Archive of Our Own

Daeyoung has been quietly freaking out ever since Sion told him weeks ago that Yushi was coming back to Korea and would need to stay with them for a while. He doesn't know the full details behind Yushi's decision to return after seven years —since Sion rarely tells Daeyoung anything about his best friend— besides that it's something related to Yushi's job.

But that's not the reason why he's freaking out. It'd be easier if it were. No, the reason involves matters of the heart, specifically the big fat crush Daeyoung's had on his brother's best friend since he was twelve. While Yushi was gone, it was easier to dismiss it, an out of sight, out of mind kind of thing (except for the times he got the urge to stalk Yushi's socials, curious of the man his hyung was growing into), but now, with the knowledge that Yushi would be a constant, physical presence in their lives once again, his feelings for his hyung escaped the mental box he stored them into, meant to be opened only when he felt waves of nostalgia.

He's currently pacing around the living room, biting at the skin around his fingernails because his brother is not home yet and Yushi might show up any minute, given the flight information Sion told him about. Why'd his brother wait until the last moment to go grocery shopping? Or better yet, why didn't he send Daeyoung to the store instead? Oh, right, because 'only I know what instant ramen Yushi likes', his brother insisted when Daeyoung proposed it, like he couldn't have just told Daeyoung what brand to get. But Daeyoung understands, Sion has always been a little bit possessive when it comes to Yushi. Still, he would've preferred his brother be here right now, already home from work were it not for his grocery shopping stop.

Daeyoung keeps pacing around, too aware of every corner of the apartment—he should've mopped the floors better, the plants on the balcony seem quenched, there's a leftover scent of eggs from breakfast, somehow. He should at least deal with that. He grabs the room spray from the kitchen counter where it usually rests and barely gets to spray once when a sound coming from the door startles him so much he drops the bottle to the floor, clinking harshly against the hardwood. "C-coming!" he announces before he takes a deep breath in and puts on what he hopes comes across as a relaxed smile. Then he opens the door.

"Yushi hyung!" he says, more excited than he would prefer. He has to admit he panicked a little at the sight of Yushi, the words coming out before he could register them. It's not that he didn't know what Yushi looked like these days; again, he's been embarrassingly stalking his socials for years (though Yushi doesn't know Daeyoung even has his socials, because by the time Daeyoung became interested enough in being active on social media, Yushi had already moved back to Japan), it's just that seeing the real thing, after so many years, made his brain short circuit. Yushi is so handsome. It's so unfair that Sion got to him first, even if they're just friends. Daeyoung is not one to overstep boundaries, he'd never think to try and get close to Sion's friends if his brother didn't propose it, so he's fine with pining from afar—has been for many years now.

"Come in, we were waiting for you. Let me take that," he offers at last, reaching towards Yushi's suitcase, at which Yushi takes a wary small step back. Daeyoung is confused at the action.

"I'm sorry, who…?" Yushi begins with a lost look on his face. There's a few seconds in which the older scans him with his gaze, suddenly making Daeyoung feel extremely exposed, and not just from the tank top he's wearing. Realization seems to settle over Yushi, and then, "Oh my god. Dae— Daeyoung?"

Did Yushi really not recognize him? Daeyoung thinks he hasn't changed all that much. Sure, he's taller and more fit than the last time they saw each other, but it can't be that big of a change. He supposes Yushi didn't pay enough attention to him when they were younger, and that stings a little, but it's fine. Yushi is Sion's friend, after all.

"In the flesh," Daeyoung supplies a cheeky reply.

His hyung chuckles at that, and it's a beautiful sound. He doesn't remember Yushi laughing at something he said before, so Daeyoung may or may not make it his mission during Yushi's stay to get more laughs out of him, louder and fuller ones, like the ones he heard coming from Sion's room when they were little.

"Witty and handsome, huh, Daeyoung-ah? Looks like you've grown up well." Yushi says, and Daeyoung's not sure what to do with himself.

"A-ah, I suppose so." He laughs nervously. "Let's go inside. Sion hyung should be back any minute."

"Where is he?"

"He stopped by the store on his way from work to grab some of the instant ramen you like," he explains as he steps aside to let Yushi go in. "You can put your things in my room." He points to the door. "I'll sleep on the couch while you're here so I won't bother you much."

"Eh? I can't let you do that, this is your home."

"No, no, it's okay, I—"

Daeyoung gets interrupted by the entrance door opening, both of them turning towards it. It doesn't take long for Sion's gaze to meet Yushi's. "Ushi-ya!" Sion says, hurriedly kicking off his shoes and dropping his grocery bag by the door. Next thing Daeyoung knows, Yushi's being pulled into a crushing, warm hug, his arms curling around Sion's waist as if on instict. "Hyung!" Yushi replies, though in a lower tone than Sion's. They sway in place for a few long moments before pulling apart, oblivious to the awkwardness Daeyoung feels next to them. Daeyoung realizes he didn't get a hug from Yushi and it sours his mood for a bit, before he mentally scolds himself for expecting a hug from a person he's never been that close with in the first place. Yushi didn't even recognize him at first, for God's sake.

"Ahem," Daeyoung clears his throat. He wishes he could enjoy the sight of two best friends reuniting, but he feels uncharacteristically bitter. He should keep himself in check because he has weeks of more of this kind of affection up ahead. "Since you're back, hyung, I'll go now. I'm meeting with Sakuya and Ryo and I'm already running late."

"Okay, Daeyoungie," his brother replies. "Will you be back late?"

"Dunno, I'll text you." Daeyoung grabs his flannel shirt that was resting on the back of the sofa along with his bag off the floor then heads out, relieved to finally be out of the house. Unbeknownst to him, Yushi's eyes stay trained on him until he disappears behind the door. And not only that, but a pretty interesting conversation takes places in his absence, which goes something like:

"Hyung, what the hell?"

Sion's eyes widen. "What?"

