(for mydaedream) 100 Problems Of You
For: mydaedream
Title: 100 Problems of You
Pairing: Jongin/Chen
Word Count: ~4,000 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: profanity, mentions of drinking, absurd amounts of fluff
Summary: Contrary to popular belief (his friends), Jongdae doesn’t hate his roommate. He just can’t believe how impossibly adorably sexy and so very straight Jongin is.
Author’s Note: I know this doesn’t go exactly according to one of your prompts, but I hope you’ll like it ;; I feel really insecure about this because it didn’t turn out as Jongin-focused as I wanted it to be? I’m sorry, I can’t seem to write coherent sentences very well!!!
For the third time this week Jongdae blearily stumbles out of bed only to trip over yet another unfamiliar balled up shirt. His only logical solution at eight in the morning is to call someone.
That someone ends up being Baekhyun who is probably going to give him an earful for disrupting his crucial beauty sleep. “What the hell is it now.” Baekhyun sounds like he swallowed a running lawnmower.
“I think I’m going to die.” Jongdae tosses the balled up shirt - he’s one nerve impulse away from a mouthful of fabric because it smells so good - on the coffee table and flops on the couch like a fish out of water.
“Are you high? Jesus, it’s not even noon.” Jongdae hears someone else chuckle on the other end of the line. Chanyeol probably crashed at Baekhyun’s again.
“No! My feet got caught in another one of Jongin’s t-shirts and I almost divebombed to my death.” Something’s poking Jongdae’s butt. He lifts a cheek and reaches under to find potato chip crumbs. He thinks his hygiene is also going to retire soon.
“Please Jongdae, it’s Sunday morning. I don’t want to hear another one of your spiels regarding your fire-hot roommate.” Baekhyun sighs.
“But-”
“Nope! No ‘but’s, goodbye. Good morning.”
“But Baekhyun!” Another sigh. Jongdae continues before Baekhyun can hang up on him. “It was Sunday morning three mornings ago.”
A pause.
“Fuck, dammit. Fuck. Fucking shit. Chanyeol get up, I have class in like-” Jongdae assumes Baekhyun’s hopping into sweats and checking his alarm clock, which seems to have failed to do it’s job. At least he knows what to get Baekhyun for Christmas. “Twenty minutes! Oh my god, get up you fat lard!”
The line goes fuzzy for a second and then it’s- “Chanyeol speaking. I don’t understand why Baekhyun’s trying to wake me up when he’s the one who decided to major in Computer Science and have daily hell lectures with Professor Cho.”
There’s a flurry of distant expletives and Chanyeol’s obnoxious laughter, being the unhelpful nuisance he always is, so Jongdae jabs the ‘End’ button on his screen.
Jongdae turns onto his side and immediately spots the problematic white shirt rumpled on the table where he usually sits and munches on a bowl of fruity cereal.
He somehow conjures the mental image of Jongin spooning cereal into his mouth, milk dribbling down his naked, golden chest-
Jongdae thinks Jongin is just as troublesome as the shirts he sheds around their shared dorm.
♡♡♡♡♡
Unfortunately, Jongdae happens to be the most unlucky person on the planet because he walks into his favorite cafe after Biochem and spots Jongin on shift. In the small amount of successfully coherent conversations Jongdae has had with Jongin, he figured out that the younger guy usually works evening shifts, but on rare occasions fills in during the daytime for various reasons.
He considers making a u-turn, but with entrance to the cafe comes a jingle from the bell above the door and Jongin’s sleepy eyes land straight on Jongdae. He doesn’t notice the sudden twinkle of recognition that comes from the boy’s chocolate brown eyes.
Maybe because there’s a pair of pretty girls with long hair and pale faces trying to woo Jongin at the register. Every straight man’s dream. Jongdae exhales noisily, thankful for the rush of warmth that heats up his reddened nose. He extracts his chilly hands from his coat pockets to ruffle his hair in a sad attempt to look presentable as he slowly shuffles over to the counter.
Jongin offers small smiles to the girls one last time before he directs his genuine attention to his roommate. “Hey Jongdae.”
“Hi.” Jongdae’s not blushing. It’s the furnace-like temperature in the establishment added onto his triple layers of clothing to prevent frostbite in this horrendous winter. If Jongin detects Jongdae’s emotional predicament equivalent to that of a hormonal high school girl, he doesn’t show it.
The pretty girls give Jongdae a disgruntled once-over and walk away with a flip of strawberry scented hair. Jongin’s shoulders sag in relief and Jongdae tilts his head in question. “I thought I was never going to get rid of them. I could feel Minseok’s eyes burning holes through the back of my head like he’s already planning to give me the ‘Most Incompetent Employee’ award at the end of the month.”
Jongdae snorts. “Can he even do that?” He chances a glance at manager Minseok and finds it impossible to believe that such a cute face could make such a snide comment. Then Minseok spills a shot of espresso on the marble counter and his eyes shrink to threatening slits fit for laser beams.
“He definitely can and will if deemed necessary.” Jongin mumbles. He chews on his plump bottom lip as he brushes a hand over his apron. Jongdae considers this to be dangerous territory so he moves his gaze up, now realizing how long Jongin’s hair has grown out. His fringe reaches just over his eyes, slightly waved to make him look like an adorable puppy.
