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They're finally drinking.
The team had been planning for three months to gather in one of the dorms after sending their managers to sleep so they could drink and snack together late into the night. It's late July when their schedules finally ease up just a little and they're able to spontaneously gather the drinks from the fridge and order in some snacks and fried chicken, ignoring Junseo's and Sangwon's protests when they spread the mix matched meals over the carpet in their living room.
It's late. It was 9 PM when they sat in.
They'd watched a movie Sangwon had been asking them to check out for a while, and some had slept, some had seen it through and then Anxin didn't take it any longer and woke everyone up, switched the lights on and said they would play games, "because we wouldn't be able to have fun like this everyday, wake up, right now!"
Anxin watches without remorse as Leo picks himself up from where he'd laid out on both Jiahao's and Sangwon's laps, and Xinlong blinked his eyes blearily open and Sanghyeon, who was leaning heavily on Sangwon's side, straightened. Junseo only looked up from where he'd been reading the ending credits, just like Sangwon was taking a picture of the big screen.
Sanghyeon whispers something to Sangwon and takes Sangwon's phone from him, which Anxin frowns at because Sangwon doesn't complain, only muttering something back before standing to stretch.
They've been a bit weird since months ago. Anxin was tired of alternating between 'nothing is different' and 'they're so suspicious' so he's let them be. He's tried inquiring after both Sangwon and Sanghyeon separately, only because he couldn't help how curious he was, but it was all for naught. They didn't have anything much to say since Anxin never specified his questions.
Nevermind he's caught Sanghyeon in Sangwon's bed and asleep more than 10 times by now, and seen Sangwon hanging around needlessly to talk with Sanghyeon at times - he's let it all be.
He always encourages good team spirit anyway.
Leo hadn't blinked twice in their direction and when Anxin asked Junseo about it, Junseo had just shrugged. Jiahao had just not cared, as didn't Xinlong. So, Anxin figured he was just overthinking everything per usual.
"I'll get the rest of the snacks then." Sangwon says as he goes, waving Sanghyeon and Junseo away when they make to follow him to help.
Anxin pushes Leo up to sit right and pushes a cold bottle of his favourite soda into his hands, "next, it's cold water flat on your face."
Xinlong hears that and keeps his eyes wide open, blinking perfunctorily at the table.
"Sit in a circle, we'll just play some drinking games and head to bed." Anxin says.
They sort themselves to sit as instructed, Sangwon joining at last to settle beside Jiahao and Anxin with the snacks and drinks. He places a bottle in front of everyone, placing the bowl of dried seaweed in the middle.
As classic as they are, they start of by playing the imposter game with the prompts being passed around in Leo's phone. They laugh themselves sick before calling an end to it after several rounds. Sanghyeon had been the imposter 8 times and he'd only been caught 3 times. Sangwon had called it off when Sanghyeon kept being appointed the imposter and called the game rigged, and they moved to the twin option of playing Mafia a few rounds.
"Make it interesting." Sangwon comments as they all nibble at the seaweed in deep thought of what to play next. "Never Have I Never?"
"Oh god." Sanghyeon whines.
"What, it's fun."
"Yeah, right."
"Wait, does it work the same way like it does back home?" Xinlong asks.
Junseo nods, "yeah, drink if you did it, and don't if you didn't."
"Okay, okay, let's go."
They make the maknae start.
Sanghyeon makes a face, testing, "never have I ever stalked someone on Instagram?"
Everyone except Jiahao drinks.
They look at him, and he laughs, "I did stalk a lot of people, but it was on weibo...?"
"Right," Sanghyeon agrees, "specifics!"
"Yeah."
"Stalkers." Leo says as he refilled everyone's glasses with his own bottle.
"Who did you stalk?!" Xinlong and Sanghyeon is asking each other at the same time, before giving each other a look that says they'd not the other be, and it would be brought up later and refocusing again.
Anxin clears his throat, "I'm keeping it normal, okay." Then, "never have I ever slept with someone on the first date."
A beat of silence passes before Junseo groans, "keeping it normal, you said?" Everyone's glasses remain firmly on the table.
"I'm breaching proper conduct." Anxin responds.
Sangwon laughs with a ring, and pushes his hair back when he tips his drink back down his throat.
Anxin whistles at him, the same time Junseo cracks up.
"Was it that guy from Itaewon or?" Leo asks.
Sangwon clicks his tongue, "no, it was from Berlin."
"A foreigner?!" Sanghyeon asks, leaning over the table.
"... He was my age."
"Technically I'm a foreigner too." Leo reminds them.
"No, you have a Korean name." Sanghyeon says heatedly. Then turns to Sangwon again, "did your guy have a Korean name too?"
"No, he was Italian. But he knew like, 10 languages." Sangwon offers. "He isn't my guy."
Sanghyeon fills Sangwon's glass for him and sits back with a satisfied nod.
Xinlong and Anxin share a look before ignoring it.
"Never have I ever walked into the wrong bathroom and scared the ladies." Xinlong asks.