"How come you never told me Daeyoung got so hot?"

"Why would I ever say that about my brother, Yushi? Are you hearing yourself?"

"Why? Because I'm single as fuck and you got real life Adonis in your house?"

Sion can't help but laugh at that. He's never seen his brother as more than an adorable dork. Plus, Yushi's only spent like, what, five minutes with Daeyoung just now and he's whipped?

"Don't get any nasty ideas about my brother, please," Sion urges. "I know you and what you're capable of."

"So you know I'm gonna fuck him?" Yushi says with the same certainty and monotony one would declare that water is wet.

"Jesus, Yushi!" Sion's voice raises, exasperated. "Don't— don't even say that to me."

"I'm sorry."

Sion sighs, rubbing his temples. He plops down on the sofa, his back hitting the cushions. Yushi follows, sitting down and placing Sion's head in his lap. He runs a hand through Sion's hair, trying to soothe him, as if he isn't Sion's source of frustration right now. "Sorry, hyung," Yushi speaks, "I just— when I laid eyes on him I had this, like, bodily reaction. He's so attractive… How'd little Daeyoungie turn out this way?"

Sion's annoyance dissolves. He can't stay mad at Yushi for too long—not that there's anything to be mad about, he's simply surprised. "Good genes, I suppose,"he says. "I mean, isn't your hyung even hotter?" he flirts, because he knows it always gets a reaction out of Yushi.

"Eugh, gross." Yushi pushes Sion off his lap. "You got a boyfriend."

"Come onnn," Sion says as he sits up, "you know Riku wouldn't mind you being our third." He wiggles his eyebrows in Yushi's direction, and the younger rolls his eyes.

"I'm good. I'm not into that poly stuff."

Sion laughs. "Right. You're just into my brother."

"He's so hot, hyung…" Yushi's voice is shy and small, but Sion knows there's no real shame in it.

"Okay, I got it! Just… be careful with him, please?" Yushi raises an eyebrow, curious. "Daeyoungie… he's sensitive. I don't think he can do casual stuff. And I love you, Yushi, but I love my brother as well. So please, don't hurt him."

Yushi nods. "I won't. I promise."

~

Meeting up with Sakuya and Ryo is a nice distraction. They're Daeyoung's juniors from the film department whom he's tutored in Korean for almost a year now, and along the way, he considers they've become friends, so much so that he didn't even think twice before agreeing to help them with their final assignment for this semester—a short video using the ballad Daeyoung submitted for his own final assignment, one that he wrote and composed himself, as the background music.

They insisted on showing Daeyoung the finished clip, even though he trusted they did well with his piece, because they needed him to check if their explanations of the process behind the video were proper enough, so now they're in a corner table of their favorite cafe, Ryo's laptop open in front of Daeyoung as the video plays out, each of the boys taking turns explaining their thought process, pausing and rewinding where they felt the need to explain more. Daeyoung wishes he could properly focus, but having his song play through the airpod in his right ear keeps reminding him that he'll have to perform this at the upcoming university festival, for which he's incredibly nervous. Don't get him wrong, he loves performing, but he's never sung an original piece before.

And as if his worries regarding the performance weren't enough, he now has to deal with his childhood crush existing in his space, beautiful and untouchable as always. It's a lot. He wonders what kind of person Yushi grew into, if he's overcome his shyness, if food still lifts up his mood like nothing else, if he still likes soccer and EXO's Kai, what kind of men he's into—no, he can't allow himself to go there. But his thoughts still float around Yushi, the murmur of the cafe he's in and his friends' animated voices fading in the background.

"And that's pretty much it. What do you think? Hyung?"

Ryo's voice snaps Daeyoung out of his Yushi-related thoughts, and he realizes he completely missed what Ryo was explaining to him for maybe the past five minutes. One moment he was immersed in the storyline his friends created, the next his mind was drifting towards images from years ago: Yushi on the soccer field, Yushi laughing with Sion in their childhood home, Yushi telling Sion he was moving back to Japan. Yushi, Yushi, Yushi.

Daeyoung blinks a few times, reassessing his surroundings. "Sorry. Yeah, uh, you did a great job. With the video and… the speaking."

"Ah, hyung!" Ryo whines. "You totally spaced out for like, half of it."

"It's on you that you didn't notice," Sakuya supplies from the other side of the table.

"I did notice," Ryo counters. "I just wanted to see how long it'd take for him to come back to Earth."

"I'm sorry. Could you run through it again?"

Ryo sighs, then shuts the lid of his laptop. "No, tell us what's up with you first. You're never this distracted."

Daeyoung's not really pleased with the prospect of letting these two in on his romantic life, or the non-existent part of it, not because he doesn't trust them—he does, and in this past year spent with them he could even say he loves them with how quick they managed to warm their way up into his life. Problem is, they have the worst intuition when it comes to these things. When he first introduced them to his brother and his boyfriend, they thought Riku was in love with him.

"That's because Riku hyung was resting his head on your shoulder while shying away from eye contact with Sion hyung! What else were we supposed to think!" Ryo argued when Daeyoung confronted them about it because they tried hinting at Daeyoung shooting his shot with Riku. Gross. Riku is so much an extension of Sion that even if the two of them weren't dating, Daeyoung would still feel iffy about pursuing him. Riku is just touchy as a person, especially with people younger than him, and he's sort of terrified of eye contact with Sion even though they've dated for two years now (it beats Daeyoung how that is even possible, really). So yeah, Sakuya and Ryo don't have a great grasp on these things, so if he were to tell them about Yushi, they'd find a way to meddle with it, he's sure. And that's the last thing he wants when Yushi is so off limits for him.

"It's just some stuff at home, don't worry too much about it," Daeyoung tries to brush it off.

"It's about Yushi hyung, isn't it?" Sakuya interferes.

"Yea— huh?"

Rewind that. In what world do these two know Yushi, even more so to call him 'hyung'?

