Chapter Text
In the Seo dorm two crushes were very obvious to everyone. Seungmin’s crush on Jeongin was one of them. And yet Jeongin seemed completely oblivious to the fact. The crush had started when Seungmin met Jeongin at the orientation day. Seungmin had gotten dragged into it by a few friends. He wanted nothing to do with it, but he somehow ended up wearing the school colours and showing possible new students around.
He was just finished with his last planned tour when he bumped into Jeongin. “Oh shit, sorry.” Jeongin apologized Helping Seungmin off the ground. “I’m…” The second Seungmin came face to face with Jeongin he swore his heart skipped a beat. “I’m okay. I haven’t seen you around. Are you one of the possible freshmen?” Seungmin asked him. There was a silent hope that the cute boy in front of him just went to school in a different building. “Yeah, I already decided that I’m going to go here. But I’m kind of lost.” Seungmin detected an accent in the boy’s voice that he couldn’t place. He decided then and there that he could listened to that voice all day and not get tired of it. “Oh, really. I should probably introduce myself then. I’m Seungmin, second year doing pre-med.” “Jeongin, I applied for computer science.”
Just then someone walked up to them and tapped Jeongin on the shoulder. When Jeongin turned around the new boy signed something to which Jeongin signed something back. “My group found me. But I guess I see you around.” “Yeah, I hope so. try to find me at the beginning of the year. I’ll show you all the best spots.” “I’ll hold you to that.” Jeongin smiled before he joined his friend. Seungmin was left standing there feeling like he just met an angel.
“Seungmin! You done for the day?” One of his friends asked him taking him out of his daze. “Yeah. Just finished.” Seungmin answered. “Let’s get lunch.” His friend suggested. “Okay.” Seungmin said looking back to see if he could still see Jeongin. He found him talking with his friends with signs and he couldn’t help but smile. “That kid is cute, huh?” his friend teased. I had him on my tour. He comes form a school for the hearing impaired. We even had a translator. But when I saw that kid I thought he is something for Seungmin. He is really sweet.” Seungmin couldn’t help the blush that had creeped up on his face. “Let’s just get lunch.” He grumbled trying to switch topics.
♦
It was the first week of school and Seungmin was already buried in books. He sat in the library looking over his first assignment when someone approached him. “Seungmin?” When he looked up, he felt butterflies in his stomach. Jeongin was standing next to him, and he remembered his name. “Hi, do you remember me?” “Yeah, Jeongin. How are you.” On impulse Seungmin closed his book without putting his bookmark in, which he would regret later but now his full attention was on the gorgeous boy in front of him that seemed to have become cuter over the summer. “I’m good. Uhm, You said that you would show me around campus. I kind of got lost again. But It’s okay if you are busy.” “I was just about to pack up actually.” Seungmin lied. “I’ll just pack up and show you around. Do you have any classes after this?” Jeongin made a sign moving his index and middle finger down to his thumb. When he realized a blush painted Jeongin’s cheeks which only made him prettier in Seungmin’s opinion. “Sorry, sign is my first language. Uhm, no I only have morning classes for now.” Seungmin made a mental note to learn sign language. “I only have a late lecture left so. We got till five unless you have other plans.” “Nope, no plans.”
The rest of the midday was spend chatting and getting to know each other as well as the campus. Seungmin even learned a few signs that Jeongin had signed while talking. When the time came for Seungmin to start heading to his lecture he had half a mind to skip it just to stay with Jeongin. But he knew he would be too anxious about it if he did. Instead, he made sure to exchange numbers.
