when he only had his parents to go back to, or his lack of parents to go back to.

Sieun hated Suho.

And Sieun made it no secret, often throwing glares or dirty glances his way, going out of his way to ignore the other when he would approach Sieun. Sometimes Sieun would even go as far as telling him off, calling the other annoying or aggravating after a particularly hard practice.

Suho had caught on very quickly after that, throwing back the same resentment back at Sieun. The two would often get into arguments, fighting about the stupidest things, anything to throw insults at the other.

Sieun admits, its childish, but he cant find it in himself to care, not when he sees Suho's stupid face and effortless tricks.

Especially not now, when Suho had also effortlessly been selected to compete in the competition.

Another slap to the face.

"Good morning Sieun-ah", Suho greeted as he walked over to his desk, the tone in his voice just as fake as the smile on his face.

Sieun looked behind Suho, Suho's friends giving him a sorry expression as Gotak and Baku just looked at him nervously, Baku silently begging him not to start a fight.

Sieun gripped his pen.

Suho looked down at him, an amused look on his face as he let out an airy laugh, "You gonna stab me with that", he asked, pointing to the pen in Sieun's hand. Sieun hated the way Suho could effortlessly get under his skin, another annoying thing he was good at.

"Fuck off.", Sieun replied with a glare, turning his attention back to his workbook, ignoring the scoff Suho let out as he turned around, making his was to his desk. He could hear Suho's friends scolding him, Suho only telling them to mind their business before changing the conversation.

Fuck Ahn Suho.

___________________

"So, my parents aren't going to be home tonight.".

"Beomseok, your parents are never home.", Yeongi says, between a mouth full of rice, holding her hands up defensively when Beomseok raises his chopsticks towards her.

Suho laughs at their antics, taking a bite of meat when his phone dings, looking down to see a text notification from his coach. It's not unusual for his coach to send the group chat a text during school hours, opening his phone to see he has practice from five to nine. He slumps slightly, not in the mood to spend another afternoon at the rink, his training from last night leaving him sore and exhausted. Not to mention, the cut on his arm from where he had collided with Sieun last night. He'll admit, it was his fault, slightly distracted as he turned, unaware that Sieun was right next to him, sending them both to the ground. He felt bad when he lifted himself and saw a gash on Sieuns left leg, an apology at the tip of his tongue before Sieun erupted into a fit of rage, throwing insults his way. Suho argued back, the two practically screaming at each other before the coach pulled Suho away and Seongje came to grab Sieun.

Suho didn't like that guy.

Mainly because, anyone that was willing friends with Sieun (Baku aside) had to hate themselves. Plus, Seongje was cocky and annoying. Suho would often find him talking to himself in the locker room mirrors, admiring his so-called "Unworldly visuals".

"Neither are yours.", Beomseok responds, Yeongi gasping slightly as Suho bursts into a fit of laughter, slightly choking on the rice in his mouth.

"I know you're not laughing.", Yeongi states, giving Suho a pointed look as he shuts his mouth. He knew better than to go there with Yeongi.

"Anyways... I was thinking we could do pizza and movies at my place? My treat.", Beomseok suggests, Yeongi immediately turning to him with a serious expression, placing her hand on his shoulder. "We appreciate your service.", she says, putting her other hand on her forehead as she salutes him.

"Suho, are you in?", Beomseok asks, eyeing him as he steals a piece of kimchi from Yeongi's tray.

Suho pushes his tray in front of him, having finished the rest of his food, "I have practice tonight.", Suho says, watching his friends faces fall in disappointment.

"So we should just do it without you?", Beomseok asks, the two looking at Suho for an answer.

Suho's about to tell them he'll join them another time, but the ache in his arm stops him. He has been practicing more lately and he's been itching for a break. There's nothing wrong with leaving a few minutes early. Or a few hours.

Plus, who is Suho to decline free pizza.

"Now hold on, I didn't say that.", Suho responds, Yeongi and Beomseok looking at each other with a slight smile. "I'm sure I can leave a few hours early. I've basically mastered my shit for the semi-finals anyways.", Suho says, grabbing a hold of his tray as he and his friends make their way to the trash.

"Plus, who am I to decline free pizza.", Suho adds, setting his dirty tray down, waiting for Yeongi and Beomseok to place theirs on top of his.

"We're gonna be there too asshole.", Beomseok says, his tone all bite and no bark as Suho sticks out his tongue in response, Yeongi rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of practice, I see lover boy looking our way.", Yeongi says, her direction focused on the other side of the lunchroom. Suho doesn't even have to follow Yeongi's gaze to know who she's talking about.

"Stop calling him that.", Suho says, making his way out of the cafeteria doors, ignoring the glare he can feel burning holes through his back. It's like routine at this point, Suho would leave the cafeteria first and Sieun would always glare in his direction. Sometimes if Suho was feeling particularly annoying, he'd waltzed right up to Sieuns table to make a snarky remark that would often get an agitated expression out of Sieun that would make Suho's whole day. Today however, he was feeling especially aggravated, wanting to get out of the cafeteria as quickly as possible.

"The tension from this morning, I get goosebumps just thinking about it.", Beomseok says, gliding his fingers across his arms as Yeongi reaches out to touch him, nodding in agreement.

Sometimes Suho regrets telling those two about his problem with Sieun, the two making jokes every time they saw the other or if they happened to catch them interact like this morning. It annoyed Suho when they'd insinuated anything romantic, as he would rather stab himself in the eye than see Sieun in a romantic setting. It was inevitable that Baku would know about their resentment, often having to listen to complaints from both sides, but the two behind him, he wished he had kept his mouth shut.

Never in a million years would Suho fall in love with a brat like Sieun.

_________________

"So have you figured out what song you're going to skate to?".

Sieuns nods his head, looping his shoe laces together before tying them with a hard pull. "I really like the song Gallery, you know, Park Jihoon.", Sieun answers, bringing up his other foot on the bench, getting to work on triple tying the laces.

"Did someone say Park Jihoon?", Sieun hears Baku ask, looking up from his shoe to see him and Juntae returning from the snack bar, falling onto the bleacher below him and Gotak.

"Sieun's gonna skate to one of his songs for the semi-final.", Gotak answers, Baku's eyes going wide as he extends himself up from his seat, moving his arms forward to pinch Sieun's cheeks.

"Don't touch me.", Sieun says, swatting Baku's hand away as he accepts the water bottle Juntae had gotten him from concessions.

"Have I ever told you that you look a lot like Jihoon?', Baku asks though it comes out more like a statement. Sieun can only roll his eyes, very familiar with Baku's theory that in another life, Sieun would 100% be Park Jihoon. Baku believes it so much so that during one of their sleepovers he had created a PowerPoint on how similar the two were and even dove into the possibility of alternate universes to further prove his point. It was a long thirty minute PowerPoint that Sieun could have gone without seeing.

He really didn't see the resemblance.

"Vaguely.", Sieun responds between a sip of water, taking out his phone to have the song ready when he went to put on his headphones.

"Well, let me tell you, the similarities are- is that Seongje?', Baku asks, a hint of disgust as he asks the question.

Sieun looks up and sure enough, Seongje is walking into the stadium, skates twirling around his hand in a way that made Sieun feel slightly uneasy.

"You know Seongje? Didn't he graduate a few years ago?", Gotak asks, watching as Seongje walks closer to them.

"That prick. Last week when me and Baekjin were hanging out, I may or may not have gone through his phone and saw a plethora of dms from Seongje trying to get at him. Like does he have no shame? Am I dirt or something, he definitely knows me and Baekjin are dating.", Baku explains sending death glares that Seongje either doesn't see or chooses to ignore.

"How could he not, you're all over the mans Instagram.", Gotak says with a laugh.

"Exactly!", Baku says, fingers clenching as Seongje walks right up to them.

"Excited for practice Sieun?", Seongje asks, a smile on his face as he ignores the look Baku throws his way.

Sieun shrugs, turning his attention away when he hears a loud voice from the other side of the room, his jaw clenching when he sees Suho walking in with that stupid smile on his face.

"Whore.", Baku coughs out, looking around like the word didn't just come directly out of his mouth.

Seongje looks down at him, slightly confused, "Excuse me?", he asks, eyebrow raised as he gives Baku that creepy stare.

Baku just looks around, acting confused as Gotak and Juntae send each other a glance, Juntae clearly nervous and Gotak looking like he's about to choke from how hard he's trying not to laugh.