"How do you—" Daeyoung begins, and is quickly cut off by Ryo.

"We met him on videocall once when Sion hyung treated us to dinner. It was when you had that singing competition in Busan."

Oh, okay. That happened months ago. So everyone has had access to Yushi hyung except Daeyoung. Cool cool cool.

"And are you guys close with him, or?…"

"Kinda?" Ryo replies. "We play Minecraft sometimes and he said he'd buy us a meal when we meet."

This is terrible. It wasn't enough that his brother is Yushi's best friend, now Daeyoung's own friends are closer to Yushi than he is. Just his luck. It might've been a bad idea to introduce his friends to Sion and Riku, but he likes it when his favorite people are all together, sue him…

Daeyoung can feel himself get irritated, so he takes a sip of his matcha latte and tries to calm down. He hopes his friends will drop the topic because he's heard enough. He didn't expect to hear anything in the first place, and now that he has, he doesn't like it.

"Hyung?" Ryo prods, seeing Daeyoung fall silent.

"Just tell me more about your project," Daeyoung insists. He really needs to get his mind off of this.

"How about we continue with how this 'stuff at home' is distracting you, hm? We can't afford you getting distracted when this assignment is 80% of our grade," Sakuya counters with a hint of a devilish smile on his face. Daeyoung gulps.

"You like him, don't you?" Ryo adds. "Yushi."

It's unfair. It's unfair that these two can see right through him. It's not Daeyoung's fault that he can't seem to hide his emotions, which don't mean anything when he's sure Yushi wouldn't look his way, so he really wishes they would just drop it. But it's in his friends' nature to insist and prod and involve themselves in everyone's business. Ugh.

Daeyoung wants to hide. Both of his friends are leaning closer towards Daeyoung over the table with big, expectant eyes. They look like two curious puppies, and Daeyoung would generally be endeared if he wasn't so annoyed.

"Seriously, just drop it. It's none of your business."

"But we could help!" Ryo says.

"No!" Daeyoung raises his voice and immediately regrets it when he feels heads turning towards their table. "No, please, just stay out of this," he continues, tone lower and honestly defeated.

"We'll think about it," Sakuya replies for the both of them, and it doesn't help ease Daeyoung's worries because he knows his friends would never let him off this easily. But at least for the moment, he can breathe.

~

The sight that greets Daeyoung when he gets home that night makes his breath stop. Yushi and Sion appear to be watching a movie, Sion with an arm draped over the back of the sofa and Yushi with his legs tucked beneath him, his head resting against the backrest. But that isn't what draws Daeyoung's attention in particular—it's Yushi's shorts, so short that the full expanse of his thighs is on display, curvaceous and mouth-watering. Yushi's gaze darts up as Daeyoung steps further into the apartment, as if he'd caught on Daeyoung's staring, but his hyung smiles, visibly happy to see him.

"Daeyoungie, you're back," Yushi says. "Wanna watch La La Land with us?"

Daeyoung loves the movie and wouldn't mind a rewatch, but he doesn't think he'll survive being in such proximity to Yushi, given that the only space left on the sofa is to Yushi's right. "Um, I should wash up."

"Do it after," Yushi replies, and there's a sternness in his tone Daeyoung doesn't want to challenge. He nods weakly and drops his bag at the foot of the sofa, then sits down as far away from his hyungs as possible, which isn't much distance, but it's enough that if he focuses on the movie, he won't realize Yushi is maybe 20 centimeters to his left.

Problem is, he can't focus on the movie. He's too aware of his own breathing, on how stiff his position is with his hands planted on his knees like he's being scolded, and he can't help but steal glances to his left, where Yushi is sitting upright now and his side profile shines in all its glory. Yushi is beautiful, like each piece of him was carved with precision, and Daeyoung has to admit that pictures don't do his hyung enough justice. It's a terrible discovery to make when he has to keep his feelings contained. He doesn't even know much about Yushi, doesn't know if he's even allowed to want to learn more, or even hope his hyung may look his way, but Yushi's beauty is enough to make his head spin and blood pump frantically on the way to his heart.

His spiral doesn't last long, because all of a sudden he feels a weight against his shoulder, a few strands of hair brushing by his neck. Daeyoung freezes. He dares to glance down, the sight of charcoal hair acaparating his vision. Holy shit. He glances to Sion next, and his brother meets his eyes with a seemingly knowing smile before shaking his head. What is happening?

"You smell nice," Yushi murmurs, and it takes Daeyoung a few long seconds to realize his hyung was saying it to him.

"O-oh, thanks." What the fuck. Should he compliment him back? He doesn't really trust his voice right now, not with Yushi practically pressed against him, but truth is his hyung smells nice too, something clean with a hint of sweetness underneath. It takes everything in Daeyoung not to lean into the touch, to tilt his head until his cheek touches Yushi's scalp and rests there.

Before he can even consider it —not that he'd ever be bold enough to do it, unlike Yushi— the older drags closer and closer until Daeyoung can feel Yushi's thigh touching the fabric of his jeans. Thank god he didn't wear shorts today. The touch is dizzying even through the fabric, and all Daeyoung can do is sit frozen in place. He's not sure if this kind of affection is a normal thing for Yushi, something he's comfortable with, but since his hyung appears to be cozy, it might as well be.

Minutes pass like this, with Daeyoung unable to move or even breathe normally, until Yushi shifts, angling his body towards Daeyoung even more, and when his hyung's arm slides around his waist tentatively, Daeyoung jolts.

"I— I need to use the bathroom," he announces, voice cracking slightly, then stands up in a rush and heads towards his room, where he'll lock himself until Yushi and Sion are done with their movie. He unfortunately still has to sleep on the sofa, so he has to go back to the living room whether he likes it or not, and even more so, let Yushi inside his room. Daeyoung didn't think it would be such a big deal until he had Yushi right in front of him, until he was reminded that his infatuation with his hyung was something palpable now.

