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Taehyun felt Dayeol’s gaze on him as he closed his eyes and let the heat surrounding them set in. He didn’t dare open his eyes while the other boy’s burned into him, scorching his already warm skin from the shed they’d been locked in. In a way, Taehyun was grateful to Wonkyung for locking him in here, but not for the reason he’d said.
“I’m just happy to ditch class,” he’d muttered, but underneath those words was the true reason. I’m just glad to be in here with you.
Now, though, Taehyun wasn’t sure if he could bear the silence and intense staring. Dayeol didn’t seem to notice Taehyun’s inner panic, as he watched a trail of sweat drip down Taehyun’s neck and past the collar of his shirt, cooling his back if only a little. The worst part was Taehyun didn’t know the reason. Was he angry? Was he just zoning out and happened to have Taehyun in his sights? Or was there something else to it, something unspoken?
Finally, he opened his eyes, schooling his expression to seem nonchalant. To his surprise, Dayeol was the one to initiate the conversation.
“Look…”
Taehyun would be a fool to disobey that order. He found the latter’s eyes in an instant, tilting his head to show he was paying attention. Dayeol, shy as ever, cast his face downwards. Typical, Taehyun thought. He can stare at me like he wants to know my darkest secrets, but as soon as I give my eyes to him he retreats.
It took a moment of composition for Dayeol to look back up at Taehyun, like he was contemplating his next words very carefully.
“Are you… dating Jang Wonkyung?”
Now that wasn’t what Taehyun was expecting. He couldn’t contain his scoff, leaning back in disbelief at the boy in front of him. “Pardon?”
“You know, back in the school infirmary… you two…” and that had done it for Taehyun. He didn’t need to hear any of this nonsense anymore, especially not from the man he’d been so obviously pining after. Was Dayeol truly that dense?
“Are you really curious about it?”
Dayeol looked away, his cheeks tinting a slight flush under Taehyun’s scrutiny. Oh? Maybe there was more to his curiosity that Taehyun first thought. Maybe… Taehyun so deeply hoped, maybe he’s curious about me.
So he explained himself. Explained what lead to him and Wonkyung on the nurses bed together, too close for comfort and whispering what would sound suggestive, if not downright scandalous, to any passer-by's. All the while, Dayeol’s ears burned a bright red as Taehyun told him about Wonkyung’s attempt to give him a hickey. He took note of Dayeol’s flustered state, and swayed a little closer.
“Are you curious about such a thing?” This seemed to get Dayeol’s attention, as he finally lifted his head and dared to look back at Taehyun. Taehyun had to hold himself back from grinning like a Cheshire cat. What an interesting development.
“Oh,” Taehyun bit back a smile, “I thought you only cared about archery.”
When Dayeol looked down again, Taehyun felt something in himself stir. His stomach began twisting up in knots, an uncomfortable weight settling on his chest at the implications of his next few words. When else would he get the opportunity for this? He was hardly alone with Dayeol, private from the world’s eyes and interruption from other classmates. So, Taehyun looked Dayeol up and down and took a quiet breath in.
“Do you want to know…” he whispered carefully so as to not scare Dayeol. The other boy whipped his head up, eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights, but that only stirred Taehyun on. He could never get enough of the sight of one flustered Lee Dayeol.
“how you leave a hickey?” he finally finished, narrowing his eyes at the other and doing his darndest not to ravish him right there on the spot. Dayeol was a wildcard, he never knew what would freak him out and send him running. He was as skittish as a prey animal, so Taehyun made sure to stalk quietly and carefully. He couldn’t afford to step on a branch and break the tension caught between them.
Still, despite his cool demeanour, Taehyun felt his heart pound in his chest as Dayeol’s eyes met his. His beautiful, innocent eyes. It was rare for him to hold eye contact with Taehyun, so in a moment like this, he felt like he’d saved a country in his previous life.
Lee Dayeol is looking at him without avoiding his eyes, and Taehyun feels as though he could soar.
Tension fills the air as they hold each other’s gazes. Taehyun had approached this all with a light teasing, more so hoping to ease Dayeol into this and use it as an excuse if the latter ends up freaking out, but he does no such thing. He’s stuck in his place, staring deeply into Taehyun’s eyes, and all previous teasing flies out the window as Taehyun’s mind runs a mile a minute.
He isn’t saying no, Taehyun processed. Why isn’t he saying no?
As he searches Dayeol’s eyes for any fear or discomfort, all he finds is the knot in his stomach only tightened further, because Dayeol looks sure of himself. He looks like he’s waiting, and Taehyun would be a fool to keep him hanging.