Seongje lowers his face closer to Baku, his eyebrow lowering and a smirk making its way onto his lips as he bites the inside of his cheek.

"Do I know you from somewhere?", Seongje asks, looking up when he hears Gotak let out a choked out laugh, instantly covering his mouth as he turns away to conceal the look on his face.

"Yea, you were in my boyfriends dms.", Baku speaks up, standing from his place on the bleacher to look Seongje in the eye, face devoid of fear as he crosses his arm.

Sieun rolls his eyes at the stupidity of the situation.

"Who's your boyfriend?", Seongje asks, Baku scoffing as he pulls out his phone, tapping away until he pulls up Beakjin's account, shoving the screen in Seongje's face.

"Ahhh, the cutie I ran into at the bowling alley.", Seongje breathes out, smile on his face as his eyes begin to wander, like he's reminiscing the memory, a smile on his face that makes Baku want to punch him.

Seongje waves his hands in the air, "That was so long ago, it's not healthy to cling onto the past.", he says dismissively, turning his back on the group as he walks to the far end of the arena.

"It was last week asshole!", Baku shouts, Juntae pulling him down in an attempt to diffuse the situation, Gotak letting himself fall back as he laughs to his heart's content.

"I'm gonna go talk to Suho.", Baku huffs out, grabbing his stuff as he makes his way down the bleachers, marching over to where Suho was busy stretching his legs.

"That was fucking hilarious.", Gotak wheezes between laughs, Juntae looking between him and Baku, a worried expression evident on his face. Juntae usually wore that expression.

"Maybe we should go talk to him.", Juntae tells Gotak who only shakes his head as he begins to ramble about something Sieun isn't really listening to, letting Juntae and Gotak's voices dissolve into white noise as he stares off, watching as Baku and Suho laugh, talking about something that Sieun wishes he could hear. It's not that he cares about what Suho has to say, it was just important to know what his friend was telling him, Baku had a loud mouth after all, often spilling his secrets like it pained him to keep them to himself.

He scoffed when he saw Suho look his way, instantly turning his gaze to the rink, getting up as he made his way down the bleachers, not even bothering to say anything to the two he was sitting with as he puts in his headphones, ready to drown out everything around him.

Especially Suho.

And that's exactly what Sieun did, he let himself become fully immersed in the feeling skating gave him, how freeing it felt to glide across ice and do his own thing without having someone shouting in his ear, without the stress that would cloud his thoughts and keep him awake, pacing his room at ungodly hours in the morning. He relished in the way the cool air would hit his face the faster he skated, the way his heart would slightly beat faster every time he went to jump, how it felt like he was flying for the few seconds that he was spinning in the air. The smile that would find its way onto his face when his foot hit the ground, a successful landing that reminded him that he had worked hard to get where he was at, and no one, not even Suho, could take away that feeling from him.

Sieun lets his head raise, eyes scanning the rink like they usually did after he was ready for a water break.

He felt his eyebrows furrow slightly, eyes scanning the rink once again to make sure he wasn't missing something, that his brain wasn't somehow removing the problems in his life just to give him a moment of peace. And yet, after scanning the room a third time, it was clear that he was seeing correctly. He skated to the exit on the side of the rink, confused as he stepped off the ice and onto the hard, plastic floors.

Where the hell was Suho?

_______________

"Yes i'm on my way right now.", Suho said, holding his phone to his ear with his shoulder, his hands busy with his laces, the loops intertwining swiftly from the six months of tying skates. He smiles when both shoes are tied, grabbing his phone from his shoulder as he walks over to his locker, listening to the nonsense Beomseok and Yeongi are spewing. He'd normally hang up by now, opting to put on his headphones and listen to music. However, he has yet to find his small earbuds in the mess that is his gym bag, dirty clothes and sweaty socks covering everything else. Plus, he finds listening to his friends a little endearing, not that he'd ever admit that to them.

Unbeknownst to Suho, Sieun was quietly standing in front of the locker room door, watching Suho huff into his phone as he rummages through his bag. Sieun had taken his water break, his mind wandering to where Suho could have possibly gone. Once he had finished his drink, he reminded himself Suho was not his problem and he could care less about his whereabouts, the less time Suho spent on the rink, the more time Sieun had to work harder than him, to be better than him. He had even smiled as he made his way back onto the ice, knowing Suho wouldn't be there in the corner of his eye to distract Sieun from his routine. And yet, when Suho hadn't returned after Sieun had skated to his routine three more times, he felt a twinge of curiosity flicker in his mind. He had excused himself to the bathroom, not before bumping into Seongje who rambled on about things Sieun really didn't care about. Seriously, did this guy ever stop talking?

Sieun had gone into the lobby bathroom at first, it was often easier to use the bathroom here than the one in the locker room since it was a lot closer. No sign of Suho, just Baku speaking romantically into his phone, shooing Sieun away when he noticed he was there. He then made his way to the snack bar, a place Sieun saw Suho at more than the actual rink, the older often shoving as much food into his mouth as he could fit. It always made Sieun cringe in disgust. Surprisingly though, no Suho. That's how Sieun found himself in front of the locker rooms, halting at the door when he heard the voice of the guy he was searching for. He had hesitated slightly, the stupidity of the situation dawning on him as he realized that he had actually wasted practice time looking for Suho. It was stupid and he should turn around, get back to practice and pretend this had never happened. And yet, here Sieun was, standing at the door, watching Suho like he didn't have semi-finals breathing down his neck.

"Oh my God Beomseok, yes I fucking showered!", Suho exclaimed, but there was no malice behind his voice, an airy laugh making its way past his lips as he grabbed his earbuds out his bag, holding them up like he had just one the lottery. "Okay I gotta go, see you guys soon.", Suho said, hanging up as he grabbed the strap of his bag, popping a headphone in before turning to the door.

Stopping dead in his tracks.

Sieun ignored the confused look Suho threw his way, opting to bite his cheek like he did every time he saw Suho. His face always irked Sieun.

"Where are you going?", Sieun questioned, arms crossed against his chest as he stood strong, in a way that reminded Suho of mom. Entitled and demanding.

"And you care why?", Suho responds, looking at the way Sieun furrowed his brows at the indication that he could ever care about anything that had to do with Suho. Sieun looked away, biting his lip like he had been caught.

If Suho didn't hate the guy, he'd think it was cute.

"I don't.", Sieun replied, Suho giving him an obnoxiously fake smile in response, popping in his second earbud as he made his way towards the door, pushing past Sieun, "Then get the fuck out of my way and stay out of my business.", Suho said, making his way out of the door while Sieun stood still.

Sieun felt goosebumps plague his skin, Suho's cold tone and mean response sending a shiver down his spine. It's not like Sieun wasn't used to it, actually growing accustomed to the way Suho spoke to him. However, now... now it felt different.

"Wait.", Sieun called out, grabbing onto Suho's wrist before dropping it immediately, pulling his hand back like his palm had been set on fire. Suho looked back, a mixture of confusion, disgust and something else Sieun couldn't quite read flash across his face. Sieun's mouth gaped open, but he was rendered speechless, mentally cursing himself for grabbing Suho, something he had learned to do out of habit when his friends would walk away from him, something they often did to tease him, to warrant a reaction out of him.

"What are you doing?", Suho asked, voice coming out harsh and confused.

It wasn't like Sieun to be the quiet of the two, always getting the last word every time they argued. But now, now Sieun was left with fidgeting hands, trying to get the words to come out of his mouth.

"Practice... It's not... It's not over yet.", Sieun had mumbled out, trying his hardest to look Suho in the eye without dying from embarrassment, trying to hold onto any ounce of pride he could grasp. This was definitely the last time he'd do something like this.

Suho raised his eyes brow, giving Sieun a look that could only be deciphered as, "I cant believe you're doing all of this because i'm leaving practice early.".

"I can leave whenever I want, I'm not obligated to stay here.", Suho responds, not giving Sieun a second to answer before he's fully out of the door, leaving Sieun in the middle of the doorway as the door falls against him, resting on his side

_____________

Suho lets himself mindlessly enter Beomseok's home, having been over often enough to know that Beomseok never locks the door when they have hangouts. He doesn't even register the laughter and loud chatter coming from the living room, slipping off his shoes and dropping his bag to the floor, the loud thud causing the commotion to render to silence.

"Suho?", he hears Beomseok call out, the sound of footsteps pattering against the newly renovated wooden floors.