The door shuts behind him louder than he intended, but he can't bring himself to care. He presses his back against it as he tries to steady his heartbeat, then slowly slides down until he's seated on the floor. He can't wrap his head around what just happened. Yushi was too comfortable back there, and it's a lot for Daeyoung to take in because what the fuck does it mean? Probably nothing. The two of them might not be close, but he remembers Yushi being spontaneous and unpredictable. This is just one of many yushisms Daeyoung had observed from afar growing up. It doesn't mean anything. It can't mean anything.

Daeyoung sits on the floor for a while, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts that circle back to the same thing—or same person. He's so lost in his head that he doesn't even realize none of Yushi's things are in his room yet, so when he hears Sion and Yushi's voices start to fade away and the door to his brother's room closes, he grabs the extra pillow and blanket from the bottom shelf of his closet and heads out into the living room. He's quick with it, so that he can pretend to be asleep —or hopefully be asleep— whenever Yushi will exit Sion's room.

When the door to Sion's room finally opens, Daeyoung is in that dazed state between awake and sleeping, so the sudden sound startles him. And his brother's voice addressing him startles him even more.

"Oh, Daeyoung-ah? Are you asleep already?" his brother asks.

Daeyoung doesn't know if he should reply or not, mostly because he doesn't understand what his brother would want from him at this hour. Still, he's not that good at lying or pretending, so he ends up answering, "Mmno…"

"I should've told you sooner, but you don't have to sleep on the sofa anymore. I talked about it with Yushi and he'll sleep with me, so you can go back to bed."

Somehow, that hurts. He prefers the sofa a million times more than feeling this left out. It's reminiscent of their younger days, when Yushi and Sion would play in Sion's room while Daeyoung was doing homework by himself in the kitchen. He supposes some things never change.

~

Daeyoung wakes up to the savory aroma of broth filling the apartment. It's a Friday, which means Sion is working from home, so he gets to do some actual cooking in the morning. It's usually Daeyoung who cooks for the both of them, given his more relaxed uni schedule, and he's already done with classes and exams for the semester (save for his festival performance), so he probably should've been the one to cook breakfast instead… Well, it took him a while to fall asleep, with Yushi making him so antsy, so it's not his fault he slept in! It can't be that late, anyway.

He rubs at his eyes to will his sleepiness away, then glances at the time on his phone — 8:42. Ugh, too early. But he won't be able too fall back asleep, too awfully aware of a third person's existence in their apartment so, reluctantly, he gets out of bed. His hand doesn't even fully push down on the door handle before he hears giggles coming from the kitchen. Well, shit. He wasn't aware Yushi was a morning person. Daeyoung stays anchored in place, as if any sudden movement would alert his brother and his best friend of his presence. With the kitchen being right outside his room, he has a pretty good grasp on the conversation the other two started having, which goes something like this:

"Yushi," Sion groans in frustration. "How'd you manage to leave an entire egg shell in the rice?"

"The pan was too hot and I was scared to touch it, okay!"

"You're a disaster in the kitchen," Sion says, and, though teasing, it sounds laced with affection.

"And you're a meanie. I bet Daeyoungie would be much nicer to me."

Daeyoung's heart skips a beat upon hearing his name—nickname, the one Yushi used last night, too. It sounds so cute coming from Yushi, and Daeyoung has to wonder why his hyung insists on calling him that, even when he knows he's not there. It's way too fond and it makes something stir inside Daeyoung, frantic, yet warm.

Sion laughs. "You're such a little shit, Yushi." There's no real bite in his words. Daeyoung feels like he's intruding on an inside joke he's somehow part of but has no idea what it actually is. He takes a big inhale, then finally presses on the handle to open the door, because he doesn't feel like he can take listening to more of this. Stepping outside, he feels small and awkward, and when Sion and Yushi turn around from the sound of the door opening, Daeyoung can't meet their eyes.

"Morning," he says, then makes a beeline for the bathroom. If Sion and Yushi look at him with confusion, that's not his business. He needs to shower. He couldn't last night because he was terrified of facing Yushi again. He's so pathetic. If he were Yushi, he wouldn't look at himself either.

He takes his time in the shower, scrubbing every inch of his body thoroughly, as if he could submerge anew from under the water. But fifteen minutes later he's still Daeyoung and he still has to face Yushi. Maybe he and Sion already finished their breakfasts and retreated back to Sion's room, but the world wouldn't be that kind to Daeyoung wouldn't it?

Daeyoung exists the bathroom carefully, trying not to draw too much attention, but it's no use — Yushi hyung is still in the kitchen, sitting down at the table on the chair facing the living room. Sion isn't there anymore, which makes sense now that Daeyoung thinks about it, his brother starting his work schedule at 9:00. Daeyoung can't decide whether he would prefer his brother be present, to act like a buffer, or if spending alone time with Yushi is better, getting to know him and all. Though Daeyoung knows he's not allowed that—there must be an unwritten rule about dating your brother's best friend out there somewhere. So when Yushi shifts his gaze from his bowl of fried rice to Daeyoung (because of course Daeyoung noticed that, unable to look away from his hyung even when trying to go unnoticed) the latter tries increasing his walking pace.

"You're not having breakfast?" Yushi asks, and it sounds more like a demand than a question. Daeyoung stops in his tracks, looking ahead where he can clearly see his bedroom door—his salvation. It's so close… Maybe he can pretend he didn't hear and just hurry inside, though now that he's stopped, it's clear he at least heard something. God, he truly is pathetic. Is he going to spend weeks hiding and evading like this?

"Daeyoung," Yushi tries again, firmer. "Come eat with me."