“Note taken.” Jongdae thinks there’s no reason to actually keep that point in mind since he only ever talked to Minseok once. And that was to order a chai-
“Should I get you a chai tea?” Jongin asks, low voice breaking through Jongdae’s thoughts. Jongdae appreciates how Jongin remembers his favorite drink, fingers poised over the touch screen of the register, ready to punch in the order.
It would be perfect except Jongdae would prefer it to be-
“Chai latte? Since it’s freezing out there?” A corner of Jongin’s mouth curves up and Jongdae is sure his insides are melting.
“Yes?” Jongdae squeaks. Okay now he’s blushing. A moment of weakness makes him sound like he’s reminiscing the joys of puberty. He hands Jongin some bills, dropping the change he gets back in the small tip jar.
“Okay?” Jongin laughs, but then quickly hides it with the back of his hand. There’s only so much cuteness Jongdae can take at once and his limit is quickly approaching.
“Why do we sound so interrogative?” Jongdae tries to play off his internal turmoil of wanting to pinch Jongin’s cheeks and sticking his cold hands under Jongin’s cream knit sweater. He assumes he succeeds at masking his emotions when Jongin just shakes his head, lips quivering as he walks back to brew up Jongdae’s drink.
A few minutes of idle whistling and people-watching - not that many students are here considering it’s still only 10 am - pass before Jongin returns to the serving area with a paper cup nestled between his palms.
“Chai tea latte for Jongdae.” Jongin smiles so widely as he passes the cup over that Jongdae almost concludes that he did actually die this morning tripping over that blasted shirt and is now in heaven. Jongin’s teeth are so perfect and pearly white, eyes and nose crinkling so adorably, lighting up Jongdae’s world like nobody else-
Jongdae needs to stop hanging out with Baekhyun and dealing with his Harry Styles obsession.
“Thanks,” Jongdae swears he’s wheezing and near cardiac arrest, but Jongin’s still smiling gorgeously like he doesn’t realize the effects of his own happiness.
And then of course their fingers just have to graze each other when Jongdae reaches for his drink. It’s a blessing that Jongdae doesn’t have a seizure from the electric currents that come with the single warm touch. It’s a shame that he can’t just clasp Jongin’s hand in his and kiss him over the counter. Or pass out and have selective amnesia to erase his feelings for his college roommate.
Except that’s probably impossible because no one can deny how fucking hot Jongin is. It’s just a plus that he’s also extremely sweet and sometimes dorky.
“Um, so…”
The front door jingles and a big group of girls march in, none of them sparing Jongdae a glance as they cut past him to get in line with hearts in their eyes. Jongin, being the nice, obliviously good employee that he is, greets them with a chipper Welcome! A tall, skinny girl with pink-tipped blonde hair and a perpetually bored face is at the front, torso nearly leaned completely over to whisper seductively - Jongdae equates the situation to that of a peacock doing its mating dance, except she’s a girl - at Jongin.
Jongdae takes this as his cue to leave. He heads over to the door, tipping his cup lightly when Jongin spots him. “See you at home!”
Home. Yeah, Jongdae definitely likes the sound of that. He’s sure the girls in line do too because he can feel the glares poking at his back. His spirits are uplifted again despite the bite that hits him tenfold once he steps out of the cafe. The first sip of chai spreads a furnace through Jongdae’s body and he tucks his nose beneath the scarf around his neck.
When Jongdae returns to the dorms, he places his cup on his nightstand to take off his layers, but then he sees a flash of black in his periphery. He grabs the cup again and upon inspection, he realizes that Jongin sharpied poodles around Jongdae’s name on the holiday cup sleeve.
♡♡♡♡♡
“I can’t do it. He’s just too perfect.” Jongdae’s been whining about the Poodle Incident and everything else related to Jongin’s existence to Baekhyun for the past week.
Baekhyun’s ready to dive into a pool of acid in Speedo attire by this point, not as a result of Jongdae’s incessant ranting - although it does contribute to some of Baekhyun’s current state of insanity and frustration - but because he’s buried between mountains of textbooks and half-written-half-decent essays.
“Does this face look like it cares?” Baekhyun snaps his head up, squinting menacingly at Jongdae who’s dramatically wailing into Baekhyun’s pillow. He waits for Jongdae to turn his head toward him before he hisses and returns to slaving over his composition due in a few days.
“You’re a terrible best friend,” Jongdae sighs.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes, scratching at his head with the butt of his pen. “I could say the same. Seriously, what about “I’m busy, bye” do you not understand?”
“I-”
“It’s a rhetorical question. Your answering services are not required.” Baekhyun drawls, crumpling another sheet of paper and failing to shoot it into his trash bin for the fifth time in the past hour.
See, the thing is. Jongdae doesn’t really have a problem. He’ll admit it. He just needs to get some of his own anxiety off his shoulders.
Ever since the Poodle Incident Jongin has been everywhere. On Jongdae’s way to a lecture, at a burger place, the convenience store around the corner, hell they’ve even bumped into each other by the bathroom threshold. Jongdae spluttered and high-tailed right around for the last one though. Jongin was coming out dripping from a shower, suited in just a towel held loosely over his waist.
Jongdae could cry over the amount of beautiful dreams he had about Jongin’s subtle abs and toned arms since that fateful day. Baekhyun doesn’t need to know about that though.