"Hm?", Suho mumbles, moving his gaze from the floor in front of him to his two friends, who were currently looking at him confused.

"Are you okay?", Yeongi asks, her gaze shifting from Suho to his wrist, that was currently being covered by his fingers that were drawing lines back and forth from the momentary grip Sieun had on him. He drops his hands, nodding his head as he gives them a lopsided smile, walking past them and into the living room, the smell of pizza making his mouth water. He feels his hand reach back for his wrist, immediately grabbing the end of his shorts to stop himself. He found himself reaching for his wrist since he walked away from his argument with Sieun. At first it had revolted him, the touch burning into his skin like Sieun had poured acid onto his wrist. Suho had scoffed when he had exited the building, letting his music drown out the encounter. However, with every step Suho took, the more he remembered how soft Sieuns hand felt when it had grabbed his wrist, how it had just barely wrapped around all the way because of how much smaller his hands were. Without thinking, Suho's hand began to wrap around his wrist, his fingers rubbing across the skin, hoping to replicate the warmth he had felt, the burning sensation that made his heart stutter.

Something was definitely wrong with him.

"Suho...is everything okay?", Beomseok asks this time, the two cautiously watching him grab a slice of pizza, devouring the food in two bites.

He hummed, the taste of bread, cheese, and meat dancing on his tongue.

He really loves pizza.

When he looked over to his friends, who were still standing, watching him expectantly, he opened his mouth, ready to tell them about the weird encounter before his lips pressed back together.

Should he tell them?

Realistically, yes. It only made sense that he'd tell them about something so weird, maybe ask them for advice on why he kept thinking about Sieun and his ridiculously stupid small hands. But Suho knew his friends, knew they'd tease him about this and if he was being honest, he didn't want to hear any of the crazy assumptions he knew they would come up with.

Not when he was already feeling so confused.

"I fell on my ass today pretty hard, just trying to ignore the pain on my ass.", Suho says, throwing them an okay sign before grabbing another slice, shoving as much of it into his mouth as he can.

"Jesus, slow down", Beomseok says with a laugh, Yeongi joining in. Suho relaxes a little bit, glad that they didn't press the matter any further.

"Aren't you supposed to be like, a skating God or something? How are you still falling on your ass?", Yeongi questions, grabbing a slice of pizza, Beomseok following right behind her.

Suho snorts, throwing her the finger as he takes another bite, "You can still make mistakes dumb ass. Plus I wont take this from someone who can barely walk, let alone skate.", Suho responds, mouth full of food, specks falling out of his mouth that make Beomseok gag.

"Can you maybe chew with your mouth closed.", Beomseok says, turning his attention to the TV, anything to look away from the mess Suho was making. Suho only gives him a thumbs up, not that Beomseok can see it.

Suho smiles, watching his two friends converse about the probability of aliens being real (Suho and Yeongi are big time believers, Beomseok not so much). He likes this, likes how comfortable he feels every time those two idiots are around. Beomseok and Yeongi are the only people he'd really consider family, aside from his grandmother that is. His parents owned a restaurant business in Japan, so they were never home, leaving him in the care of his grandmother. At first Suho thought it was cool, believed his parents every time they told him they were doing this for him, that the business was so he could live comfortably. As he got older, he quickly realized his parents just weren't children oriented, instead of taking him to live with them, they'd rather leave him in the care of someone else. Suho didn't hate them for it, actually thanked them for leaving him in the care of someone who would actually give him the love he deserved as opposed to neglecting him and caring for him solely because they were obligated to. What Suho hated was when his parents would come to visit and act like they still had any say on what he did with his life, scolding him to get better grades and start looking for the perfect girl to settle down with.

It was infuriating.

So it was moments like these that Suho appreciated more than anything, clung onto them like he was scared they'd disappear.

And for a second, Sieun flashes in his mind, that warm feeling on his wrist lingering in the back of his mind.

_____________

Sieun looked at the time.

12:47am.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes as he drew his attention back to the history book in front of him, the bright green light from his clock haunting him, the time a tell-tale sign that he should have been in bed hours ago. Still, his eyes continued to skim the pages, hoping to take in any ounce of information before his history test tomorrow. So far, he understood nothing. He had meant to study at around ten, he figured since he got off of practice at nine, he could make it home around 9:25, eat dinner at 9:30, shower at 9:45 and be at his desk by ten on the dot. However, Sieun left practice later than he had planned, getting home closer to midnight. He had checked the fridge, only to be met with week old rice, a handful of condiments, and a few bottles of water. Dinner was out of the question. Not that he really cared, his appetite had long been ruined. His shower had been a blur and now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember if he had even brushed his teeth.

After reading the same sentence five times, Sieun angrily shut his textbook, accepting fate as he walked over to his bed, letting himself sink face first into the mattress, letting the sheets engulf him in a comforting embrace.

He was beyond exhausted, his body so sore it felt numb. After Sieuns... conversation? Argument? After his encounter with Suho, Sieun had done his best to distract himself by practicing, only getting off the ice to wish his friends a goodnight. It was no use though, Sieun wasn't on his A game. Every time Sieuns fingers wrapped around themselves or his music had ended, leaving him with a couple seconds of silence, his mind drifted to Suho. It wasn't the most uncommon thing, Suho sometimes found his way to Sieuns mind when he practiced, using his stupid face as motivation to work harder, to push himself farther.

However, none of those times were accompanied with the way his hand would wrap around his wrist, trying to simulate the way he had grabbed Suho. He had never thought about the way Suho's hair fell in front of his eyes when it was damp, whether from sweat or fresh out of the shower. His heart had never been on the verge of bursting out of his chest every time he thought about the way Suho's left eye slightly crinkled when he was angry, maybe to come off as some form of intimidation.

It confused Sieun to no end.

He still hated Suho, he was sure of it.

Despite the weird feelings, he still held that resentment towards him. His cocky attitude still irked him and his face (while still handsome) made his jaw clench in annoyance. What happened today only added more problems onto Sieuns already over flowing plate.

He groaned, lifting himself until he was laying on his back, head resting against his pillows as he reached around for his phone, knowing he had tossed it on his bed somewhere when he went to shower. When he felt the device graze his fingertips, he grabbed it swiftly, turning it on as he clicked on Instagram. Sieun wasn't a social media kind of guy, never had time for it really, not that even if he did, he'd spend hours using it the way his friends did. He never understood the appeal, preferring to keep his life as private as possible. Still, sometimes it was necessary to keep himself updated on things that were happening around him. He did what he usually did when he opened Instagram, checked for any updates on the competitions page, checked his coaches page, and scrolled through the endless messages that his friends would send him, a plethora of reels that Sieun would never open.

His finger found its way to the home button, deciding he was done with Instagram for the night.

And yet, he was still staring at his main feed page, finger hovering over the home button.

He bit his lip, his mind telling him he was done for the night, telling him to go to sleep.

But his mind and his fingers seemed to be on different wave lengths, searching up Suho's name before his mind could scream at him not to.

Suho's page was one of the first to pop up when you looked up his name, Sieun took a deep breath before saying fuck it as he clicked on the account, an overwhelming amount of photos loading on his screen. He hesitated before clicking on the most recent one, posted only a few hours ago. Suho was smiling into the camera, one hand busy holding the phone as the other held a slice of pizza, thing one and thing two completely unaware of the photo being taken, the girls eyes half open and the guy being caught mid chew. Sieun would even find it amusing, if he wasn't often a victim of bad photos, Baku taking pictures of him off guard so frequently that Sieun began to cover his face anytime the guy had his phone out.

He looks through the comments, the first two being from thing one and thing two, who were telling him to delete the post (he couldn't blame them). A few comments from friends Sieun had never seen Suho around and an outstanding number of comments from girls who were praising his good looks, asking him to take them to dinner sometime. Sieun rolled his eyes at that, scrolling back up to the photo, pinching his fingers to zoom in on Suho's face. He was handsome without a doubt, even Sieun could admit that, but he personally couldn't see the appeal.

Why would anyone want to willingly date Suho?

Sounded like Sieuns personal idea of hell on earth.

He scrolled through the next few posts, a mixture of his friends, grandmother, scenery shots, and even more selfies. The comments were all the same, a few friends talking about the actual post and then a mountain of girls who would compliment his good looks. Sieun couldn't help the judgment he felt every time he read a comment, finding it embarrassing that they were so desperate that they had to try to get Suho's attention through cheap compliments.

And here Sieun was, getting Suho's attention for doing the complete opposite.