Daeyoung can't do anything but oblige. There's no excuse he can find on the spot, so he lets his feet drag him to the kitchen table, where he sits opposite Yushi. He stares at the empty bowl in front of him for a few seconds before helping himself to the kimchi jjigae his brother made. It smells nice and he's starving, plus if he focuses on eating he might be able to ignore the way Yushi's eyes bore holes into him. But he's not the best at ignoring things, is he…

"Try the fried rice, too. I made it," Yushi urges.

"The one with the egg shell in it?" Daeyoung teases before he can think better of it. His hyung's brows furrow slightly and his bottom lip juts out into a pout. "Sionnie hyung took care of that…"

For how unreachable and princely Yushi usually is, he's so goddamn adorable. Daeyoung could melt if he wasn't so stiff from nerves right now, but he still manages a fond smile. "Okay, hyung."

The rice is surprisingly nice, egg shell aside, but Daeyoung's too shy to say anything about that. It's weird. Daeyoung is in the habit of rambling on, especially when nervous, and yet when he's around Yushi he's too scared to say anything in fear of appearing… uncool? I mean, he does have a nerdy image and a too poor social life for how extroverted he actually is. He doesn't know how it happened, but he's become so immersed in music that now his only friends are two first years that he's tutoring in Korean and his brother's boyfriend. Daeyoung has plenty of acquaintances, naturally, since his big mouth always gets him into situations™, but they don't count as friends.

Anyways, the point is he hasn't got much going on for himself, which makes him feel like a loser in front of his older and handsome hyung who has a serious enough job that he had to relocate to another country. Ugh. Why'd Yushi have to come back and throw Daeyoung's world off its axis? And why is he so adorable when eating?! He's sipping jjigae with pursed lips and taking small bites of his rice and when he's finished he leans back in his chair and rubs his tummy as if there's a baby in there. Oh god— Why'd Daeyoung's mind take him there. He absolutely does not think Yushi looks pregnant— There's seriously something wrong with Daeyoung. He hopes Yushi hasn't noticed his internal panic.

Daeyoung speeds up his eating so that he can be out of the kitchen as soon as possible, but then his hyung, who's been mostly quiet through this meal, addresses him.

"I want to learn more about you," he says. He bites his bottom lip, showing a row of a million teeth. Wow! Yushi's dentist must be so proud.

Daeyoung would've continued to panic if Yushi wasn't so endearing. He chuckles at his hyung's silly expression (it was meant to be silly, right?) before replying, "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Everything."

That's— a bit much, isn't it. But Yushi looks serious, as if he truly meant everything, so Daeyoung tells him everything he can think of. Which isn't much. But Yushi seems entertained enough, eyes slightly wider, hands clasped together under his chin as he nods along. He doesn't even say anything, until:

"Festival? Can I come?"

O-oh. Daeyoung's been talking a lot, huh. Shit. He's already nervous enough for the performance as it is, he doesn't need Yushi to add onto that even more. But he can't really refuse. I mean, there's no good reason why Yushi can't come except that Daeyoung might vomit from anxiety. Or get a boner right on stage when he spots his hyung in the crowd. He'd prefer the former.

"You sure you want to come? It might be boring…"

"I'll come. I want to see you in your element." Yushi smiles with all his teeth, which makes Daeyoung's lips curl up as well. If the stage is Daeyoung's element, he wonders what Yushi's element might be…

~

…It's football. How could Daeyoung forget.

Yushi and Sion went to play in the field at the park near their home, and it made Daeyoung remember some things, like the first time he saw Yushi in an official game, Daeyoung cheering right next to his brother from the stands, though he was more shy than Sion to express his excitement, and more than that, he was in awe at the way Yushi moved with a flexibility and dexterity he'd never quite seen before. Daeyoung thought Yushi hyung was the coolest whenever he got the chance to see him on the field, whenever Sion gave into his pleas to take Daeyoung to Yushi's games. Back then, Daeyoung thought the reason he wanted to keep going to these games was that he was starting to like football. In reality, he was starting to like Yushi. He was only able to accept that fact after Yushi left, after the empty space he left behind also left an ache on Daeyoung's heart, one that shouldn't have been as pronounced as it was.

He could've gone to the park today as well, watching Yushi hyung in his element again, but Daeyoung knows it would've stirred too many emotions inside him. He can't afford those. So he settled on spending his day rewatching Digimon and ignoring whatever his heart keeps wanting to tell him.

A little after the sun has set, the door to the apartment opens. It's quiet. Quieter than it should be when Sion is around Yushi. Daeyoung takes a peek at the door, and he only sees Yushi taking off his shoes.

"Hyung is staying at Riku's," Yushi tells him, as if reading his mind.

"Oh, okay," Daeyoung replies, tone unbothered, contrasting with the way his mind starts to spin. He and Yushi. Alone. For the first time in their lives. What the fuck. Sharing the apartment with just Yushi for a night should be fine, right? They'll sleep in separate rooms so it's not like they'll intersect much before Sion gets back home. All is well and Daeyoung can do this.

With that thought in mind, Daeyoung lets Yushi go take a shower, following only after making sure Yushi's back into Sion's room so they wouldn't run into each other. Daeyoung's not sure what the image of Yushi straight out of the shower would do to his poor heart so this is for the better.

It doesn't take long for Daeyoung to get to bed. The sooner he falls asleep, the better. But the night has other plans for him, it seems, because some time into settling in bed, there are knocks on his door. Daeyoung jolts, sitting up on instinct. "Yeah?" he asks.

"Can I come in?" comes Yushi's voice.

Okay, so Daeyoung won't have a peaceful and uneventful night like he expected. Whatever. That's fine. His pulse isn't even over 100 or anything. "Y-yeah, what's up?"

"Can I sleep here?" Yushi murmurs, and Daeyoung doesn't quite understand so he asks Yushi to repeat. "I asked if I can sleep with you."

"O-oh—"

"Just sleep! Not that… other meaning. Though I wouldn't be opposed to it…"

Daeyoung chooses to ignore the implications of that. He's so flustered he could faint. "Ah, sure, you can, um, sleep. In this bed. But why?"