The door to Baekhyun’s room slams open and Baekhyun nearly jumps a foot in the air, cursing with a hand over his heart. Chanyeol sashays - or at least attempts to with his elephant-like grace - into the room with a twelve pack of beer. “Alright bros. Friends. Bitches. We have a party to go to.” He puts his free hand on a cocked hip, like he expects the other two to up and out right now. He looks specially dolled up in tight, probably asphyxiating, jeans and a leather jacket over a simple white v-neck. He’s probably going to freeze his ass off though.
“No.” Baekhyun resumes to his (demise) studies once he gets over the mini heart attack Chanyeol caused upon entering the room.
“Oh come on Baek, you have a few days before any of that’s due.” He strides over to pick Baekhyun up with one arm before flinging him to his closet for a change of clothes. Then he sets down the beer and turns on Jongdae with a pointed finger. “And you. You need to get out and find another hot shot or man up and make out with Jongin or something, but either way we’re going out tonight and you’re gonna get laid. Bueno or non merci? Not that I’m giving you a choice.”
“Stop acting like you’re multilingual just because your traveling parents teach you a few words now and then.” Baekhyun snaps, but begins digging through his wardrobe regardless. He knows he can use a break.
Chanyeol ignores the snide comment, kicking his feet around as he drones on about this cute girl with really big eyes and heart-shaped lips in his Music Theory and Composition class. Jongdae just continues sulking about Jongin and Baekhyun wears the minimal amount of clothing to avoid hypothermia in this weather yet look smoking hot. Jongdae watches his friend smear kohl around his eyes and envies Baekhyun’s ability to flaunt.
Soon Chanyeol’s herding the two out of Baekhyun’s dorm to stop by Jongdae’s for him to get dressed as well. “Ready to turn up fellas?” Slang never sounds right on Chanyeol’s tongue. Baekhyun and Jongdae exchange looks.
“Why am I your friend. How are you our friend.” Baekhyun legitimately looks concerned for his well-being and past life choices, but Chanyeol continues pushing them out into the hallway, barely allowing Baekhyun to lock his door.
“I know. I’m awesome.” Baekhyun groans, regretting agreement to go out tonight with the buffoon.
♡♡♡♡♡
This was probably a bad idea. Jongdae wants to strangle Chanyeol and possibly Baekhyun for finding a catch within five minutes of walking into the frat party. Jongdae had about three? five? maybe eight shots of something heavy and sweet. So naturally, he’s feeling a little tipped over and a little too happy all of a sudden.
The extra happiness could also be due to Jongin standing against a wall across the room, denying a good handful of girls asking him for a dance. There seems to be a neverending pattern of girls trailing after Jongin only to be rejected by him. Not that Jongdae’s complaining, but he’s not really in a position to rejoice either.
Jongin looks extra spicy today on the hotness scale, dressed in black jeans that hug and accentuate his long legs and a navy blue long-sleeve button up. He might be a bit too covered up for a party, but given the weather there’s not much to be done about it. Jongdae thinks he’s all the more beautiful anyway. Especially with that slicked back hair that Jongdae wants to run his fingers through and ruin-
Maybe he had one too many drinks.
The moment his vision flips out and provides the image of two Jongins, said boy’s eyes meet Jongdae’s. Jongdae’s heart jumps to his throat and he really hopes he isn’t imagining the grin that appears on Jongin’s face.
Jongdae zeroes in on Jongin’s long long legs until he realizes that Jongin made his way across the room and is now standing in front of him. “Hi.”
“You look really good,” Jongdae slurs, not thinking twice when he reaches up and pokes Jongin’s revealed forehead. Static on his fingertips.
Jongin blushes, but Jongdae’s too trashed to see it. “Thanks. You too.”
“Aw, you’re too cute.” Jongin turns even more red, but Jongdae’s words catch up to himself. “Wait, fuck, I didn’t say that.”
The younger boy’s smile turns upside down the slightest bit and Jongdae frowns too. His fingers move on their own accord to smoosh Jongin’s cheeks and prod at the corners of his mouth. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t mean it though. Smile for me.”
Sure enough, Jongin’s showing his teeth again and Jongdae sees stars.
“I feel sick.” Jongin instantly looks worried and Jongdae wonders when the shy mystery roommate became so facially expressive.
“I can take you home.” Jongin steadies Jongdae when he starts swaying a little. Jongdae’s going to punch himself later for leaning into the touch. If he remembers anyway.
Home. “Sounds domestic.” Jongdae starts walking to the exit anyway.
“I- Um, I didn’t mean it that way.” They hit the cool night air outside and Jongdae turns around to face his roommate. Jongin looks pale. “Sorry, forget I said anything.”
“No, no. Take me. I’m not much of a partier anyway.” Jongin’s eyebrow lifts at his inebriation. “Doesn’t mean I don’t drink though.” He doesn’t bother looking for Baekhyun and Chanyeol since they most likely won’t be going back to their places at the end of the night anyway.
They get in Jongin’s car and he drives them to their dorm complex. It’s only a twenty minute drive from the frat house, but somewhere between staring at Jongin’s profile lit by street lamps and drawing swirls on the foggy window Jongdae falls in and out of sleep to the lull of Christmas music playing on the station Jongin switched to.
Jongdae’s shaken awake lightly when they’re parked in front of their room number in the basement garage. The short nap allowed Jongdae to rejuvenate and feel much more sober than he did at the party. He can feel a headache coming on and he groans as he gets out of the passenger seat, heavily trodding to the elevator.