On the small chance that Suho would reply to one of the trashy comments, Sieun would audibly scoff, rereading Suho's response before going to the girls page, always coming to the conclusion that they were nothing special.

Not that he cared if they were, Suho's love life had nothing to do with him.

Somehow, Sieun had found himself at the end of Suho's posts, confusion as he tried to continue scrolling further down, exiting the post as he refreshed the page, scrolling back down only to be met with the same last post.

He sighed, checking the time.

3:29am.

Sieun groaned, lifting himself to place his phone on his nightstand, mumbling to himself as he threw the covers over himself, forcefully shutting his eyes.

So much for sleeping.

_________________

"I won first place.".

"Really! We knew you would, all that practice we put you through is really paying off.".

Sieun bites his tongue, holding back the snarky comment, instead agreeing as he puts his phone between his shoulder and his ear, grabbing his bag out of his locker as he carefully places his skates in the makeshift cubby he made for them.

"Well, don't use this win as an opportunity to start slacking off, work even harder for the finals next week, we'll be home to watch.", his mother said through the phone, his father humming in agreement. They don't even give Sieun a chance to reply before the call ends, the beeps from his mom hanging up feeling like taunts in his ear, grabbing ahold of his phone to shove it in his pocket.

The semi-finals had gone well, despite Sieuns distractions and minor crisis, he had managed the score first with a total of 92 points, Suho coming in second with 87 and a kid from Busan coming in third with an 83.

Sieun was slightly surprised he had made no mistakes, his head slightly lightheaded before it was his turn to perform. He doesn't remember when the chatter in his mind had quieted down, or when the music had started and ended, just remembers his body moving on autopilot, his legs and body carrying him across the ice like they were made to.

He had watched the other performances, something his parents had told him was important to do, especially for competitions like these where it was easy for judges to miss any mistakes a skater may have made. They said if he had ever caught something the judges hadn't, it was only fair to let them know. They said it was for the principle of things, but Sieun knew it was simply because they didn't want anyone coming close behind him. He had caught two mistakes that night. One was from a skater he had competed against a few times, who was typically friendly to everyone, always bringing snacks to these competitions to pass around. Sieun had only spoken to him once a year ago, the other wishing him good luck before his turn on the ice. The judges had missed his two-foot landing, an automatic point deduction. Mistakes like that were usually hard to miss, but the kid had lifted his foot up just after the landing so fast, you really couldn't tell. Sieun had only barely managed to catch it, waiting until the kids routine was over to go to the judges and let them know. The second mistake made that night came in the performance right after.

Suho.

His routine had been going decently well, his form was perfect and his spins and tricks were being executed with the precision of someone who had been doing this for years. Not that Suho had been skating for years, which is what Sieun found infuriating about his routine as he watched.

It felt unfair.

With only thirty seconds left, Sieun knew Suho would score high, knew that he could very well surpass Sieun, if not, end up in second place by only a few points.

That was until Sieun caught something, slightly sitting up straighter as he extended his body forward, his eyes slightly widening.

Suho had made a mistake.

His takeoff was wrong.

He had used the wrong edge of the blade to takeoff.

The jump Suho had done was supposed to use the back outside edge of his blade, but Suho had used the back inside edge, another automatic point deduction.

Sieun looked over to the judges, waiting for them to call Suho out on his mistake.

But they didn't.

They had missed it.

Sieun sat back in his seat, turning his gaze back to the rink, just as Suho finished his routine.

He knew he had to say something, it was only fair after all. Plus, Sieun would love to see the look on Suho's face when he realized he had made a mistake and Sieun had caught it. Sieun didn't even know how Suho could have made a mistake like that, especially because those were some of the first things you learn when you practice jumps. The more Sieun thought about it, the more he began to realize that maybe it wasn't a mistake at all. Maybe Suho had intentionally taken off using the back inside edge. After all, it was no secret that it was almost like a cheat code for an easier jump. And as much as Sieun hated to acknowledge it, Suho wasn't stupid, only a rookie would make a mistake like that.

Suho had done it intentionally.

Sieun had to report this. Suho had cheated and gotten away with it.

Yet, Sieun didn't move from his seat, not until the performances were over and they were called back to the rink for the final results.

He didn't tell anyone.

Sieun had still won first, despite Suho's cheat.

So why bother?

Sieun was sure if Suho had won first he would have said something.

Right?

None of that mattered to Sieun anymore as he put his headphones in, making his way out of the parking lot to embark on his journey home. He debated finding a taxi or taking the bus home, his body having already reached its limit for the day, despite it only being five in the afternoon. However, Sieun deemed it a waste of money, especially since home was only a thirty minute walk, give or take. He made his way behind the upcoming buildings, having walked this path enough times to know all of the shortcuts. He knew if he walked further down these alleyways, he'd find himself just outside of the supermarket that was only ten minutes away from home. From there he could just use the sidewalk.

He held onto his bag that was slung over his shoulder as he mindlessly walked, the music in his ears silencing any thoughts that were threatening to plague his mind. It was one of the reasons he loved listening to music, it silenced the noise from the outside as well as the commotion that went on inside his brain. Sieun didn't particularly enjoy rock or loud music, but it was the only kind of music that didn't give his brain time to think, so focused on the loud noise in his ears that it was all he could concentrate on. He winced, pulling out an earbud, a particular instrument playing at a frequency so high, it hurt his ear.

He stopped.

Sieun turned around, looking around to find no one.

He could have sworn he heard footsteps.

He hesitated slightly before turning back around, keeping the headphone he had taken out clenched in his fist, uneasiness in his stomach preventing him from putting it back in.

"Yeon Sieun!".

Sieuns steps came to a stop, turning around to see three guys. The ones on the right and left he had never seen before, they were around the same height, slightly chubby and bowl cuts that were clearly not done by a professional, the ends uneven and strands impossibly thin. It looked like it was done by a five year old.

Scratch that, Sieun was sure even a five year old could do better than what he was looking at.

That's when he turned his attention to the guy in the middle, shorter than the two behind him but a lot more lean, his eyebrows thick and unruly and his hair pushed to the side, held down by some sort of gel.

He looked familiar.

"Do I know you?", Sieun asked, his voice coming out pretentious, partially because he was annoyed he was being bothered. Though he was genuinely curious.

The guy in the middle scoffed, kicking a stray rock on the floor as he got closer, Sieun moving back slightly before his back came in contact with a wall.

He almost wanted to laugh, what kind of fucked up cliche was this? He swears the wall wasn't there before and now it suddenly appears. It was like a scene from one of those long fighting movies Baku would put on during their sleepovers, and if this was anything like those movies, Sieun knew he was fucked.

"You snitched on me, asshole.", the guy sneered, his fists clenched as he continued to walk closer, his minions following a few feet behind.

That's when Sieun took a closer look, the pieces in his head coming together before his eyes slightly widened.

The nice guy.

The nice guy he had called out for his mistake.

Sieun couldn't help the slight chuckle that escaped his lips, looking down, trying to compose himself, his body relaxing from the tense state it was in when his back had hit the wall.

The whole situation was comical, first he's walking through an alleyway, then he gets stopped by the least intimidating people Sieun had ever seen, backed into a wall, and the nice guy he had snitched on isn't so nice after all.

What a joke.

"Do you think this shit is funny?", the leader asked, eyes going wide like they were about to pop out of his sockets, his jaw clenched.

Sieun shook his head, trying to be serious as he straightened himself out, attempting to keep a neutral expression.

"If it wasn't for your tattle-tale ass, I would have won the competition easily.", the kid seethed, his face too close for Sieuns liking.

"Not really.", Sieun responded, slightly moving to the side, anything to get the kids face away from his, the smell of sour cream and onion hitting his nose, an unpleasant smell enough on its own, but especially coming out of someones disgusting, wet mouth.

"Excuse me?", he asked, watching Sieun scoot far enough that he could get himself off of the wall, readjusting his bag as he turned to look at him.

"You didn't even make fourth place, I doubt that even if I hadn't told the judges about your rookie mistake you'd be anywhere near first place.", Sieun says, looking at the trio one last time before turning his back on them, continuing his path home like they weren't there.

"This fucking prick.", was all Sieun heard before he was pushed to the ground, his bag weighing him down to the right, hitting the floor first, Sieun falling on top of it, his hands scrapping the the pebble infested floor.

