In this chapter, they'll sleep with each other. The sex scene isn't too detailed. It starts slowly with a conversation about sex while cuddling in bed.

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After dinner, they worked briefly on homework before deciding to go to bed early.

Hyunjin draped himself over Changbin.

"Cuddles, Binnie-hyung," he murmured, resting his face on Changbin's chest. "You promised."

"I did," Changbin's low chuckle resonated in his chest, right under Hyunjin's face. He could hear Changbin's heartbeat, beating steadily. Changbin buried his hands in Hyunjin's hair, slowly running his fingers through it, lightly scratching his scalp. His hair had long since dried, but it was ruffled from the shower and a day of not brushing it.

Hyunjin hummed, pleased and warm and in Changbin's arms.

"I love you so much," Changbin said quietly. "I'm so glad we get to have this."

"Me too," Hyunjin replied, also quiet. He didn't want to move too much, so he kissed Changbin's chest through his t-shirt, just to hear Changbin's breath hitch, and ran his hand down Changbin's waist. "Jisung said the other day that you've liked me for a while. How long?"

Changbin stilled. His hands paused, but didn't disappear. "I..."

"You don't have to tell me, hyung. I'm sorry for bringing it up." Hyunjin did look up then. From this perspective, Changbin had three chins. Hyunjin arched his back to move higher, and left a small kiss on Changbin's throat. "I know I could have – I must have hurt you with my ignorance and this fake dating thing. I'm sorry."

"Baby," Changbin said, and Hyunjin couldn't help the startled whine that left his lips at the nickname, "it's not your fault. You always left me a choice for everything, so I could give informed consent. I helped plan everything, didn't I?"

Changbin chuckled, and Hyunjin smiled, too.

"I knew what I was doing, and I knew that no matter what happened, we'd still be friends. Hyunjinnie, I don't know if you've noticed, but you're the kindest person I know. Well, maybe Felix is almost as kind as you, and Chan-hyung, but they're them, and we're just normal people. Did I wish we could hold hands and kiss for real? Of course, but you're tactile with everyone. So in a way I tried to think of everything platonically, if that makes sense?"

"It does," Hyunjin murmured. "Tell me if I hurt you or don't acknowledge your feelings, even if I don't realise. Please?"

"Okay," Changbin smiled, his fingers again threading through Hyunjin's hair. "And you will tell me, too?"

"I will," Hyunjin promised. He put his elbows beside Changbin's head, finally face to face. All he'd need to do was lean down and they'd be kissing. He watched Changbin's eyes focus on his mouth and bit his lip, trying not to smile. "One more thing, though. When you were thinking of kissing and holding hands, was there something more... intimate, that you were thinking about?"

Changbin's breath hitched, and Hyunjin knew because he was very close to Changbin and could feel the way he sucked in air without releasing it. Changbin swallowed then, slowly, wetting his lips.

Hyunjin smirked. He straddled Changbin's hips and pecked his lips. "Let's talk about it, first?"

Changbin's ears turned scarlet. "I may have bought condoms and lube."

Hyunjin burst into laughter. "Same, hyung. But my point stands: talk first. There's no need to rush things, I have no intentions of letting you go."

"Good," Changbin murmured. He pulled Hyunjin into a kiss, slow but short, as they were both smiling. "So, do you have a checklist or something? Should I have a checklist?"

Hyunjin shook his head. "No, but we can make one if you want? If you'd rather not say something, you can write it out for me?"

"I'll let you know if I want to write it, then," Changbin murmured, eyes softening. He trailed the tips of his fingers over Hyunjin's temple and cheek. Hyunjin leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. "Would you like being tied up?"

"What," Hyunjin pulled back, blinking several times. "I – I mean, yes, but like –" Changbin burst out laughing, whole body shaking under Hyunjin. "Hyung, oh my god, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Changbin's whole body shook. "But you're so cute when you're flustered."

"No, you are," Hyunjin said, hiding his burning face in Changbin's neck.

It worked, though. Flustered and laughing and cuddling and kissing was a good way to talk about sex.