With one last breath of confidence, Taehyun finally began leaning in, putting his weight on his hand as he lifts himself to get closer to Dayeol. He doesn’t miss the way Dayeol’s eyes follow his lips, and he certainly doesn’t miss the way a bright pink begins blooming on his cheeks as he squeezes his eyes shut and accepts Taehyun’s advancement.
Unbelievable, Taehyun thinks as he gains on the other’s neck, smelling the light musk of sweat on Dayeol’s skin from overheating in the storage room, and yet he’s all the more drawn to him. He feels his heart pound in steady rhythm as the realisation of what’s happening slowly sets in.
He’s seconds away from kissing Dayeol’s neck, when suddenly he blinks, and a deep-rooted insecurity starts to fester. Does he really want this? He knows he hasn’t been the most considerate of Dayeol’s comfort before, often pushing him a little too much and tiptoeing just over the line to get a reaction out of him, but he also wants this moment to be right. To be real, and not just chalked up to another moment of joking around for Dayeol to then push him away.
Just a few inches from his neck, Taehyun steadies his breathing and asks, “how come you stayed still?”
This seems to knock Dayeol out of whatever trance he’s in, as his eyes shoot open and he pulls away from Taehyun in an instant. Taehyun feels his heart squeeze painfully for a split second.
“Why aren’t you avoiding me?” And they’re back to square one. Taehyun plasters a fake smile on his face and nudges into Dayeol, who cowers away and refuses to look at him again.
“Don’t touch me.” Dayeol groans, his brain finally kicking in and rendering what he nearly let happen. Why didn’t he pull away? Why did he stay?
Taehyun felt frustration bubble up and covered it up with a quiet chuckle. Why did he have to ruin the moment? No, he couldn’t let it go that easily. They were still locked in this room and they could be for the next foreseeable future. He has to just let go of his worries and pursue Dayeol without any care in the world. After all, is Dayeol going to reject him after almost letting him kiss his neck? He guesses he’ll just have to find out.
“Do you… like men?” Taehyun bit back a smile, leaning into Dayeol’s space. Surprisingly, Dayeol still stayed planted next to him. He expected him to get up and move away, or at the very least create a little distance between them, but he stayed sat next to him. Albeit tense and avoiding his face, but next to him nonetheless.
“No way! I told you, I’m not interested in anyone. Not men, or women, or…” Dayeol rambled out, eyes searching the floor frantically in hopes of a distraction. Taehyun wasn’t making it easy with the way he kept scanning his face and tilting his head to stare at him.
“Do you like… me?”
There. A pin-drop question that left Dayeol stunned. Taehyun himself even struggled to process what he just asked. Since when was he so brazen and confident? Teasing was easy, teasing was lighthearted, but this was something more. This was intense, and scary, and it left Taehyun feeling dizzy with the way his stomach sparked with butterflies.
Please don’t lie, Taehyun prayed quietly to himself as the silence spread around them and froze their conversation in time. Please look at me.
The atmosphere around them thickened, electricity brewing between them like any moment they’d get zapped with lightning and wake up from whatever haze they were in. Taehyun found Dayeol slowly meeting his eyes, flickering up and down his face, catching on his lips and breath hitching for a moment.
Do you like me?
Do you like me?
With what little space was left between them, Taehyun slowly scooted closer, his arm pressing into Dayeol’s side and face so close all it would take is a tilt of his chin for their lips to meet. All he needed was a response from Dayeol now.
Dayeol was more composed than Taehyun was expecting, but then again maybe he was going through the same inner-turmoil as Taehyun. Maybe he was good at hiding himself too. But Taehyun didn’t want Dayeol to hide, not right now.
He glanced down at Dayeol’s lips then up again at his eyes, curiosity getting the best of him. He feared even moving too fast would trigger Dayeol’s fight or flight response, so he was cautious with each movement. Next to his hand, fingertips grazed his, and Taehyun felt something burst in his chest. He paused, eyes widening a fraction as slim fingers traced his own and eventually hooked with them. Dayeol gulped, eyes flickering away in… embarrassment?
Taehyun felt like he was seconds away from leaping on the boy in front of him, throwing all caution to the wind and just mauling him right there and then, but first he needed to know. He needed to know if his intuition was correct.
“Do you-” then Dayeol shot forward.
A solid pressure met his lips as his eyes widened. He took a deep breath in, his nose smushed against Dayeol’s cheeks as other, softer lips brushed against his own. Dayeol kissed him. Taehyun barely had a chance to process it before Dayeol was pulling away, his own eyes blown wide and bugged out, like he couldn’t believe what he’d just done.