Sieun let the bag strap fall from his shoulder, turning his body until he was looking at the group, his arms to his side, palms burning from the scrapes and his knees bent from his sitting position. He brought one of his hands in front of him, turning it until he could see his palm, blood beginning to drip from multiple cuts. Sieun looked up at them, and judging by the smile on their faces, Sieun knew they could tell.

He was scared.

Before he could even get himself up, the leader jumped on him, pinning him to the ground, Sieun's wrist locked over his head and his thighs held down by the kids'knees.

"Guys, come look.", he said, not taking his eyes off of Sieun, gripping his wrist tighter when he tried to free himself.

Sieun lifted his head slightly, the minions getting closer and closer, smirks on their faces as they watched Sieun struggle, his legs kicking nothing but the air in front of him.

"Isn't he pretty?", the leader asks, turning to the two next to him, who just snicker in agreement.

"Like a girl.", one of them says, the other nodding in agreement as he begins to trace his fingers along Sieun's thigh.

"Don't fucking touch me.", Sieun barks out, the guy on top of him removing one of his hands from Sieuns wrist, bringing it to smack Sieun across the face.

Sieuns mouth hangs agape, the stinging sensation on his cheek warm, blooming across the area.

The guy grabs Sieun by the jaw, bringing his face up as high as it possibly can from how hes flat on the ground. Sieun winces, his neck straining and the taste of blood spreads across his tongue when he licks his bottom lip.

"I bet your face isn't the only thing that's pretty like a girl. You've got one hell of a body, curves only women have.", the leader teases, Sieun glaring at him as he keeps his mouth shut, feeling like a vein is about to burst from how angry he is.

"Maybe we should check.", he says, turning to his friends who let out coos of agreement, Sieuns eyes going wide as he manages to release his face from the guys grip, throwing his head back as he tries to wiggle his way out, arms and legs moving sporadically.

Sieun's eyes close shut when he feels someone's hand make its way under his shirt, his body flinching from the cold feeling, a stark contrast from how warm he is. He panics, trying to turn his body from side to side, anything to get them to stop touching him. He feels tears beginning to form at the corner of his eyes, lifting his head to try to scream them stop.

"What the hell are you guys doing?".

Sieun immediately feels his body relax, head falling back as he takes a breath, chest heaving.

Suho.

Suho was there.

"And who the hell are you?", the leader asks, body still trapping Sieun but head turned to see Suho walk towards them, head lolling from side to side, like he was stretching.

"Oh me?", Suho asks, fake confusion on his face as he stops to point at himself, looking around like he didn't know they were talking about him.

"I'm what you could call a guardian angel.", Suho answers, cheeky smile on his face as he continues to talk towards them, the trio looking between each other with an annoyed expression.

If Sieun weren't currently in the situation he was in, he'd roll his eyes at Suho's stupid joke.

"Yea well we didn't ask for one, so get lost.", one of the minions says, turning away from Sieun to walk up to Suho, arms crossed.

Suho tilts his head, looking at the scene in front of him.

Sieun was flat on the floor, aside from his left leg that was slightly bended upright from thrashing around. His arms were crossed over his head, wrists held together by the leaders hand. His shirt was bunched up to his neck, his stomach and chest exposed, the other minions hand resting just below his nipple. Sieuns head was flat against the floor, tears spilling from his eyes, right cheek red and bottom lip cut, dried blood already beginning to crust over.

Suho felt his ears ringing.

"Leave him alone.", Suho demanded, walking past the minion in front of him and over to Sieuns side. Sieun couldn't help but turn his head away when Suho squatted down beside him, embarrassed by the state he was in.

"And why the hell should we-", was all the leader could get out before Suho was shoving him off of Sieun, a yelp coming out of his mouth when he hit the floor.

Sieun watched the minions rush over to their friend, aiding to his needs before he felt his shirt being pulled down, flinching at the contact as he turned his attention over to Suho, who was knelt beside him, hands pulled back when Sieun flinched against his touch.

"Sorry...I-I was trying to get your shirt back on.", Suho said softly, trying to explain himself. Sieun didn't say anything, his heart beating out of his chest as he sat himself up, pulling the rest of his shirt down. Sieun's face felt hot when he turned back to Suho, who was staring at him in a way that made his stomach flip.

The eye contact was too much for Suho, who turned his face away, his brain buzzing. He bit his thumb, lifting himself up before turning back to Sieun, extending his hand. Sieun accepted the help without hesitation, relishing in the way Suho's hand felt on his own as he stood up, the strap on his gym bag hanging loosely between the fingers of his free hand.

"Are you okay?", Suho asked, his voice soft and comforting in a way Sieun had never heard before today. He noticed Suho's hands hovering around his arms and shoulders, like he wanted to touch them, comfort him, but was scared he'd flinch again.

Scared he'd cross a line.

He nodded, looking up at Suho, whose face was soft and ears were bright red.

He didn't know how to feel.

"Lets go.", Suho said, Sieun nodding before looking back at the trio one last time. Suho waited for Sieun to walk in front of him before following suit, looking back to the leader still on the floor, holding his head as his friends comforted him.

Suho scoffed.

Disgusting cowards.

Once they were out of the alleyway, and Suho was sure the trio wasn't going to come find them, he stopped walking, looking over at Sieun who was staring off into the distant, blank expression on his face as his hands shook slightly.

Suho's chest felt heavy, his heart aching at the sight in front of him.

He may have hated Sieun, but no one deserved what had happened to him.

"I can carry this.", Suho spoke softly, grabbing the strap of Sieuns bag, who hissed when it grazed across his palm.

Suho slightly stepped back at Sieun's reaction, scared he had done something wrong before looking at the strap to see blood stains from where Sieun was holding it.

"Follow me.".

________________

Sieun let his fingers glide across his palm, the bleeding from his cuts drying a while ago, the smears of blood that were left behind feeling weird under his fingertips. He sighed, letting his hands fall to his lap as he looked in front of him, the rink he was performing at early empty, void of any life, a weird feeling when just an hour ago, it was full of people.

"I could only find this, all the other doors were locked.".

Sieun turned to see Suho making his way up the bleacher, a bottle of water and a tiny first aid kit in his hand.

Sieun hummed, turning his attention back to the rink, ignoring Suho's presence as he sat beside him. Sieun couldn't really focus, hadn't been able to very well since he was pushed onto his back. All he could feel were hands touching him, the panic he felt coarse throughout his body when he couldn't move, couldn't help himself.

He felt powerless.

He was stuck almost in a state of shock, the incident replaying in his mind like he couldn't believe it was real, like there was no way something like that could have happened to him. Why wasn't he stronger? Why did he just let that happen to him? How could he just lay there and let them touch him, hit him, and not do anything back?

What would have happened if Suho hadn't shown up?

Sieun felt sick.

He didn't dare think about the what ifs any further.

"Sieun...", Suho calls to him, Sieun turning his attention over to the boy sitting next to him, sad smile on his lips as he hands him the bottle of water.

"Thanks.", Sieun whispers out, taking the bottle only to set it down next to him, letting his gaze fall back to his hands.

Suho watched him, unsure of what to do in this moment. Sieun was shaken up (for good reason), but he didn't know how to approach him, didn't know how to comfort him. Suho couldn't tell him that it was going to be okay, couldn't tell him not to worry because who the hell does that. Suho tries to think back to all the times his friends had needed his comfort, back to the times he comforted anyone really, but nothing helped, nothing compared to the situation Sieun had been in.

So instead, Suho sat up a little straighter, taking in a breath, "Can I see your hands?", Suho asked, watching Sieuns face for any sign of discomfort or hesitance.

Sieun bit his cheek before turning to Suho, his eyes glossed over as he put out his hand, waiting for Suho's next move.

The look on Sieuns face made Suho's slight smile falter, his throat going dry as he tried not to cry, instead looking down at Sieuns injured palm, grabbing it softly to place it against his knee. He pulled out the first aid kit, grabbing some alcohol wipes and bandages. He opened the small packet, pulling out the alcohol wipe, tossing the empty packet on the space beside him.

Despite Suho knowing that if he looked at Sieun, there was a chance he might start crying, he knew that he needed to give him as much comfort as he could, looking back up at Sieun who was already staring at him.

"It might hurt just a little, just tell me to stop when it's too much.", Suho said as calmly as he could, trying to maintain a smile the best he could.

Sieun just simply nodded, watching Suho carefully clean the dried blood and cuts on his palm.

It stung, but Sieun couldn't find it in himself to flinch, letting the pain act as punishment for what happened to him.