As soon as they step foot in their dorm, Jongin heads to the kitchen while Jongdae tugs his jacket off. Jongin returns with two pills of aspirin and a glass of cold water, which Jongdae thanks him for. After downing the pills, Jongdae sets the glass down on the small dining table and he pats Jongin’s head with a lopsided grin.
“Cat.” Jongin murmurs, looking amused.
“Hm?”
“You look like a cat when you do that.” This time Jongin pokes at Jongdae’s mouth. “Pretty smile.”
Jongdae stares. And stares. He’s not drunk enough for this. “You’re one to talk.”
“What-”
And then you see, God lets Jongdae See the Light, shining down a ray of opportunity and Jongdae decides, “Fuck it.”
To make things simple, he kisses Jongin and fireworks might as well be going off outside the balcony because holy fuck I’m kissing Jongin.
Just as Jongdae’s about to pull back and apologize profusely for tainting Jongin’s straight lips when Jongin starts kissing him back.
Wait.
Jongdae pulls back quick enough to give himself whiplash, mouth gaping and lips swollen. “You-”
Jongin gently guides Jongdae until his back hits the wall and Jongin hovers protectively over him. Jongin’s never looked quite so tall before, but Jongdae likes how he has a good amount of inches on him. It’s silent for a few minutes as Jongin leans in dangerously close, unaffected by the alcohol on Jongdae’s breath while his eyes bore into Jongdae’s. “Can I ask you something?”
Jongdae doesn’t have the words or the voice to speak so he just nods.
“I know you’ve shown interest in me for a while now.” Jongdae curses his inability to act professionally in the midst of Feelings. “So why haven’t you done anything about it until now?”
“Um,” Jongdae is so confused. “Did you want me to?”
“Yeah.” The way Jongin responds makes him sound so sure of himself that it makes Jongdae feel the tiniest bit lightheaded because he thinks his dreams are becoming reality???
“So you…”
“Like you. Yes.” Jongin chuckles, nose brushing against Jongdae’s.
“But I thought you were straight?” Jongdae must be dreaming. Or high. Or dead in a puddle of his own vomit.
Jongin cocks a brow. “What made you think that?”
“Well you never told me you were gay? And you like girls? Like Han Yeseul?”
“You think Zhang Li Yin from your Calc class is cute too. It doesn’t have to mean something like that though.
Jongdae thinks about it for a second. Touche. This will explain a lot of things.
Jongin shakes his head with a smirk before their lips touch for the second time that night.
Jongdae’s slow to respond to Jongin’s soft lips sliding over his at first because he’s in shock at the sudden confession, but then Jongin grips his hips and slides a knee between his legs. Later Jongdae will deny it, but in that moment he outright moans and wills every cell of his being to hold back from grinding against his roommate/crush/possibly boyfriend?’s thigh.
It’s all too much. Jongdae thinks he should explore the art of Kissing Jongin more with his tongue to figure out where they stand from here on out. It’s a good thing Jongin is up for it.
He runs fingers through Jongin’s gelled hair, mussing it up so he can pull at it somewhere in the course to Jongdae’s bedroom. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.” Jongin hums against his pulse, hands deftly unbuttoning his shirt. “Does this mean I can finally see your hot body.”
Jongin laughs into the skin above Jongdae’s collarbones, “Yes. You can see it all you want for the rest of forever. And guess what? You can touch too.” He shakes the shirt off his shoulders and throws it on the ground. Now Jongdae sees why he’s always tripping over shirts, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. Especially since they have a lot of time to share now.
But for now, Jongdae must fixate on more pressing needs such as Jongin’s bare chest and stomach, which ripples under his touch.
Jongdae really hopes he doesn’t forget any of this in the morning.
♡♡♡♡♡
SOME TIME LATER...
“You know, I never should’ve rooted you on to get your man if I knew you guys were going to be this gross.”
Jongdae throws a napkin in the general vicinity of where Baekhyun is seated on the floor without detaching himself from Jongin’s mouth. He misses by a long shot and Baekhyun snorts. Chanyeol’s absorbed in the Star Wars rerun playing on TV, messily grubbing on fried chicken. Jongdae knows he achieved something great since Jongin’s eating his face rather than his beloved chicken.
At some point Jongdae breaks off to refill his lungs, but the smile never leaves his face. Baekhyun moves on to flicking packets of ketchup at Chanyeol who doesn’t even flinch.
Jongin tucks a stray strand of hair behind Jongdae’s ear before the hand trails down to prod at the fading red spot on his neck. Jongdae shivers in response, knowing perfectly well how that mark got there. “Come home with me.”
“We are home though?” Jongdae chuckles breathily, hands smoothing out the wrinkles in Jongin’s shirt collar where he’d been fisting at it.
“No, I mean home. My home. Now that it’s winter break.” Jongin tilts Jongdae’s chin up with two fingers, tongue peeking out to lick at his reddened lips. Jongdae’s cheeks burn under the scrutiny and the proposition.
“Oh. Like a meet the parents kind of thing?” Jongdae shuffles out of Jongin’s lap, but sticks close to his side. He’s suddenly nervous.
“Mm. Not necessarily, but I’m sure they’ll be glad to meet you.” Jongin plants a wet kiss on Jongdae’s cheek to which he scrunches his nose in mock disgust. “My poodles too.”
Jongdae blanches. “Of course.” Jongin tilts his head in confusion, but Jongdae dismisses the thought.
After some careful thinking and fiddling with Jongin’s big hands, Jongdae tentatively replies, “Okay.”