♦
Jeongin knocked on the table to get Seungmin’s attention. “Yeah?” Seungmin signed. He had taken up sign language as an extra curricular. It was a little hard to find time in the day for it but the smile on Jeongin’s face when he greeted him in sign the first time was worth it. “Do you have a sign name hyung?” Jeongin tried to talk at the same time as sign as much as possible when he was with Seungmin in order help the older learn. “Aren’t you supposed to be given one if you aren’t part of the deaf community?” Jeongin let out a sound that was close to a squeal. “Can I give you one?” How could Seungmin say no to Jeongin, especially with how excited he is. “You have something in mind?” Jeongin held his fist up with his thumb crossed in front of it. “Okay, S.” Seungmin said as he carefully watched Jeongin. Then he used both his hand with his palms facing his chest and moved them down. “I don’t know that sign yet.” Seungmin commented as he tried to copy the full motion. “Okay so, you got the S part. The second sign means puppy. When signed together it makes Seungmin.” “I like that. Why a puppy though?” Seungmin questioned. “You remind me of a puppy.” “Wait, what’s your sign name?” Jeongin made a fist again but this time with his pinky out. He moved his finger in a J motion. Then he joined his index finger and thumb to make a circle while all his other finger stood. he put the circle in front of his nose before twisting a bit and back. “What does it mean?” Seungmin asked as he copied Jeongin. “The first sign is J and the second one is fox.” Jeongin smiled brightly. His eye turning to cresent moons. Look at him Seungmin could see the resemblance to his name sake.
♦
It was halfway trough the third semester when Changbin invited him to come live with him. Seungmin was grateful for the invitation. To be honest he was struggling to keep up with school and pay for his dorm room and living costs. He just didn’t have the time to work more and keep up with his studies. So to have a change to cut cost by rooming with someone was a life saver. When Changbin told him that his stay would be free of charge and he would pay for all the other necessities as long as he kept up with his studies and did chores, he could have kissed the man. When he walked into the ginormous house, which he would have thought was the wrong address if Changbin hadn’t brought him and saw Jeongin he almost actually kissed Changbin.
“Hyung, you know Changbin hyung too? Small world.” Jeongin said with as he walked past them with a box in hand. “Yeah, small world.” Seungmin parroted
When Jeongin walked into his room and closed the door Changbin gave him a small push. “How long?” “How long what?” Seungmin asked confused. “Don’t act koi now. How long have you had a crush on Jeongin?” Seungmin turned beet red. “Is it that obvious?” “To anyone but him apparently. But to be fair I think he likes you too. So how long?” Seungmin didn’t belief a word of it. Especially not with how much time Jeongin has been spending ‘studying’ with a girl form his class named Sarah. “I met him at orientation event the school hosts to get new students.” Changbin looked way too happy about this in Seungmin’s opinion. “Oh my, it was love at first sight. Didn’t think you would be the type to.” “Can we stop talking about this now?” Seungmin asked as he avoided eye contact in an attempt to make his face less red. “Sure. let me show you around.”
♦
Seungmin had been thinking. Maybe Changbin had a point. Since he moved in everyone had at least once suggested that Jeongin like him to. So, when he finally had Jeongin alone in the attic library he started thinking about asking him out. They were both studying. In the silence Seungmin started making a plan.
“Jeongin?” He asked but when the younger gave no reaction he noticed that he had taken off his hearing aids. So instead, he knocked on the table. The younger finally looked up and signed for him to wait a second. Jeongin reached over to where he had put his hearing aids. While he was putting them on his phone lit up. Jeongin’s face was suddenly overtaken by a huge smile. “Hyung, Sarah got a 90 on the exam. She wants take me out to celebrate tonight.” Jeongin said. The words died on Seungmin’s tongue leaving a bitter taste. “Sorry, you were about to ask me something?” “Yeah… I was going to ask you if you could help me review.” Seungmin lied. Jeongin’s phone lit up again. “Sorry, hyung she asked to meet now. I can do it tonight when I get back.” Jeongin said already grabbing his stuff. “Don’t worry. I’ll ask Changbin hyung. Have fun.” “Thanks, hyung.” With that Seungmin was alone now.
“Maybe everyone else was wrong.” Seungmin sighed before getting up and packing his own stuff up. He couldn’t get himself to study anymore. Not when he felt his heart break in his chest.
♦
It was two months later Jeongin and him were the only ones in the house. Seungmin had locked himself in his room. He wasn’t sure if he could be alone with Jeongin right now. The heart break still felt fresh, and he hadn’t been alone with Jeongin for more the five minutes since. The others always acted like a buffer. But now there was no one. So, he had said that he didn’t feel to well and went to his room.