If he hadn't said anything, then maybe he wouldn't have been attacked.

If he didn't look the way he did, maybe they wouldn't have touched him.

It all started to seem like his fault.

Sieun felt his throat go dry, biting his cheek to prevent himself from crying.

He didn't deserve to cry.

"Sieun...maybe we should tell someone. Your parents, they'd want to know, right?", Suho asked, wrapping Sieuns hand with the bandages he found.

Sieun looked Suho in the eyes, shaking his head, almost pleading with him not to tell anybody. Sieun knew his parents wouldn't care, if anything his mother would scold him for not fighting back and his father would tell him it was his fault for not being a real man. In the end they'd blame him.

Like they did for any inconvenience in their life.

"Okay, I wont say anything.", Suho responded, not wanting to push the matter further, despite wanting to go to the police right now and file a report. He knew it would only upset Sieun further. So, if Sieun didn't want to say anything, then Suho would respect his wishes.

Neither said anything else as Suho worked on Sieun's other hand, the silence comforting, despite the circumstances. Sieun just watched Suho, let his eyes follow his every movement, let his gaze linger on the mole under Suho's eye. For a moment, Sieun could push what had happened to the back of his mind, focus on nothing but the person in front of him, the way Suho made him feel.

"All done.", Suho said softly, looking up at Sieun with a small smile.

Sieun looked at him, really looked at him. He looked at the way Suho's smile wasn't as full as it normally was when he was it with his friends, nor was it the stupid smirk he worse when he was teasing Sieun. It was something completely different. It was comforting, and it was genuine, and sad. And when Sieun looked and saw the way Suho's eyes were slightly glossy, he couldn't help the overwhelming feeling in his chest.

He pulled Suho down, wrapping him in a deep embrace as he shoved his face between the crook of his neck.

Suho felt the warmth that surrounded him and let the tears fall, wrapping his arms around Sieun. He melted into the embrace, letting himself be consumed by all that was Yeon Sieun. From his smell to the way Sieun's fingers gripped onto his shirt, Suho basked in all of it. He wanted to stay like this forever, just him and Sieun because in this moment, nothing else mattered, not when Sieun was holding onto him with so much care and gratitude, like he was scared Suho was going to disappear if he let go.

That's when they both felt it.

All of the resentment, fighting, name calling and everything in between that transpired in the last six months felt like it was being melted away with every tear, being replaced with new, stronger, more intense feelings.

Something that felt warm, comforting, and sweet.

_____________

"So, why did you get into skating?". Sieun asked, taking a sip of his water, looking at Suho, curiosity evident on his face.

"I saw you.", Suho responded, looking over to Sieun who looked at him in disbelief.

"It's true.", Suho said with a small chuckle, Sieun throwing his hands up defensively, "I didn't say you were lying.", he says, handing Suho the water bottle, offering him a drink.

Suho playfully rolls his eyes, accepting the offer, trying to ignore the fact that Sieuns lips had been on this bottle less than a few seconds ago.

"What about you? Why did you get into skating?", Suho asks, putting the cap back on the bottle before setting it down.

"My parents.", Sieun replies without hesitation, the smile on his face slightly faltering at the mention of them.

Suho catches it.

"Your parents?", Suho questions, leaning his back against the bleachers behind him as he waits for Sieun to answer.

"Yea, they- well, my dad, had big plans for me when he found out my mom was pregnant with me. But, I didn't come out how he had hoped, i was too weak and feminine looking for his liking. So, my mom suggested figure skating and my dad agreed.", Sieun answers, looking away when Suho's smile turns into a look of pity.

He hated feeling pitied.

It was quiet for a moment, so much so that Sieun was about to change the conversation, until Suho spoke, "Do you like figure skating?", he asks quietly, almost like he's scared the question might offend him.

"I guess.", Sieun replies back. He had never really thought about it, kind of figured it was just what he was going to do with the rest of his life and left it at that.

"You guess?", Suho questioned, straightening himself up to better see Sieuns facial expressions. It was something he realized he did often, even before when he would purposely try to upset the other, he always made sure he could see Sieun's face, because the expressions he made gave Suho a feeling he couldn't describe.

"I enjoy it.", Sieun says, more confident in his answer this time. While Sieun will admit, he would have never gotten into figure skating if it weren't for his parents, he has to admit that the older he got, the less he felt like he was doing it for his parents and more like he was doing it for him. Though, he acknowledges he wouldn't train as hard as he does nor care about winning the way his parents do. That part of figure skating is for them. The actual feeling Sieun gets from what he does is for him. He enjoys figure skating, and he doesn't see himself perusing another career. And Sieun knows, that he will continue to overwork himself and aim to win every chance he gets because if he peruses this career, his parents will continue to be in his ear until the day he dies.

"I enjoy it too, not that I'd ever make a career out of it.", Suho says, moving on from the weird atmosphere surrounding Sieuns parents and skating.

Sieun smiles at what Suho says. If Suho had said that even a few hours ago, Sieun would have thrown a fit, angry that Suho was competing against Sieun when he didn't even see figure skating as a long term thing. Now, Sieun can't help but admire how honest Suho is, how Suho does things simply because he wants to, not sticking to what hes good at and instead, exploring all kinds of things he enjoys.

"I'm not sure?", Suho says, grabbing his phone out of his pocket when he feels it vibrate.

Sieun looks at him, for what feels like the millionth time that day, and watches as he stands, grabbing his things before turning to Sieun, worried expression on his face.

"My grandma needs me home, do you want me to walk with you, or I can wait a little longer?", Suho asks, still slightly on edge from the incident from earlier.

"I'm fine. Seongje works at the restaurant down the street, I'll see if he can drive me home.", Sieun replies, eyes crinkling when he sees the disgusted look on Suho's face.

"You're actually friends with that guy?", Suho questions, Sieun chuckling with a shake of his head.

"No, but he's taken me home after practice a few times. Plus I only know he works there because he keeps inviting me out to eat there.", Sieun explains, Suho rolling his eyes at that.

"God, that guy is so annoying.", Suho comments, Sieun agrees as he watches Suho skip down the bleachers. He only makes it about halfway to the exit before he turns around, confusing Sieun when he cups his hands around his mouth.

"Sieun!", Suho yells out, Sieun feeling his heart pounding from the way Suho calls his name.

"Uh...Yea?", Sieun poorly yells back, voice so quiet he wonders if Suho even heard him

"Congrats on winning first place, you deserve it!", Suho exclaims before running back to the exit, waving before he runs out of the door.

Sieun just stares at the door, a smile on his face and his heart pounding out of his chest.

____________

"The ice princess has arrived!".

"I told you not to call me that.", Sieun says as he slumps on his desk, exhausted from his lack of sleep the night before. After Suho had left, Sieun had stayed at the rink until around ten-thirty. Then he made the five minute walk down the road to the restaurant, where Seongje was barely getting off of work. He had happily agreed to take Sieun home, not before making him have dinner with him, Sieun debating if it was worth it to just walk home after Seongje had started his fifth rant about another modeling agent that had turned him down. When Sieun had finally gotten home, it was almost midnight and he could hardly sleep anyways, his mind going from the incident to his time with Suho.

"Anyways, Sieun, I am here to formally invite you to my birthday party tomorrow. No need to thank me, we're friends after all.", Baku exclaims, placing an invitation on Sieuns desk.

"No thank you.", Sieun says, tossing the invitation to the side, Baku gasping at Sieuns words.

"What do you mean no thank you?", Baku asks, overly offended as Gotak goes to calm him down.

"I mean no thank you. I'm not going.", Sieun says, lifting his head to hand Baku back the invitation.

"Come on Sieun...we're all going. Right Juntae?", Gotak says, looking over to Juntae, who smiles at Sieun, nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Yea Sieun, it'll be fun. Please come!", Juntae says, reaching out to grab Sieuns arm, who flinches at the contact. Juntae pulls back, slightly startled as Gotak raises an eyebrow at the interaction.

Shit.

"I'm going to the bathroom.", Sieun says quickly, getting up from his seat, leaving the others confused.

"Did I do something wrong?", Juntae asks, turning to Gotak and Baku, biting his lip like he's on the verge of tears.

"No of course not...I think he's probably just tired.", Gotak responds, sending Juntae a smile, hoping it'll comfort the other.

"Maybe we should go check on him?", Baku says, Gotak immediately shaking his head, "Sieun didn't look like he wanted to be bothered, lets just let him be.", Gotak says, Baku sighing as he walks back to his desk.