Taehyun, above all else, felt fear brew. This couldn’t be it. He couldn’t let Dayeol freak out now and leave him like this. He can’t kiss him and then scurry away. No.
“Taehyun, I-” before he can finish his words, Taehyun pulled the boy into a harsh kiss, his hands gripping the collar of his uniform and holding him in place. Dayeol gasped into it, his eyes fluttering shut as he let himself be pulled closer, their chests meeting and the pressure of their mouths clashing almost bruising.
With a pant, they both pulled away to collect their breaths. Taehyun felt dizzy. Once he had taste of Dayeol he didn’t want to ever let go. He felt more sweat fall down his neck and his back as his eyes flit over the other’s expression. Dayeol was a blushing mess, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, and the sight was almost cute enough to make Taehyun burst out laughing, but he too felt like a fish out of water in this moment.
Dayeol kissed him. He kissed Dayeol, and Dayeol kissed back.
Finally, after a few seconds of taking deep breaths in and out, Dayeol looked up through his lashes and stared at Taehyun with a new fire behind his eyes. Taehyun barely had a second to look back at him before Dayeol was pouncing forward, caging him in against the shelves behind him. He stopped before their lips met and stared down hungrily, licking his lips and almost smirking at the flustered state Taehyun was now in.
He managed to fluster the Jo Taehyun.
Taehyun felt his stomach drop as he lifted a hand to grasp Dayeol’s shoulder. The other boy lowered his face, their noses touching and lips yearning to reunite, and Dayeol’s eyes fluttered to a half-lidded state. With the little strength left in him, Taehyun held the other back from kissing him just yet, and he took a shaky breath in as he mustered up his next words.
“You didn’t answer my question,”
Dayeol scanned his face, his eyes honing in on Taehyun’s, questioning. “Do I have to?” and with that, he swooped down and took Taehyun lips into his own. And, well, could Taehyun really complain?
His eyes trembled shut as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, their lips slotting together in a somewhat sloppy but endearing manner. Dayeol inhaled sharply as Taehyun’s warm hands trailed up his neck, finding purchase at the nape where his hair was becoming slightly overgrown. He dared to tug a little at the strands, and smiled coyly at the noise Dayeol let out. Interesting…
They pulled apart sparingly to catch their breaths, before they were meeting again, each kiss more intense than the last. Eventually, Taehyun lifted himself from the ground and pushed Dayeol down by his shoulder, taking the other by surprise as their lips slipped apart. Taehyun grinned as he towered over Dayeol, crawling over his frame and finally settling on his thighs. Dumbfounded, Dayeol stared up at the other boy with a hint of surprise but also desire in his eyes.
Without another word, Taehyun slowly leaned down and joined their lips in a soft peck. He was delighted to find Dayeol chasing after his lips when he pulled away, and he quickly pecked his cheek next, letting his lips slowly move up to his ear. He nibbled on his earlobe lightly, causing Dayeol to shudder as his hands shot up to hold his waist.
“Don’t you want to know?” Taehyun whispered, moving away from his earlobe to gaze intently into Dayeol’s eyes. It took a moment for Dayeol to comprehend there were words coming out of the latter’s mouth, his mind in a daze from the position they were in and the implications of it all.
“Hm?” Taehyun smirked, scooting closer and letting his arms circle around his neck. Dayeol wracked his brain for what his question meant, but he was a little too preoccupied with their current predicament to string together any clear thoughts. “Don’t you want to know how to leave a hickey?”
Oh. Oh.
Dayeol gulped, his eyes widening a fraction and letting Taehyun’s words sink in. He felt like his face was on fire, his heart hammering in his chest and ready to pop out any moment, and Taehyun, he had the nerve to laugh?
How could he be so composed after asking such a thing?
Dayeol couldn’t have this. He already let his control slip by letting Taehyun get on his lap and fluster the hell out of him, and he needed to regain some of that power back. So, he did the only thing he could think of, and pulled Taehyun down into a heated kiss. The force of it made Taehyun flinch, but before Dayeol could pull away and apologise, both of Taehyun's hands grabbed either side of his face and pulled him as close as possible.
God.
Finally feeling courageous enough, Dayeol parted his lips, letting his tongue lick over Taehyun’s. Taehyun, who seemed happily surprised by this, indulged him and let his own tongue trace over Dayeol’s lips. He groaned as Taehyun’s tongue entered his mouth, gliding against his own and swirling around in a practiced rhythm. Dayeol, as inexperienced as he was, felt pride bubble up in his chest when Taehyun let out a gasp as Dayeol sucked on his tongue. He felt starved, like he hadn’t eaten for days and Taehyun was his final meal.