"You ask too many questions."

"Do I?" Daeyoung tilts his head, genuinely confused.

"Yes, you do. Now close your eyes and go to sleep."

If there's one thing Daeyoung will do, it's obey. Especially when it's Yushi saying it, his usually soft voice going deeper. It's hot. It's so hot that Daeyoung's cock twitches uselessly. This cannot be his life.

He lies back down facing the wall and closes his eyes, trying to calm his raging heartbeat and his traitorous dick while Yushi settles in bed next to him. They're not touching —thank god— but Daeyoung can vaguely feel Yushi's breath brushing his nape. There's no way he's sleeping tonight. Maybe after Yushi falls asleep he can leave and sleep in Sion's room? Or the sofa. However far his knees will last him after so much exposure to Yushi hyung.

He starts counting sheep in an attempt to ignore his thoughts and the elephant in his pants. He gets to 278 when Yushi whispers:

"Daeyoung-ah, you asleep yet?"

Daeyoung doesn't reply, but his whole body tenses, and perhaps Yushi senses it because:

"I know you're not. Turn around."

Daeyoung's pulse starts to race once again. Yushi's tone can't mean anything good. Or maybe?… No, he can't indulge in the thoughts that are telling him Yushi might be interested in him. Even though there have been pieces of evidence scattered throughout over the past days. I mean, hell, Yushi's a grown man, he certainly doesn't need to sleep next to another person to get through the night. Sleeping with someone though, that's another thing entirely.

Daeyoung's mouth is dry as he twists to face Yushi, and his heart rate spikes when he realizes how close Yushi is, almost bumping noses with Daeyoung. God.

"Are you really just going to sleep?" Yushi asks, his breath warm as it blows on Daeyoung's face. Minty too.

"Didn't you tell me to?"

"I didn't think you'd listen…"

Even in the darkness, Daeyoung can make out the slight pout on Yushi's face. So freaking cute. It almost makes Daeyoung forget how nervous he is. And maybe that's a good thing…

"Did you have anything else in mind?…"

In typical Yushi fashion, he doesn't reply directly to Daeyoung's question. Instead, "I like you, Daeyoung."

"A-ah…" is what Daeyoung says. After a few moments, he adds, "Hyung… we— we can't—"

"Why not?"

"It's not right... You're Sion hyung's best friend. Isn't there a bro code or whatever…"

Yushi chuckles. "We're adults, Daeyoung-ah. We can do whatever we want."

Daeyoung supposes that is true, but he still can't help the guilt gnawing at him. He chews on his bottom lip, thinking of what to reply, if he should abstain or let desire take over. Yushi seems to want to help him take his decision as he slides a hand over Daeyoung's hip, rubbing it gently, and it sends shivers through Daeyoung. "You want me too, don't you?" Yushi's tone is suave, tempting, and Daeyoung is a weak, weak man. His resolve crumbles completely when the hand on his hip slides down to his crotch, where's he's already half hard and aching. He can't help but whimper, his mind clouded by want. "Fuck it," he whispers, and in a rushed movement he traps Yushi's body beneath his, feeling breathless.

He can tell Yushi is startled, and honestly Daeyoung's a little surprised by his actions as well, but Yushi hyung is so— he— "I want you so much, hyung, you don't even know."

"Then have me."

All of Daeyoung's shyness seems to dissipate when he crashes his lips with Yushi's. Yushi makes a small sound in the back of his throat, probably from surprise, and it's beautiful, really. His arms snake around Daeyoung's neck, bringing him closer, while Daeyoung takes his time savouring his hyung's soft, plump lips. And then Yushi lifts one knee and it touches Daeyoung's crotch. The younger let's out a startled moan, at which Yushi giggles softly against Daeyoung's mouth.

"You're so sensitive," Yushi says. "I barely even touched you."

"That's 'cause it's hyung touching me…"

Yushi seems pleased with that answer because he slots their mouths back together with urgency. It's wet and sloppy and so, so sexy that Daeyoung grows to full hardness, especially with hyung's knee still pushed against his clothed cock. Daeyoung's not one to cum quickly and especially not in his pants, but if his hyung keeps applying pressure to that spot he might get really close to it. Daeyoung's so worked up that he wants to chase the friction, wants to grind his hips and reach his high, but he also wants this to last, he wants to be suspended in time right in this moment, so deeply close to his Yushi hyung.

He breaks past Yushi's lips with his tongue, the older moaning when the two muscles meet, opening his mouth wider for Daeyoung to lick into it—across his teeth, around his tongue, Daeyoung is everywhere. It's almost filthy how eager he is, how saliva pools between their mouths, how their ragged breaths mix into one.

Yushi's arms untwist from around Daeyoung's neck for his hands to slide on Daeyoung's shoulders, then on his chest, feeling him up before pushing Daeyoung to lie on his back and settling on top, the younger going along with it so easily, like hyung holds all the power. And he does. Yushi probably doesn't even realize how much power he has over Daeyoung.

They break apart for air, both panting and flushed. Yushi has settled onto Daeyoung's lap, ass right on his crotch, which Daeyoung's dick seems to be enjoying a lot with the way it twitches. Shit, this might just be the most amazing night of Daeyoung's life and it doesn't seem to be ending just yet, because: "Do you have any lube?"

Daeyoung nods, pointing to the nightstand. "Top drawer."

Yushi leans to grab it, creating friction over Daeyoung's bulge and making him whimper pathetically. Fuck, he really is sensitive.

Once the lube is retrieved, Yushi leaves it somewhere on the bed, then shifts lower down Daeyoung's body so that he can drag Daeyoung's pants and underwear down, which he does with impressive precision. Yushi licks his lips at the sight of Daeyoung's fully erect cock, and, without any warning, he digs in. A hand closes around the base of Daeyoung's dick while Yushi's lips close around the head. Daeyoung jolts from the contact before easing into it.