He had been laying on his bed scrolling trought his Instagram feed for about half an hour when a sudden scream had him out of bed in seconds. Jeongin didn’t scream. Half of the time he had to be reminded to use his voice. So this was concerning. He ran out of his room and looked over the hallways rail into the living room. Jeongin was sitting in the middle of a half-spelled text of rose pedals and candles. Seungmin didn’t hesitated to run down the stairs to where Jeongin was. when he got closer, he noticed how Jeongin was clutching his hand. “Jeongin what happened? Are you okay.” Seungmin asked. Jeongin’s eyes went wide when he noticed Seungmin. “Hyung.” He started to sign but he stopped to clutch his hand in pain again. “Shit, you burned your hand. We need to cool it.” Jeongin eyes were shiny with tears. The look made Seungmin’s heart ache for the younger
Seungmin led Jeongin to the kitchen and put his hand under the lukewarm tap before returning to the living room to blow out all the candles. When he got back Jeongin was full on sobbing. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to ruin your surprise. It’s ruined.” Jeongin sobbed. “What surprise?” That question made Jeongin cry even more. “Everyone helped to set it up and I was stupid and had to get hurt. I was going to ask you out on a date hyung.” Seungmin’s world froze for a second. “Sorry, repeat that last part. Did you say that you wanted to ask me out. On a date” Jeongin nodded. “I like you hyung. I like you a lot. It’s okay if you don’t. I probably shouldn’t have let the others talk me into doing this.” “I like you too.” Seungmin blurted out. “Huh.” Jeongin was shocked out of crying. “I had a crush on you since the first time I saw you.” Jeongin blinked up at Seungmin trying to process what was said. Seungmin took that time to wipe Jeongin’s tears. “You… like me too.” Jeongin’s voice came out small but hopeful. “I like you.”
They stood there for a second smiling like idiots until Seungmin realized how close they were. “Innie?” Jeongin hummed in anwser. “Can I kiss you.” Instead of answering Jeongin leaned forward to catch his lips.
“You wanna go on a date Friday after classes?” Jeongin asked when they parted. “Name the time and place I’ll be there.” Seungmin leaned his head to rest against Jeongin’s forehead. “I think I’ll keep this a secret since I ruined you last surprise.” “Okay, whatever you want.” Seungmin agreed. “I want another kiss.” Jeongin pouted. Seungmin couldn’t help but leg out a breathy laugh. “You’ll get all the kisses you want after I bandage up your hand. I’m going to grab the aloe. Stay with your hand under the tap”
Seungmin returns soon enough with the aloe. He turns off the tap and dries off Jeongin’s hand carefully. The burn isn’t bad, but it’s still hurt a lot. Jeongin marvels at how carefully Seungmin treats the wound and bandages it. But he shouldn’t be surprised because Seungmin is studying to be a doctor. Jeongin is convinced Seungmin will make a great doctor, but that belief is only made stronger in this moment.
“There all done.” Seungmin announced. “Come to me tomorrow so I can change the bandages, okay.” Jeongin nods. “Can I get that kiss now?” Seungmin obliges leaning in closer to give a quick peck. “That isn’t a kiss hyung.” Jeongin whines. “What. Is. It. Then?” Seungmin asks pecking his lips again between each word. “Those are pecks. I want a kiss. Pretty please.” Jeongin says batting his lashes. “Okay, Okay. But what are we? Because I kind of want to be your boyfriend.” Seungmin asks blushing. “Well shit, I wanted to be the boyfriend.” Jeongin says finding his opening to tease Sungmin back. “Okay, you can be my boyfriend.” Seungmin grinned before leaning in and kissing Jeongin properly.
♦
There is a lot that Seungmin likes about Jeongin. He adores his mannerisms. How he tends to knock on the table or tap someone’s shoulder to get their attention. Or how he prefers to sign instead of talk but still makes and effort to talk so it’s easier for others. Seungmin loves how when Jeongin speaks he can hear a hint of a deaf accent that only fully comes out when he is tired and not wearing his aids. He loves the sound Jeongin makes when he is excited. But his favorite thing by far has to be his smile. Jeongin has a smile that could rival the sun in brightness. And now Seungmin gets to say that all the things he loves about Jeongin are also all the things he loves about his boyfriend.