Soon, it all become too much for Dayeol, but not enough. So he gripped the back of Taehyun’s shirt and pulled him impossibly closer. Taehyun chuckled into the kiss, it becoming sloppy and spit threatening to escape their lips, but Dayeol didn’t mind the mess. It felt nice having Taehyun's warm and heavy tongue settle on his.
Their breathing picked up as the kiss continued, Dayeol feeling his chest ache with the need for oxygen, but unwilling to pull away from fear of separating from Taehyun for even just a second. Eventually, Taehyun was the one to pull away, albeit reluctantly, and as they caught their breaths, the thick atmosphere surrounding them somehow doubled.
Was it even possible to feel more intensely about Dayeol right now? Taehyun supposed yes, it was.
“Can I?” Taehyun whispered, leaning down to bury his face in Dayeol’s neck. Dayeol’s breath hitched, his chest heaving and hand coming up to smooth over the back of Taehyun’s neck. Taehyun pecked his nape lightly, feeling Dayeol’s grip tighten. God, how he wanted to just sink his teeth in.
“Dayeol,” he practically whined, and that seemed to knock the other out of whatever trance he was in.
“Yes… please,” he finally answered, and so, Taehyun let his restrain go and latched onto his neck. He heard Dayeol hiss as he let his teeth graze his neck, sucking intently on a delicious patch of skin and tasting the salty sweat that previously settled there. He could do this all day if it meant hearing Dayeol make those light gasping noises.
Pulling away from his work, Taehyun admired the dark spot slowly forming and the red surrounding the irritated skin. Taehyun quietly wondered to himself what it would be like to leave a bite mark on Dayeol’s skin, but that’s for another time. Now, he leans down and peppers kisses along his nape, soothing his tongue over the hickey he’d made and letting his hand settle on Dayeol’s chest.
With nimble fingers, he unbuttoned the collar of Dayeol’s shirt and let his lips dip down to his collarbones, suctioning onto a new spot, somewhere more private only for him. Dayeol whined above him, his hand shooting up to gasp his hair and pull his strands.
“Sensitive, are we?” Taehyun snickered, looking up at him and nibbling his collarbone nonchalantly. Dayeol hissed once more before pulling the boy away from his chest, staring darkly into his eyes. Taehyun grinned as he was pulled into another kiss, humming delightedly when Dayeol bit his lip and pulled back.
“Taehyun…” he muttered, eyes sealed shut and breathing ragged.
“Are you okay, Dayeol?” Taehyun whispered, their lips grazing together as he spoke. Dayeol nodded, inhaling sharply before opening his eyes.
“I just… never imagined I’d do this… especially not with you,” he admitted, voice vulnerable and quiet. His eyes were worried, brows furrowed as he searched Taehyun’s face. Taehyun almost wanted to cry in adoration.
Slowly, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss onto Dayeol’s forehead, then he pecked his cheek, moving down to his jawline. Finally, noticing Dayeol’s eyes had shut again, he tilted his head down to graze his lips. His oh so soft, pillowy lips.
Dayeol inhaled through the kiss, and Taehyun smiled brightly before pulling away.
An infinite amount of time seemed to pass as they just sat there, gazing into each other’s eyes and sharing shy smiles. Taehyun let his weight sink into Dayeol, his arms once again circling his neck, but no intention to initiate another makeout session. He was comfortable like this, content, and he wanted to lay in Dayeol’s arms forever.
Dayeol opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly they heard the jingling of keys against the door. Horror spiked both their eyes and they flew apart, Taehyun falling butt first onto the cold hard floor and Dayeol shooting up into a standing position.
A cough and a few jingles later, the storage room’s dorm opened and revealed the old cleaning man standing perturbed at the entrance, glaring at the two boys inside.
“Yah! What are you boys doing in here?” The scruffy man yelled, raising his hand in an intimidating gesture and rushing the boys out of there. “Go to the school office! You’re too old to be playing hooky!”
Awkwardly, Taehyun pulled Dayeol out of the storage room and rushed them towards the school. That was close… he sighed a breath of relief, when he suddenly felt Dayeol stop. He looked back, his eyes trailing down to where their hands were joined together, fingers interlinked and oh.
“Sorry-” Taehyun went to pull his hand away, when Dayeol tightened his grip. He shook his head, a pretty pink flush rising on his cheeks, before continuing to walk ahead. Their hands stayed linked until they reached the office, stopping outside the door to collect themselves. Looking up at each other once more, Taehyun bit back a grin as Dayeol shyly nodded his head.
Well, here goes.