"Do you think he really wont come to the party?", Baku asks, Gotak shaking his head once again, "Of course he'll come, he's just tired right now, let him sleep a little first.", Gotak says, Baku smiling, feeling reassured as he pulls out his phone.

"What are you doing?", Gotak asks, pulling his math workbook from under his desk.

"Baekjins texting me about a special present he's giving me tonight.", Baku says, shoving his phone towards Gotak, who pushes it back in disgust.

"Please keep that shit to yourself, I don't need the image of you guys fucking in my head.", Gotak groans, flipping off Baku who sticks his tongue out at the sentence.

"Sieun?".

"Suho?", Sieun asks, slightly startled when he looks up into the mirror to see Suho emerge from the bathroom stall, so sure that he was the only one in the bathroom.

"What are you doing in here?", Sieun asks hands still gripping the sides of the sink he was hunched in front of, turned slightly as watched Suho walk up to one of the sinks, pouring soap in his hands as he turns on the water.

"Using the bathroom?", Suho answers slightly confused, Sieun biting his cheek at the dumb question.

Of course, why else would Suho be in the bathroom.

"Sorry.", Sieun apologizes, slightly embarrassed, turning his body until the bottom of his back was resting against the sink, arms crossed as he looks at the floor.

"It's fine.", Suho awkwardly chuckles, turning off the water to look at Sieun, who refuses to look his way, keeping his gaze glued to the floor.

"Are you also going to Baku's party tomorrow?", Suho asks, Sieun turning towards him at that, eyes slightly wide at the mention of the party.

"You're going?", Sieun asks, surprised for a second that Suho had been invited, until he remembered that him and Baku were friends.

"You're not?", Suho asks, wiping his wet hands on the sides of his school uniform.

"Yes.", Sieun answers, despite telling Baku the complete opposite.

"Cool, i'll see you there.", Suho says, smile on his face as he hesitates, shifting back and forth like he's unsure if he should leave.

Sieun doesn't say anything, turning his attention back to the floor, the air around them confusing. They definitely didn't hate each other anymore, at least, Sieun didn't think they did, but they also weren't close enough to be considered friends. But did Sieun even want that? What he felt yesterday was nothing he had ever felt with anyone before, not Baku, or Gotak, not even Juntae.

"Well, i'll see you later.", Suho says, breaking the silence, waving goodbye as he makes his way towards the door, sending Sieun a smile before walking out.

"Sieun, are you okay?", Juntae asks when he watches Sieun walk back into the classroom. Gotak turns around in his seat when he hears Juntae's question, looking over at Sieun who walks past his desk and right behind Baku, who was currently watching YouTube with his head down.

"I'm fine, Juntae. Baku!", Sieun tells the other turning around as he calls out to the boy in front of him, Baku jumping slightly in his seat, startled by Sieun's voice as he lifts his head and turns around.

"Yea?", Baku asks, a smile forming on his face. Sieun rarely speaks when they're at school, focused on maintaining his studies, so Baku can't hide that he's slightly thrilled by the fact Sieun is seeking him out.

"I'll be there tomorrow.".

__________________

"Suho, are you free tomorrow?", Beomseok asks the guy next to him, weaving through the crowd of students were trying to get to their class. Lunch had ended a few minutes ago and it was like hell trying to navigate yourself through the crowded hallways, everyone rushing to make it to class on time.

"Tomorrow?", Suho repeats as they turn the corner, their classroom coming into full view as he looks over to Yeongi, whose nodding her head excitedly, at Suho's question.

"We're going to order a bunch of food and watch all of the scary American movies Beomseok's dad brings back from his business trips. You know, the ones he has looked in that weird safe we found last time?", Yeongi explains, moving in front of the two to get to the door first.

"The ones we thought were exotic porn?", Suho laughs, remembering the time the three of them had sneaked into Beomseok's dads office while he was away at a meeting, finding a secret safe and opening it to find a bunch of dvd's that they assumed were foreign porn.

walking into the classroom, Suho sighs.

It sounded fun, staying in to watch scary movies in another language while they ate to their hearts content was probably Suho's ideal weekend, and in any other case, Suho would tell Baku he couldn't make it, drop off a present the next day, beg him for forgiveness, and everything would be good.

But Suho knew that for one, it was an insanely fucked up thing to do, and for two,

Sieun would be there.

"I can't, I told Baku I'd go to his birthday party tomorrow night and I'd feel bad if I didn't show up.", Suho said with a groan as he sat in his seat, though there was no hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Damn really?", Beomseok asked with a slight frown, sitting himself at his desk as Yeongi sat next to him at hers, Suho's desk right in front of Beomseok's

"Yea, sorry.", Suho apologizes, turning to them both with a sad smile.

He knew it sucked he couldn't be there, but he also knew his friends were understanding and wouldn't hold it against him for not coming.

"Damn, so that means your boyfriends going to be there too, right?", Yeongi asks with a smirk as she pulls out her pencil case, Beomseok, leaning forward with a grin on his face, wiggling his eyebrows at Suho.

"Shut up.", Suho says, turning away from the two as they gasp in unison.

"You didn't deny it.", Beomseok points out, teasing tone in his voice as Yeongi hums in agreement.

"I think he's blushing.", she laughs, Beomseok commenting on his bright red ears as he throws them both the finger, smile on his face at their words.

_______________

"Sieun-ah, i'm so glad you could make it!", Baku exclaims when he sees Sieun hesitantly walk into the karaoke room. It's loud, the instrumental to a song nobody's singing blaring through the speakers, bright colorful lights bouncing off the walls. Sieun watches Baku bounce off of his seat from the couch skipping over to Sieun in messy movements, draping his arms over the other as goes to kiss his cheek.

"What are you doing?", Sieun questions, pushing Baku off before his mouth can come in contact with Sieun's cheek. The smell of alcohol swarms Sieuns nostrils, looking over at Baku who's pouting at the rejection.

He looks like he just found out someone had kicked his puppy.

Not that Baku had any pets.

"Sieun... I thought you loved me?", Baku whines, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. Sieun can only stand still, dumbfounded as he looks over to Gotak and Baekjin, who were watching the interaction play out from the couch.

Baekjin gets on his feet quickly, walking over to Baku, who was practically sobbing at this point.

"Let's get you to the bathroom.", Baekjin tells Baku, soothing his shoulders as he maneuvers him out of the karaoke room door, throwing Sieun a sorry glance before they exit the room.

"Is he drunk?", Sieun asks, walking over to Gotak, who's trying not to laugh from the scene that just played out in front of him.

"Very.", he answers, handing Sieun a cup with what he can only assume to be liquor.

He takes a sip, coughing as the liquid burns down his throat.

Definitely liquor.

"How does Baku even get his hands on this stuff?", Sieun asks, setting his cup down on the table with a grimace.

"Baekjins connections, he'd get Baku anything his heart desired if it meant he'd be happy.", Gotak answers, downing the rest of what was in his cup, letting out a deep hum of satisfaction when the alcohol makes it way down his throat.

"Oh, just a heads up, Suhos here, he went to the bathroom, but he should be coming back soon.", Gotak warns, grabbing ahold of one of the suspicious bottles to pour more liquid into his cup.

Sieun takes a drink at that, the mention of Suho's name making the hairs on the back of his neck stand, the alcohol giving him a warm buzz. Sieun would be lying if he said he hadn't been thinking about seeing Suho tonight, the thought of the other making him lightheaded, the sound of his heart drumming against his chest.

The new development of these feelings were throwing Sieun for a loop, unsure of what he actually felt and what he needed to do about it. Somewhere from the argument in the bathroom to now, Sieun's feelings towards Suho had changed, the resentment he felt being overturned by the warm feeling that spread across his chest every time he saw him, the butterflies in his stomach, and the rapid beating of his heart. It all felt so cliche, the way things were turning out. Sieun had never bothered with romance before, never feeling anything more than friendship for someone. Sieun figured he just wasn't the dating type, and that was okay, he preferred to keep to himself and practice, a relationship would only ruin that. He knew eventually he'd have to date someone, his father telling him that he had to pass on the family name, and his mother telling him she couldn't wait to have a daughter-in-law. Sieun just assumed that once he got older, he'd marry any woman that was willing to be with him, have children, and live the rest of his life like that. His sudden attraction to Suho was catching him off-guard, the possibility of liking men had never crossed Sieun's mind because he didn't think he was capable of liking anyone.