No one drinks.
"Yes, that would be tomorrow's headline if any of us did." Leo says with a wry look.
"Never have I ever drunk alcohol before I was of age." Sangwon prompts.
Timely, everyone drinks.
"Bastards." Junseo says almost fondly.
Sangwon keeps his eyes fixed on Sanghyeon, who raises a hand in surrender, "it was like... one glass."
Everyone fixes Anxin with a look after that, and Anxin just shrugs, taking to filling up everyone's glass for them so he doesn't have to see their faces. "I was in a mood."
"Not excused." Sangwon says.
"At all." Junseo clips in.
"Except all of us drank before we were of age too so let's not say too much." Jiahao says merrily.
"Never have I ever cheated on someone." Leo asks.
Sangwon blanches. "No."
They're all looking at each other and nodding as if they knew no one would. Anxin pinches Sangwon's cheek, "my angels, all of you."
"Thanks." Xinlong rolls his eyes. "It's called having morals."
"Never have I ever liked two people at the same time." Jiahao asks.
It's a question to consider so they all take a moment before Sangwon raises his glass and drinks, followed by Junseo and Jiahao.
"I was in a cast full of very attractive men, you see." Junseo says in lieu of an explanation.
"I'm just complicated." Jiahao says, a dead end.
"I was confused." Sangwon explains when he realizes he'll have to give his reason too. "And then I realized if I liked someone and then I liked someone else that means I probably no longer liked the first person, because I do know I'm not polyamorous so."
"Who was it?" Leo asked.
"You already know but you really wanna know again now?" Sangwon asks.
"Now I do." Anxin quickly says.
"Me too." Jiahao and Xinlong adds.
Sanghyeon doesn't say anything though Anxin expects him to. He looked like he doesn't care?
No, he looked like... like he knew what the answer was.
Sanghyeon reaches in to take a seaweed.
Anxin seriously needed to interrogate his best friend. He'll decide later if by that he means Sanghyeon or Sangwon.
"Sangwon-ah, now you have to tell us." Jiahao says.
"It was way back then. You - " Sangwon points at Leo, "and Sunho."
"Oh, I already knew about this." Leo says, unfazed. "Except for the Sunho part."
"Wow." Xinlong says, mouth open. "... wow. That's history hyung should never open your mouth about in front of the fans."
"I know." Sangwon sighs, but he was grinning.
"Tell me more about Sunho later." Xinlong says.
"Never have I ever confessed to someone while drunk." Junseo asks.
Sanghyeon, Sangwon, Jiahao and Xinlong - all drinks.
Unsurprisingly, they all jump on Sanghyeon first. "Who?!"
Sanghyeon covers his ears, "just someone."
"And?!" Xinlong asks, almost shouting. "And what next?!"
"Well, it went. Fine."
"What do you mean by fine? Like they agreed? Was it a she or a he - who is it?" Anxin asks, leaning over Leo to shake Sanghyeon by the arm.
"It was fine as in it was fine. As in they agreed, and it's a he."
"Wait, so you broke up?"
"If you're drunk while you confessed, was this when you drunk before you came of age?"
"Are you dating someone right now?"
Junseo pushes both Xinlong and Anxin back to their seats. "Enough, let's explore that later when you decide which question you want to ask first."
"Naughty boy." Anxin coos at Sanghyeon.
"Can someone remind Anxin-hyung that he's only 1 year older than me?" Sanghyeon asks.
"Anxin-ah, you're only one year older than Sanghyeonie." Sangwon repeats readily.
"Thanks, hyung."
"Okay, Sanghyeon-ah." Junseo nods at him, "go."
"Never have I ever... had a crush on a teacher?"
It's surprisingly just Anxin and Leo who drinks.
Everyone bursts into laughter, and Anxin hears more than 3 variations of teases from Jiahao and Xinlong within the span of 5 seconds. Sangwon is relentless when he joins too, and Anxin sends a prayer for his future-self who'd have to deal with Sangwon's questions.
They all do a couple more rounds, and the questions get severely more pointed and embarrassing. Xinlong even begins recording at one point. When Sangwon asks a question that implicates Anxin gravely, Anxin takes it in stride when it's his turn next.
"Now!" Anxin says viciously and gives Sangwon a look, and considers everyone. "Never have I ever fucked someone from the same group?"
He receives a very warranted slap on the back of his head from Junseo for it and Anxin turns to Sanghyeon to apologize, except -
Sanghyeon drinks.
"What the fuck?!" Anxin shoots up from his seat, stumbling. He was half drunk now, okay.
The ruckus that follows from Xinlong when he follows Anxin's gaze would've been hilarious if Anxin was literally not having a stroke.
"He's not a virgin, oh, my beautiful summer child." Xinlong shrieks, laughing like a maniac.
"Oh god, you two." Junseo remarks, but his ear was reddening at a fast rate as well.