The smile he gets in return makes it all worth it.
Title: 100 Problems of You
Pairing: Jongin/Chen
Word Count: ~4,000 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: profanity, mentions of drinking, absurd amounts of fluff
Summary: Contrary to popular belief (his friends), Jongdae doesn’t hate his roommate. He just can’t believe how impossibly adorably sexy and so very straight Jongin is.
Author’s Note: I know this doesn’t go exactly according to one of your prompts, but I hope you’ll like it ;; I feel really insecure about this because it didn’t turn out as Jongin-focused as I wanted it to be? I’m sorry, I can’t seem to write coherent sentences very well!!!
For the third time this week Jongdae blearily stumbles out of bed only to trip over yet another unfamiliar balled up shirt. His only logical solution at eight in the morning is to call someone.
That someone ends up being Baekhyun who is probably going to give him an earful for disrupting his crucial beauty sleep. “What the hell is it now.” Baekhyun sounds like he swallowed a running lawnmower.
“I think I’m going to die.” Jongdae tosses the balled up shirt - he’s one nerve impulse away from a mouthful of fabric because it smells so good - on the coffee table and flops on the couch like a fish out of water.
“Are you high? Jesus, it’s not even noon.” Jongdae hears someone else chuckle on the other end of the line. Chanyeol probably crashed at Baekhyun’s again.
“No! My feet got caught in another one of Jongin’s t-shirts and I almost divebombed to my death.” Something’s poking Jongdae’s butt. He lifts a cheek and reaches under to find potato chip crumbs. He thinks his hygiene is also going to retire soon.
“Please Jongdae, it’s Sunday morning. I don’t want to hear another one of your spiels regarding your fire-hot roommate.” Baekhyun sighs.
“But-”
“Nope! No ‘but’s, goodbye. Good morning.”
“But Baekhyun!” Another sigh. Jongdae continues before Baekhyun can hang up on him. “It was Sunday morning three mornings ago.”
A pause.
“Fuck, dammit. Fuck. Fucking shit. Chanyeol get up, I have class in like-” Jongdae assumes Baekhyun’s hopping into sweats and checking his alarm clock, which seems to have failed to do it’s job. At least he knows what to get Baekhyun for Christmas. “Twenty minutes! Oh my god, get up you fat lard!”
The line goes fuzzy for a second and then it’s- “Chanyeol speaking. I don’t understand why Baekhyun’s trying to wake me up when he’s the one who decided to major in Computer Science and have daily hell lectures with Professor Cho.”
There’s a flurry of distant expletives and Chanyeol’s obnoxious laughter, being the unhelpful nuisance he always is, so Jongdae jabs the ‘End’ button on his screen.
Jongdae turns onto his side and immediately spots the problematic white shirt rumpled on the table where he usually sits and munches on a bowl of fruity cereal.
He somehow conjures the mental image of Jongin spooning cereal into his mouth, milk dribbling down his naked, golden chest-
Jongdae thinks Jongin is just as troublesome as the shirts he sheds around their shared dorm.
♡♡♡♡♡
Unfortunately, Jongdae happens to be the most unlucky person on the planet because he walks into his favorite cafe after Biochem and spots Jongin on shift. In the small amount of successfully coherent conversations Jongdae has had with Jongin, he figured out that the younger guy usually works evening shifts, but on rare occasions fills in during the daytime for various reasons.
He considers making a u-turn, but with entrance to the cafe comes a jingle from the bell above the door and Jongin’s sleepy eyes land straight on Jongdae. He doesn’t notice the sudden twinkle of recognition that comes from the boy’s chocolate brown eyes.
Maybe because there’s a pair of pretty girls with long hair and pale faces trying to woo Jongin at the register. Every straight man’s dream. Jongdae exhales noisily, thankful for the rush of warmth that heats up his reddened nose. He extracts his chilly hands from his coat pockets to ruffle his hair in a sad attempt to look presentable as he slowly shuffles over to the counter.
Jongin offers small smiles to the girls one last time before he directs his genuine attention to his roommate. “Hey Jongdae.”
“Hi.” Jongdae’s not blushing. It’s the furnace-like temperature in the establishment added onto his triple layers of clothing to prevent frostbite in this horrendous winter. If Jongin detects Jongdae’s emotional predicament equivalent to that of a hormonal high school girl, he doesn’t show it.
The pretty girls give Jongdae a disgruntled once-over and walk away with a flip of strawberry scented hair. Jongin’s shoulders sag in relief and Jongdae tilts his head in question. “I thought I was never going to get rid of them. I could feel Minseok’s eyes burning holes through the back of my head like he’s already planning to give me the ‘Most Incompetent Employee’ award at the end of the month.”
Jongdae snorts. “Can he even do that?” He chances a glance at manager Minseok and finds it impossible to believe that such a cute face could make such a snide comment. Then Minseok spills a shot of espresso on the marble counter and his eyes shrink to threatening slits fit for laser beams.
“He definitely can and will if deemed necessary.” Jongin mumbles. He chews on his plump bottom lip as he brushes a hand over his apron. Jongdae considers this to be dangerous territory so he moves his gaze up, now realizing how long Jongin’s hair has grown out. His fringe reaches just over his eyes, slightly waved to make him look like an adorable puppy.