Hyunjin simply slipped his hand under Changbin's shirt while they talked, tracing his skin lightly and unable to tear his eyes away from Changbin's face. There was a hint of an upturn in the corner of his lips, and to put it simply: Hyunjin was obsessed with Changbin's lips. Changbin's eyes were dark and trusting, and Hyunjin wanted to never look away.

"Let me take off your shirt?" He whispered against Changbin's lips, resting his palm over Changbin's ribs.

"Why are we still wearing shirts," Changbin chuckled, picking on Hyunjin's long sleeved sweater to emphasize his point.

Hyunjin wasted no time throwing the fuzzy sweater and Changbin's t-shirt somewhere far away from them, and settled in the same position again, half draped over his boyfriend. It was the first time they were both shirtless in bed, but it didn't feel exposing or revealing, just comfortable and warm. Hyunjin dragged the blanket up to their waists only to think better of it and kick it to their feet. His shin bumped into Changbin's knee.

Talking about intimacy while being intimate was a new experience for Hyunjin, and for Changbin too. Hyunjin's heart ran a marathon as his emotions went from endeared to embarrassed to blushing to confident to earth-shatteringly in love with Changbin. They kissed, lazily, Hyunjin with an arm and a leg thrown over Changbin, and Changbin tugging his hair because Hyunjin said he liked it.

"Binnie," Hyunjin breathed.

Changbin laughed quietly, readjusting the way they lay next to each other. "Is there something you haven't mentioned yet?"

"Yeah." He pushed Changbin to his back, brushing his thumb over one of his nipples. He smiled at Changbin closing his eyes and shuddering. He inched his hand down, down until he felt the fabric of pyjama pants. "Can I...? Just this?"

"Fuck, yeah," Changbin's voice was hoarse. "We said we'll take it slow, but this is us taking it slow, right?"

Hyunjin's body shook from repressed giggles. He kissed Changbin's nose. "Slow? Can I show you slow?" He slipped his hand under the waistband.

Changbin spent the next minutes arching into him, eyes closed, gasping for breath.

And Hyunjin – Hyunjin couldn't look away. Changbin's chest rose, skin moving, muscles twitching every time Hyunjin twisted his wrist just so, slowly and surely. Hyunjin grazed his teeth lightly over Changbin's neck before sucking a hickey into sensitive skin. He caught Changbin's gasps with his mouth, next, kissing him lazily and sucking on his lips.

Changbin came into his hand with no warning, shaky hands reaching out to Hyunjin. Hyunjin let Changbin cling to him, ran his hands over his sides and back, and whispered I love yous.

"I am so in love with you," Changbin finally said. He pulled back from their snug hug to look at him. "Indescribably, inevitably, intimately, I love you."

Hyunjin smiled so widely his cheeks ached and his eyes closed.

"I want to touch you, too," Changbin's words brought him back to the present: lying on his back, in their bed, Changbin next to him, a blush on his cheeks and short of breath, looking at him, always looking at him.

"Please," Hyunjin answered, thinking he would love to beg for it, one day, and by the way Changbin's eyes narrowed, he wasn't the only one thinking it.

Changbin slowly, oh so slowly, rested his fingertips on Hyunjin's lips and trailed them down, down his throat and past his collarbones over his chest and stomach, over his navel, tickling his pubic hair. Hyunjin held his breath, and only remembered how to use his lungs when Changbin whispered, breathe.

He was feeling so much – Changbin next to him, soft and steady, the sheets dragging against his bare skin, stars exploding under his skin, and the ache to be closer, closer.

He whispered Changbin's name as he came, and felt utterly helpless as he watched Changbin bring his hand to his lips and lick his fingers.

Changbin pulled him close, kissed his cheek, ran his dry hand through Hyunjin's hair and whispered praise, the words and phrases unfamiliar and hesitant but adoring. They'd get better at this, for sure.

Hyunjin allowed himself long moments of burying his face in Changbin's neck and just breathing together with him, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his pulse. Then he sheepishly smiled and asked to change pants, making Changbin laugh and agree wholeheartedly.

They changed separately, but both chose to come back to bed shirtless, and fell asleep holding hands.

~~~

soooo.... ,,, thoughts?