"Wait, you lost your virginity when exactly?!" Anxin asks, moving so he's sitting next to Sanghyeon, full of pent-up energy.
"A while ago." Sanghyeon replies, unbothered, chewing on that damn seaweed.
"I can't believe this." Jiahao says, still laughing. Leo and Sangwon weren't any better.
"A while?! What do you mean, a while?!" Xinlong asks, wounding an arm around Sanghyeon shoulder and almost pushing him into a headlock.
"Give or take a few months." Sanghyeon guesses, pretending to think.
"You don't know when you had sex for the first time?" Xinlong asks him.
Leo, Jiahao and Sangwon were still laughing uncontrollably.
"I mean I know, but it's too much specifics, and it's... weird to share, maybe?"
"I'm killing you." Anxin says with a straight face. "Nothing is too weird to share right now."
Jiahao's laughter cuts off with a choke, "Wait."
It's that tone that attracts everyone's attention immediately.
Jiahao's mouth drops, and he looks at everyone, "wait. Anxin's question was 'never have I ever fucked someone from the same group' and this is the only group Sanghyeon's ever been - "
"Motherfucker." Anxin curses, realizing. And then he jostles Sanghyeon, "You're insane."
"Listen - " Sanghyeon says around a bout of laughter.
Anxin's eyes to the table the same time the others' does and he sees Sangwon's, Leo's, Jiahao's and Sanghyeon's were the only ones empty.
"Absolutely not." Leo says before Anxin can even open his mouth.
"With Sangwon?" Junseo asks, the only one calm amongst them still. A model of goodwill.
Anxin points at Jiahao, "his cup's empty too."
Everyone silences once again.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Junseo says at last. "Our manager will have a stroke, keep it out of his ears."
"Yeah, except we were talking about Sanghyeon." Jiahao says.
Anxin's jaw slackens, "you - " he takes a deep breath, feeling laughter rise up his throat. Sangwon is smiling into his bottle, face and ear flushed. "Hyung?!"
"This is ridiculous - " Sanghyeon starts.
"No, wait." Xinlong cuts him off, laughing all over again. "Wait, so is Sangwon hyung the same person who took your virginity and the one from the group that - "
"Yes, ugh. Listen - "
"You fucked Sanghyeon and you didn't tell me!?" Anxin asks Sangwon.
Sangwon clears his throat, "technically, he fucked me, so - "
"That is not relevant?!"
"Stop, please shut up - " Junseo says.
"No, no - go on. Please go on." Jiahao says.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me." Anxin says.
"It was a recent development." Sanghyeon says in Sangwon's defense. "Hyung hasn't had time in ages, and we didn't even - "
"I can't believe you didn't tell me."
"A recent development so Sanghyeon didn't either..." Sangwon repeats.
"I think I'm realizing just now how often they do this." Xinlong says in awe.
"What, how often they fuck around?" Jiahao asks, leaning in. He was oddly invested.
"No, you heathen." He remedies with a smile, "ge." And continues, "no, they always do this - they're always annoyingly defensive of each other."
"Not always." Sanghyeon says with an eyeroll.
"I mean." Sangwon gives him a look.
"Is it always?"
"Yes, it is." Xinlong says without waiting for Sangwon.
Anxin sits down.
All this means a lot but it also means Anxin wasn't overthinking anything and his consciousness probably knew this a long way back and he just never caught on.
Leo passes them all a drink, and Anxin settles down, pulling Xinlong to sit down next to him.
"So, since when."
"Boring." Jiahao tells Junseo, and then looks at Sangwon, "was it good?"
Junseo throws a pillow at Jiahao's face.
"It's very telling about our group that Sangwon is the one who took Sanghyeon's virginity." Leo comments offhandedly.
"I was also his first kiss. Funnily enough." Sangwon says, clinking his glass with Sanghyeon with a laugh.
"Was it good?!" Jiahao asks again.
"Can we stop asking that?" Anxin asks, and then, "so was it only just one time or did all the ten times I catch you in his bed mean that it was an after-fuck cuddle session?"
"And my question was weird?" Jiahao asks.
"I plead the fifth." Sanghyeon says dryly. "Leave me alone."
"Okay." Anxin says obediently, then kneels his way to Sangwon, "so was it good."
"Exactly." Jiahao agrees.
"Showstopping." Sangwon says with a straight face, deadpan.
"Can you be serious?"
"Can we all sleep?" Junseo asks.
Sanghyeon cuts in, "we should talk about Leo-hyung and Hao-ge too."
Leo shakes his head, "there's nothing better than talking about fresh meat."
"I know you said that in the sense that they're new and they're exciting more than we are but have you realized the phrasing is..."
"For fuck's sake." Sanghyeon covers his face.
Sangwon reaches in to pat his head, softy prompting, "never have I ever sworn to never play never have I ever again."
Sanghyeon drinks without hesitation.
Anxin's spine straightens with a zing, "wait, you said you confessed to someone while drunk and you said it went fine, does that mean - "
Junseo bangs his head to the table.