Yushi's mouth is so warm and that tongue of his is working magic around the cockhead, as if he knows the exact spots he needs to touch to make Daeyoung squirm. Yushi takes his time in undoing Daeyoung with his mouth, his tongue digging into the slit, circling the head, insisting on the sensitive underside with a calculated rhythm that has Daeyoung unable to keep his mouth shut. Soft, needy moans escape him and, to make matters worse, Yushi is making sounds of his own around Daeyoung's length, the vibrations just adding onto the layers of pleasure. God, Daeyoung is so close and Yushi hasn't even fully taken him in yet.

"H-hyung— I'm not gonna last—" he says, planting a hand in Yushi's hair as a signal for his hyung to get off. Yushi swats his hand away and pops off the length. "Did I say you could touch?"

That tone makes Daeyoung's heart drop to his ass, but also arouses him even more. Jesus, Ryo once called him submissive as a joke, but that might not be a joke anymore. "Sorry…"

Yushi doesn't seem to pay him any mind, continuing to do whatever he wants, which now involves squirting lube on Daeyoung's cock. Already?…

"Don't I, um, need to prep you?…" Daeyoung asks, tentative and shy. He winces when Yushi rubs the liquid all over the length.

"Already did it myself. In the shower..."

It's wild to Daeyoung that his hyung actually planned this, like he had no doubt in his mind that Daeyoung wanted him. He's probably made it obvious, hasn't he? Well, it doesn't matter, since clearly they're both where they want to be.

Yushi takes off his own pants and boxers, letting them fall to the floor, then he kneels above Daeyoung, one hand on Daeyoung's chest while the other grabs Daeyoung's length and positions it at his rim. "I'm clean, by the way," he says offhandedly. "I'm sure you are too, since you seem like such a good puppy."

Daeyoung's cheeks redden at once. Yushi's not wrong, but he didn't have to read Daeyoung like that! "Mm, y-yeah."

If Daeyoung thought he was dreaming up until now, he feels wide awake when Yushi fully sinks down on his length from the get go—he didn't lie about prepping, it seems, and yet Daeyoung's cock is still being squeezed. It's so tight and warm and god—Daeyoung groans when Yushi lifts his hips up and sinks back down, finding his rhythm. It starts slow, tender almost, Yushi letting out soft moans with each roll of hips. His eyes are screwed shut, and Daeyoung thinks it's a blessing, because the sight in front of him is dizzying enough that he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he had to meet hyung's intense gaze on top of everything.

"Fuck," Yushi breathes, "you're so big, it's a-all up in my guts."

That makes Daeyoung chuckle nervously, both because it's unexpected to hear and because clearly Yushi is exaggerating. The sound quickly dissolves into a moan when Yushi sinks down with more power, increasing his pace.

"Feel it," his hyung says, then takes one of Daeyoung's hands and places it on his lower belly. Shit, Daeyoung can faintly feel the outline of his cock buried inside his hyung and its so fucking hot he can't help but thrust up just to chase more of that feeling. Yushi topples over at the sudden force, catching himself on his forearms. Daeyoung's hands move to Yushi's hips to keep him steady as he pistons in with hurried movements.

He's so close. He's been close since they started this whole thing, and when Yushi keeps making these loud, high pitched sounds while squeezing Daeyoung's length it doesn't take long until he feels himself spurting. He shudders as he comes, his rhythm going sloppy. He finds Yushi's length between their bodies and jerks him off to help his hyung with his own release.

They're both feeling sticky by the time they've come down from their highs, but Yushi doesn't seem to mind as he's glued to Daeyoung's chest. Yushi only lifts his head up to leave a soft kiss on Daeyoung's mouth, then settles back down, nozzling into his neck. He's so cute, like a clingy cat; Daeyoung almost reaches out to pet his hair when the post nut clarity finally hits him—he's just had sex with Yushi hyung. And somehow, the world hasn't come to an end like he'd imagined. Giving in to your desires is awesome.

Until it's next morning and he and Yushi leave the room at the same time and they're faced with Sion and Riku sitting at the kitchen table. Daeyoung's breath catches when he makes eye contact with his brother, like he'd just been caught doing something dirty, which, well, wouldn't be entirely wrong.

"Morning, you two," Sion says, a bright grin on his face. "Had any fun last night?"

"I need to die," Daeyoung murmurs, and it gets overpowered by Riku excitedly calling Yushi's name before he throws himself into his arms. "It's so nice to finally meet you in person," Riku says. Daeyoung takes advantage of the small distraction to slip his shoes on and sneak out of the apartment. It's times like these where he's grateful he sleeps in a tracksuit so he can just evade whatever Sion has him deal with as fast as possible. He's not ready to have a conversation with his brother about how he just fucked his best friend.

Sion is, though, because Daeyoung barely manages to make it out of the apartment complex before he feels a hand on his shoulder. "Daeyoung-ah, walk with hyung, hm?"

They end up on a bench in the park nearby, each with an ice tea they grabbed from the convenience store on their way. Daeyoung can't seem to be able to look at his brother. In theory, there's nothing to be ashamed about —as Yushi said, they're both adults who can do whatever they want— but in practice, it feels like overstepping. So he just keeps his gaze to the ground, waiting for his brother to say something. Anything. It's like Sion is waiting for Daeyoung to crack, to spill out on his own accord, and he's not wrong —of course, his brother knows him best— because Daeyoung finds his mouth opening when the silence becomes unbearable.

"Hyung, I fucked up…" he says, defeated.

Daeyoung can hear the grin on his brother's face when he replies, "I don't know about fucked up, but you sure fucked."

"Don't say it like that!" Daeyoung whines. "Aren't you mad?"

Sion stays silent for a brief moment before he breaks into laughter like'd he'd been waiting for ages to let it out, bright and loud and a little annoying.

"What's so funny!"

"I'm sorry, it's just— wow, you're so distraught from what, having sex?"