“Note taken.” Jongdae thinks there’s no reason to actually keep that point in mind since he only ever talked to Minseok once. And that was to order a chai-
“Should I get you a chai tea?” Jongin asks, low voice breaking through Jongdae’s thoughts. Jongdae appreciates how Jongin remembers his favorite drink, fingers poised over the touch screen of the register, ready to punch in the order.
It would be perfect except Jongdae would prefer it to be-
“Chai latte? Since it’s freezing out there?” A corner of Jongin’s mouth curves up and Jongdae is sure his insides are melting.
“Yes?” Jongdae squeaks. Okay now he’s blushing. A moment of weakness makes him sound like he’s reminiscing the joys of puberty. He hands Jongin some bills, dropping the change he gets back in the small tip jar.
“Okay?” Jongin laughs, but then quickly hides it with the back of his hand. There’s only so much cuteness Jongdae can take at once and his limit is quickly approaching.
“Why do we sound so interrogative?” Jongdae tries to play off his internal turmoil of wanting to pinch Jongin’s cheeks and sticking his cold hands under Jongin’s cream knit sweater. He assumes he succeeds at masking his emotions when Jongin just shakes his head, lips quivering as he walks back to brew up Jongdae’s drink.
A few minutes of idle whistling and people-watching - not that many students are here considering it’s still only 10 am - pass before Jongin returns to the serving area with a paper cup nestled between his palms.
“Chai tea latte for Jongdae.” Jongin smiles so widely as he passes the cup over that Jongdae almost concludes that he did actually die this morning tripping over that blasted shirt and is now in heaven. Jongin’s teeth are so perfect and pearly white, eyes and nose crinkling so adorably, lighting up Jongdae’s world like nobody else-
Jongdae needs to stop hanging out with Baekhyun and dealing with his Harry Styles obsession.
“Thanks,” Jongdae swears he’s wheezing and near cardiac arrest, but Jongin’s still smiling gorgeously like he doesn’t realize the effects of his own happiness.
And then of course their fingers just have to graze each other when Jongdae reaches for his drink. It’s a blessing that Jongdae doesn’t have a seizure from the electric currents that come with the single warm touch. It’s a shame that he can’t just clasp Jongin’s hand in his and kiss him over the counter. Or pass out and have selective amnesia to erase his feelings for his college roommate.
Except that’s probably impossible because no one can deny how fucking hot Jongin is. It’s just a plus that he’s also extremely sweet and sometimes dorky.
“Um, so…”
The front door jingles and a big group of girls march in, none of them sparing Jongdae a glance as they cut past him to get in line with hearts in their eyes. Jongin, being the nice, obliviously good employee that he is, greets them with a chipper Welcome! A tall, skinny girl with pink-tipped blonde hair and a perpetually bored face is at the front, torso nearly leaned completely over to whisper seductively - Jongdae equates the situation to that of a peacock doing its mating dance, except she’s a girl - at Jongin.
Jongdae takes this as his cue to leave. He heads over to the door, tipping his cup lightly when Jongin spots him. “See you at home!”
Home. Yeah, Jongdae definitely likes the sound of that. He’s sure the girls in line do too because he can feel the glares poking at his back. His spirits are uplifted again despite the bite that hits him tenfold once he steps out of the cafe. The first sip of chai spreads a furnace through Jongdae’s body and he tucks his nose beneath the scarf around his neck.
When Jongdae returns to the dorms, he places his cup on his nightstand to take off his layers, but then he sees a flash of black in his periphery. He grabs the cup again and upon inspection, he realizes that Jongin sharpied poodles around Jongdae’s name on the holiday cup sleeve.
♡♡♡♡♡
“I can’t do it. He’s just too perfect.” Jongdae’s been whining about the Poodle Incident and everything else related to Jongin’s existence to Baekhyun for the past week.
Baekhyun’s ready to dive into a pool of acid in Speedo attire by this point, not as a result of Jongdae’s incessant ranting - although it does contribute to some of Baekhyun’s current state of insanity and frustration - but because he’s buried between mountains of textbooks and half-written-half-decent essays.
“Does this face look like it cares?” Baekhyun snaps his head up, squinting menacingly at Jongdae who’s dramatically wailing into Baekhyun’s pillow. He waits for Jongdae to turn his head toward him before he hisses and returns to slaving over his composition due in a few days.
“You’re a terrible best friend,” Jongdae sighs.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes, scratching at his head with the butt of his pen. “I could say the same. Seriously, what about “I’m busy, bye” do you not understand?”
“I-”
“It’s a rhetorical question. Your answering services are not required.” Baekhyun drawls, crumpling another sheet of paper and failing to shoot it into his trash bin for the fifth time in the past hour.
See, the thing is. Jongdae doesn’t really have a problem. He’ll admit it. He just needs to get some of his own anxiety off his shoulders.
Ever since the Poodle Incident Jongin has been everywhere. On Jongdae’s way to a lecture, at a burger place, the convenience store around the corner, hell they’ve even bumped into each other by the bathroom threshold. Jongdae spluttered and high-tailed right around for the last one though. Jongin was coming out dripping from a shower, suited in just a towel held loosely over his waist.
Jongdae could cry over the amount of beautiful dreams he had about Jongin’s subtle abs and toned arms since that fateful day. Baekhyun doesn’t need to know about that though.
The door to Baekhyun’s room slams open and Baekhyun nearly jumps a foot in the air, cursing with a hand over his heart. Chanyeol sashays - or at least attempts to with his elephant-like grace - into the room with a twelve pack of beer. “Alright bros. Friends. Bitches. We have a party to go to.” He puts his free hand on a cocked hip, like he expects the other two to up and out right now. He looks specially dolled up in tight, probably asphyxiating, jeans and a leather jacket over a simple white v-neck. He’s probably going to freeze his ass off though.