He didn't know how to handle the situation.

"Sieun.".

Speak of the devil.

"Suho.", Sieun says, looking up to see Suho walk through the door, the other staring at him with a smile, expression sweet and soft.

"Please don't fight, I don't have it in me to stop it.", Gotak speaks up, Suho and Sieun turning to see the other lazily laying across the couch, head slightly lifted to look up at the two.

"Okay?", Suho responds, turning to Sieun with a smile, Sieun feeling himself smile in return. Suho walks over to the spot next to Sieun, his presence radiating warmth as he sits down, looking around before he suspiciously picks up with one the mystery bottles.

"Whats this?", Suho asks, turning to Sieun.

"Alcohol.", Gotak answers, not even needing to see what Suho was talking about to know what he was asking.

Suho looks to Sieun, who nods his head in confirmation. Suho smiles, popping the lid open and taking a long swig, pulling the bottle back in disgust as he swallows.

"What the fuck is this?", he asks, Sieun shrugging.

"Some fancy shit Baekjin brought. Baku told him to bring cheap shit but you know Baekjin, extra as always.", Gotak says, turning his body over until he hits the ground, Sieun jolting at the thud. He tries to help Gotak, but is shooed away, "I'm fine, just gonna go get Juntae, the kids been at the snack bar for forever. I can only wait for my cheese balls for so long.", Gotak says, getting on his feet and waving the two goodbye, not sparing them a glance as he walks out the room, shutting the door on his way out.

Sieun shifts his body, giving himself some space from Suho now that Gotak was gone. The air was heavy, not uncomfortable, just heavy. Sieun looked at the screen in front of him, the lyrics to a random song Sieun didn't know flashing brightly.

He didn't really know what to say, he thought that having everyone in here would make things between him and Suho slightly awkward, the different personalities and dynamics seemed like a clash waiting to happen. Yet, now that it was just him and Suho, he couldn't help but wish someone, anyone, was here with them.

He had to say something.

Anything.

"Thank you.", Sieun says softly, turning to Suho, who seems slightly surprised by Sieun speaking up first.

"For?", Suho asks as he shifts back slightly, letting his back hit the wall, head lolling to the side giving his undivided attention to Sieun.

"For the other day, in the alleyway. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up.", Sieun explains, bringing one of his legs to lay bent in front of him, his other leg hanging off of the couch. He turns his body to face Suho, the new position making Suho's throat go dry, the eye contact feeling deep and intimate. He wanted to turn his head forward, the feeling making his face feel hot, already feeling slightly warm from the alcohol in his system.

"You don't have to thank me for that.", Suho responds, eyes roaming Sieuns face, taking in the way the lights highlighted different features on his face.

"I want to.", Sieun says, his face sincere and thankful.

It makes Suho smile.

"Who were those pricks anyways?", Suho asks, Sieun groaning at the question, letting his face turn towards the front of the room.

"The one on top of me was one of the skaters from competition that day. He had made a mistake during his performance. The judges didn't catch it but I did, so I told them.", Sieun explains, cringing at the information. It made him feel like a self absorbed snitch.

Suho hummed, studying the way Sieuns side profile glowed in this lighting. He couldn't laugh, not when Sieun had been assaulted because of what happened, but he did nod his head. It was such a Sieun thing to tell the judges when they missed a mistake. Maybe it would have been something that annoyed Suho before, but now he found it endearing, how serious Sieun took competition.

The image of those pricks touching Sieun comes to mind, his jaw clenching. He wants to ask, wants to know how Sieuns feeling, but he doesn't want to bring it up and upset him any further, figuring it was best to let Sieun come to him.

"What about me? Did I make any mistakes?", Suho asks instead, scotching himself slightly towards Sieun, his thigh brushing against Sieun's knee. The contact was electrifying, sending shocks throughout Suho's body. He wanted it, craved the electric feeling.

"No.", Sieun replied, but he was hesitant, Suho catching the way he fidgeting with his fingers, keeping his gaze locked with the screen in front of them.

It sparked something inside of him.

"You're lying.", Suho says, Sieun turning to look at him like he had just been caught, eyes slightly wide.

"I'm not.", Sieun denies, but the lack of eye contact tells Suho everything he needs to know.

"Why didn't you tell the judges about me?", Suho asks, leaning his head forward, as if the closer he got to Sieun, the more likely he'd get an answer.

Sieun's eyes take in the sight in front of him, Suho's face turning light shades of blue, red, green, etc, the lights using his as a canvas. He had a curious look in his eyes, a hint of something that Sieun was scared to name glimmering in Suho's eyes. It made him feel like his body was on fire, like if he stared at Suho any longer, he'd melt into a puddle of mixed feelings.

"I don't know.", Sieun responds, his eyes falling from Suho's gaze to his lips, stomach swirling at the way they glistened from where Suho had licked them, the shine feeling like an invitation.

"Sieun.", Suho whispers, Sieun looking up to see just how close Suho had gotten, their faces only inches apart.

The air around them felt dangerous, like at any moment something could happen and change their dynamic forever.

It scared Sieun how much he wanted it, how badly he needed it.

"Can I kiss you?", Suho asks, eyes searching Sieuns for an answer.

Before he can speak up again, Sieun's mouth is on his, rough, hot, and inexperienced. Suho falls back slightly, his arms catching him from falling as Sieun hovers on top of him, arms thrown around Suho's shoulder, mouth hungrily capturing Suhos against his own. It takes Suho a moment to register what was happening, the initial shock of the situation wearing off as he brings his hands to rest against Sieun's waist, his thumb rubbing circles against the fabric.

Sieun pulls back slightly, eyes hooded as he looks down at Suho, taking a mental picture of the way his lips were wet and red, eyes slightly wide.

Sieuns about to say something, apologize for practically jumping him, before Suho brings a hand to cup his face, pulling Sieun down to capture his lips in a kiss once again, Sieun letting his body relax against the feeling. If Sieun felt like he was on fire before, he might as well be laying on the sun, his body feeling hot and his clothes feeling sweaty and stuck against him, the material suddenly two times smaller than normal. Suho swipes his tongue against the bottom of Sieun's lip seeking permission to deepen the kiss. Sieun opens his mouth slightly, welcoming the feeling of Suho's tongue against his own, the intimacy of it all making Sieun moan against Suho's mouth.

The sound goes straight to Suho's dick.

"Sieun.", Suho breathes out, not getting to say anything else before Sieun shuts him up, slipping his tongue into the opening of Suho's mouth, Suho groaning at the action. If Suho died right now, he'd die happy, knowing that the last thing he experiences was the feeling of Sieuns mouth against his own, the taste of his tongue against his. Suho pulls back slightly, taking the opportunity to bite Sieuns lip, the boy on top of him letting out a whimper, eagerly throwing himself back onto Suho's lips.

"Suho.", Sieun breathes out, voice shaky, mouth red and swollen, eyes glistening with need.

If Suho wasn't hard before, he definitely was now.

"Yea?", he teases, mouth so close to Sieuns, he can feel the shaky exhale the other breathes put at his words.

"I- I want- no, I need-"

"Dude, you were gone for so long, I was worried you got kidnapped or something, whole time you're helping Baekjin carry Baku to the bathroom.".

Sieun and Suho freeze, turning their attention to the door, familiar voices getting louder with each second that passes.

"Thanks for that Juntae.", Baku says.

"Do you think they're killing each other in there?", Baekjin questions.

"I hope not!", Juntae exclaims, the voice sounding like it's right outside of the door.

In one swift movement, Sieun, throws himself off Suho, scrambling to sit himself upright, Suho adjusting himself as the door handle shakes.

"Oh, you're both alive!", Baku exclaims, walking into the room with a victorious smile. The three behind him cautiously walking in, looking between Sieun and Suho like they could tell they were guilty of something.

Sieun just nods, looking over to Suho who just keeps his head down.

"What did you guys do while we were-"

"I have to go.", Sieun interrupts, jumping from his seat, pushing past his confused friends and rushing out of the door, ignoring their questions of concern and confusion.

Sieun doesn't know how he gets home, the walk a blur, but after he sets down his phone, ignoring the numerous texts and calls, he lets the situation sink in.

The feeling of Suho's lips against his, his tongue intertwined with his, and the soft touches on his face and body. The memory makes Sieun feel hot again, groaning when he feels his pants tighten at the memory.

Sieun screams in frustration.

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