An embarrassed flush paints Daeyoung's cheeks because, yeah, in the grand scheme of things it's not a big deal, but Daeyoung thought it was a big deal, is the thing! Why's his brother taking it so lightly!

"So you don't care that Yushi hyung and I…"

"Listen," Sion begins with a gentle hand on Daeyoung's shoulder, "when Yushi first told me about his… um, crush on you, I was a little repulsed, I can't lie, but above everything I want two of the most important people in my life to be happy, you know?"

Daeyoung lets out a sigh of relief. He's been so nervous all this time for what? "So… Yushi talked about me?"

"Mhm." Sion nods. "He likes you a lot. Maybe more than you like him."

"No way. I've liked him since—"

"—we were kids," Sion continues Daeyoung's thought, "I know."

Huh? Huh??? "You know?"

"Of course I do." There's a hint of smugness in Sion's tone. "The day Yushi left, you cried more than me." He chuckles. "I could hear you sobbing in your room. And that wasn't even the first time I noticed you had a thing for Yushi. I didn't know if you had realized the nature of your feelings back then, but yeah, I knew. And I think it's cute. "

Daeyoung doesn't get why that makes tears well up in his eyes, but it does nonetheless. It might be the relief, the amount of attention his brothers pays to him even when Daeyoung thinks he doesn't, or just sharing a tender moment a rare tender moment.

"So– so it's okay for me to pursue Yushi hyung?" Daeyoung's voice cracks as he says it, a tear sliding down his cheek, and Sion's expression softens.

"Aigoo, you big baby. Of course it is. Come here." He opens his arms to embrace Daeyoung, and Daeyoung follows.

This is nice. It's not often that the two of them are physically affectionate, so it's the more special when it happens. Though it doesn't last long, of course, since:

"But no sex while I'm home, okay?"

"Ah, hyung! You ruined it!"

~

A few weeks later, Daeyoung's standing on stage with a dry throat, as if all the moisture has transferred to his clammy, trembling hands. It's ridiculous. He's performed in front of people so many times before, but never his own song and, perhaps more importantly, never with Yushi in the audience. He spots his hyung in the middle of the crowd, between Ryo and Sakuya, with Sion and Riku behind them. All his favourite people came to support him, which would feel comforting if it wasn't also so nerve-wracking. Still, he sings, locking eyes with Yushi on the less challenging parts, as if singing right to him. And he is, in a way, because he wrote a good portion of the lyrics thinking on his feelings for Yushi, when they were still just longing and infatuation and a dull ache Daeyoung only picked at on particularly lonely nights.

He'd write a much different song now, more joyous and disgustingly sweet because he's so, so in love. Even though their relationship is still in the early stages, everyday for the past few weeks has been so filled with love. The two of them wake up next to each other and start their morning with lazy kisses, sighing into each other's mouths about having to get up, they eat every meal together, oftentimes cooked by Daeyoung, they go on walks late at night when sleep evades them, Daeyoung's even helping Yushi in apartment searching. He's not very pleased with the last part. They've fallen into a comfortable, gentle rhythm that Daeyoung doesn't want to break. It's nice having Yushi around literally all of the time. But that's life, he supposes. He's thankful enough for being able to call Yushi his in the first place.

When the song comes to an end and he steps off the stage, his friends, brother, and boyfriend make their way to Daeyoung to congratulate him. Nobody even has the chance to get a word in because Yushi's jumping in his arms, leaving a lingering kiss on his lips. Hyung doesn't even seem to care about the many people around them, as if they're the only two people in the world

"Baby, you were amazing," Yushi says, separating enough to speak but not enough to put any distance between them. "But who got you all yearny up there, hm? Those lyrics made me miss whoever you were singing about."

"Hyung, it's you. It's always been you," Daeyoung admits, which makes Yushi blush a beautiful pink.

Behind them, a conversation that neither of them hear takes place:

"Crazy how those two worked out," Ryo says, "we didn't even have to do anything."

"I know, right? Our Daeyoungie hyung is all grown up…" Sakuya replies, wiping away a fake —or not— tear.

"Are you crying?"

"Why would I cry! That's lame!"

"You're lame!"

~

They all go out to celebrate Daeyoung's performance later that day, sharing bottles of soju and grilled meat at a barbecue place the majority of them like. Daeyoung thinks there couldn't be a better way to end this day until Sion is telling everyone to quiet down because he has some pretty big news.

"I'm moving in with Riku," he announces, then shares a loving gaze with his boyfriend, both of them radiating.

Daeyoung's jaw drops. Yushi's making a subtle expression of approval. Sakuya and Ryo quite frankly don't really care, since it doesn't affect them in any way.

Wow. It's true that Daeyoung's noticed his brother spending more time at Riku's place and moving some of his things, but he just thought he wanted to give Daeyoung and Yushi more privacy. Despite the shock, Daeyoung is happy for them. Living with your boyfriend must feel nice, if these past weeks with Yushi have been enough of a tell.

"That's really amazing!" Daeyoung says. "I'm really happy for you both."

"Thanks, Daeyoungie," Sion replies. "But that's not all. Since Yushi's having a hard time finding a place and I'm moving out anyway… wouldn't it be nice if Yushi moved in?"

Daeyoung can't control the grin that spreads on his face. He looks between Yushi and Sion a few times, noticing how Yushi's also smiling a bright thing, before he speaks. "Hyung, you mean it?"

"Of course. You're in good hands," Sion replies. And, more quietly, almost imperceptible,"I hope."

Daeyoung leans over the table instinctively—which thankfully isn't radiating that much heat now that the grill has began to cool off— and wraps his arms around his brother, trapping him into a tight hug. "Thank you thank you thank you."

He sits back down hastily and embraces Yushi as well. "I'm so excited to keep spending every single day with you."

"Me too. We'll make up for all the lost time."

"Yeah. We will."