“No.” Baekhyun resumes to his (demise) studies once he gets over the mini heart attack Chanyeol caused upon entering the room.
“Oh come on Baek, you have a few days before any of that’s due.” He strides over to pick Baekhyun up with one arm before flinging him to his closet for a change of clothes. Then he sets down the beer and turns on Jongdae with a pointed finger. “And you. You need to get out and find another hot shot or man up and make out with Jongin or something, but either way we’re going out tonight and you’re gonna get laid. Bueno or non merci? Not that I’m giving you a choice.”
“Stop acting like you’re multilingual just because your traveling parents teach you a few words now and then.” Baekhyun snaps, but begins digging through his wardrobe regardless. He knows he can use a break.
Chanyeol ignores the snide comment, kicking his feet around as he drones on about this cute girl with really big eyes and heart-shaped lips in his Music Theory and Composition class. Jongdae just continues sulking about Jongin and Baekhyun wears the minimal amount of clothing to avoid hypothermia in this weather yet look smoking hot. Jongdae watches his friend smear kohl around his eyes and envies Baekhyun’s ability to flaunt.
Soon Chanyeol’s herding the two out of Baekhyun’s dorm to stop by Jongdae’s for him to get dressed as well. “Ready to turn up fellas?” Slang never sounds right on Chanyeol’s tongue. Baekhyun and Jongdae exchange looks.
“Why am I your friend. How are you our friend.” Baekhyun legitimately looks concerned for his well-being and past life choices, but Chanyeol continues pushing them out into the hallway, barely allowing Baekhyun to lock his door.
“I know. I’m awesome.” Baekhyun groans, regretting agreement to go out tonight with the buffoon.
♡♡♡♡♡
This was probably a bad idea. Jongdae wants to strangle Chanyeol and possibly Baekhyun for finding a catch within five minutes of walking into the frat party. Jongdae had about three? five? maybe eight shots of something heavy and sweet. So naturally, he’s feeling a little tipped over and a little too happy all of a sudden.
The extra happiness could also be due to Jongin standing against a wall across the room, denying a good handful of girls asking him for a dance. There seems to be a neverending pattern of girls trailing after Jongin only to be rejected by him. Not that Jongdae’s complaining, but he’s not really in a position to rejoice either.
Jongin looks extra spicy today on the hotness scale, dressed in black jeans that hug and accentuate his long legs and a navy blue long-sleeve button up. He might be a bit too covered up for a party, but given the weather there’s not much to be done about it. Jongdae thinks he’s all the more beautiful anyway. Especially with that slicked back hair that Jongdae wants to run his fingers through and ruin-
Maybe he had one too many drinks.
The moment his vision flips out and provides the image of two Jongins, said boy’s eyes meet Jongdae’s. Jongdae’s heart jumps to his throat and he really hopes he isn’t imagining the grin that appears on Jongin’s face.
Jongdae zeroes in on Jongin’s long long legs until he realizes that Jongin made his way across the room and is now standing in front of him. “Hi.”
“You look really good,” Jongdae slurs, not thinking twice when he reaches up and pokes Jongin’s revealed forehead. Static on his fingertips.
Jongin blushes, but Jongdae’s too trashed to see it. “Thanks. You too.”
“Aw, you’re too cute.” Jongin turns even more red, but Jongdae’s words catch up to himself. “Wait, fuck, I didn’t say that.”
The younger boy’s smile turns upside down the slightest bit and Jongdae frowns too. His fingers move on their own accord to smoosh Jongin’s cheeks and prod at the corners of his mouth. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t mean it though. Smile for me.”
Sure enough, Jongin’s showing his teeth again and Jongdae sees stars.
“I feel sick.” Jongin instantly looks worried and Jongdae wonders when the shy mystery roommate became so facially expressive.
“I can take you home.” Jongin steadies Jongdae when he starts swaying a little. Jongdae’s going to punch himself later for leaning into the touch. If he remembers anyway.
Home. “Sounds domestic.” Jongdae starts walking to the exit anyway.
“I- Um, I didn’t mean it that way.” They hit the cool night air outside and Jongdae turns around to face his roommate. Jongin looks pale. “Sorry, forget I said anything.”
“No, no. Take me. I’m not much of a partier anyway.” Jongin’s eyebrow lifts at his inebriation. “Doesn’t mean I don’t drink though.” He doesn’t bother looking for Baekhyun and Chanyeol since they most likely won’t be going back to their places at the end of the night anyway.
They get in Jongin’s car and he drives them to their dorm complex. It’s only a twenty minute drive from the frat house, but somewhere between staring at Jongin’s profile lit by street lamps and drawing swirls on the foggy window Jongdae falls in and out of sleep to the lull of Christmas music playing on the station Jongin switched to.
Jongdae’s shaken awake lightly when they’re parked in front of their room number in the basement garage. The short nap allowed Jongdae to rejuvenate and feel much more sober than he did at the party. He can feel a headache coming on and he groans as he gets out of the passenger seat, heavily trodding to the elevator.
As soon as they step foot in their dorm, Jongin heads to the kitchen while Jongdae tugs his jacket off. Jongin returns with two pills of aspirin and a glass of cold water, which Jongdae thanks him for. After downing the pills, Jongdae sets the glass down on the small dining table and he pats Jongin’s head with a lopsided grin.
“Cat.” Jongin murmurs, looking amused.
“Hm?”
“You look like a cat when you do that.” This time Jongin pokes at Jongdae’s mouth. “Pretty smile.”
Jongdae stares. And stares. He’s not drunk enough for this. “You’re one to talk.”
“What-”
And then you see, God lets Jongdae See the Light, shining down a ray of opportunity and Jongdae decides, “Fuck it.”
To make things simple, he kisses Jongin and fireworks might as well be going off outside the balcony because holy fuck I’m kissing Jongin.
Just as Jongdae’s about to pull back and apologize profusely for tainting Jongin’s straight lips when Jongin starts kissing him back.
Wait.
Jongdae pulls back quick enough to give himself whiplash, mouth gaping and lips swollen. “You-”
Jongin gently guides Jongdae until his back hits the wall and Jongin hovers protectively over him. Jongin’s never looked quite so tall before, but Jongdae likes how he has a good amount of inches on him. It’s silent for a few minutes as Jongin leans in dangerously close, unaffected by the alcohol on Jongdae’s breath while his eyes bore into Jongdae’s. “Can I ask you something?”
Jongdae doesn’t have the words or the voice to speak so he just nods.
“I know you’ve shown interest in me for a while now.” Jongdae curses his inability to act professionally in the midst of Feelings. “So why haven’t you done anything about it until now?”
“Um,” Jongdae is so confused. “Did you want me to?”
“Yeah.” The way Jongin responds makes him sound so sure of himself that it makes Jongdae feel the tiniest bit lightheaded because he thinks his dreams are becoming reality???
“So you…”
“Like you. Yes.” Jongin chuckles, nose brushing against Jongdae’s.
“But I thought you were straight?” Jongdae must be dreaming. Or high. Or dead in a puddle of his own vomit.
Jongin cocks a brow. “What made you think that?”
“Well you never told me you were gay? And you like girls? Like Han Yeseul?”
“You think Zhang Li Yin from your Calc class is cute too. It doesn’t have to mean something like that though.
Jongdae thinks about it for a second. Touche. This will explain a lot of things.
Jongin shakes his head with a smirk before their lips touch for the second time that night.
Jongdae’s slow to respond to Jongin’s soft lips sliding over his at first because he’s in shock at the sudden confession, but then Jongin grips his hips and slides a knee between his legs. Later Jongdae will deny it, but in that moment he outright moans and wills every cell of his being to hold back from grinding against his roommate/crush/possibly boyfriend?’s thigh.
It’s all too much. Jongdae thinks he should explore the art of Kissing Jongin more with his tongue to figure out where they stand from here on out. It’s a good thing Jongin is up for it.
He runs fingers through Jongin’s gelled hair, mussing it up so he can pull at it somewhere in the course to Jongdae’s bedroom. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.” Jongin hums against his pulse, hands deftly unbuttoning his shirt. “Does this mean I can finally see your hot body.”
Jongin laughs into the skin above Jongdae’s collarbones, “Yes. You can see it all you want for the rest of forever. And guess what? You can touch too.” He shakes the shirt off his shoulders and throws it on the ground. Now Jongdae sees why he’s always tripping over shirts, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. Especially since they have a lot of time to share now.
But for now, Jongdae must fixate on more pressing needs such as Jongin’s bare chest and stomach, which ripples under his touch.
Jongdae really hopes he doesn’t forget any of this in the morning.
♡♡♡♡♡
SOME TIME LATER...
“You know, I never should’ve rooted you on to get your man if I knew you guys were going to be this gross.”
Jongdae throws a napkin in the general vicinity of where Baekhyun is seated on the floor without detaching himself from Jongin’s mouth. He misses by a long shot and Baekhyun snorts. Chanyeol’s absorbed in the Star Wars rerun playing on TV, messily grubbing on fried chicken. Jongdae knows he achieved something great since Jongin’s eating his face rather than his beloved chicken.
At some point Jongdae breaks off to refill his lungs, but the smile never leaves his face. Baekhyun moves on to flicking packets of ketchup at Chanyeol who doesn’t even flinch.
Jongin tucks a stray strand of hair behind Jongdae’s ear before the hand trails down to prod at the fading red spot on his neck. Jongdae shivers in response, knowing perfectly well how that mark got there. “Come home with me.”
“We are home though?” Jongdae chuckles breathily, hands smoothing out the wrinkles in Jongin’s shirt collar where he’d been fisting at it.
“No, I mean home. My home. Now that it’s winter break.” Jongin tilts Jongdae’s chin up with two fingers, tongue peeking out to lick at his reddened lips. Jongdae’s cheeks burn under the scrutiny and the proposition.
“Oh. Like a meet the parents kind of thing?” Jongdae shuffles out of Jongin’s lap, but sticks close to his side. He’s suddenly nervous.
“Mm. Not necessarily, but I’m sure they’ll be glad to meet you.” Jongin plants a wet kiss on Jongdae’s cheek to which he scrunches his nose in mock disgust. “My poodles too.”
Jongdae blanches. “Of course.” Jongin tilts his head in confusion, but Jongdae dismisses the thought.
After some careful thinking and fiddling with Jongin’s big hands, Jongdae tentatively replies, “Okay.”
The smile he gets in return makes it all worth it.