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Hyunil stirs awake by the slight shifting of the mattress and bed covers.
"Waaahh," he starts as he feels a body curl up next to him.
"Shhh, go back to sleep," Kangjun whispers to him as he pulls the blankets up to cover both of them. Not awake enough to argue the intrusion into his bed, Hyunil lets his eyes close so he can fall back to sleep.
Kangjun for his part fusses around for a few moments before he quiets down but other wise offers up no explanation for climbing into bed with Hyunil. Hyunil thinks sleepily that the extra heat from Kangjun wrapped around him is kind of nice.
He's on the verge of being completely asleep again when he feels Kangjun press a slight kiss to the back of his neck. "Happy birthday," Kangjun says in a barely audible whisper. Hyunil doesn't respond in words. Instead he falls to sleep smiling.
~
In the morning, when Barom comes to wake him, Kangjun is no longer in the bed. Hyunil ignores the flash of disappointment he feels at waking up alone. He lets himself be pulled up and out of the bed by his hyung. Promotions for their latest comeback are dying down but their schedule is still jam packed. There is no chance for birthday sleep in.
Sleepily, he drags himself into the kitchen to get breakfast. Jaejoon and Taemin are the only ones sitting at the table. Neither of them greets him as he enters. He acknowledges them with a nod as he sets out preparing a bowl of cereal.
Their quiet meal is broken by Kangjun and Barom walking into the kitchen area as they chat about the schedule for the day. Barom sits down at the table with them as he continues to outline the day's activities. Kangjun opts to lean against the kitchen counter and eat his breakfast rather than join them at the table.
Hyunil quickly finishes and moves to the sink to rinse out his bowl. As he does so Kangjun leans over and again wishes him a happy birthday.
"I hid your present," he says.
Hyunil turns the water off and says, "Kangjun, that's no fun."
"For me it is!" Kangjun says before taking off down the hall.
Hyunil watches him move away and tries to think of places Kangun would hide a gift.
~
It's not until later in the day that Hyunil stumbles on the card Kangjun prepared for him. They arrive at the studio early for their radio show appearance. They are not told not to wonder to far but are free to roam around. Hyunil decides to settle in the chairs in the hallway. Taking advantage of the little bit of downtime, Hyunil pulls out his writing notebook to work more on the lyrics he's been writing.
The card is tucked neatly between the pages he's been working on. Putting his notebook down for the moment he turns the card over to see his name written in Kangjun's messy script across the front. He's grinning as he open the card, hoping that inside is a clue to where his present is hiding.
He can tell as he's pulling the card out of the envelope that Kangjun has included pictures with it. He's grinning as he pulls them out, thinking they might be the photos they'd taken of each other goofing off backstage earlier in the promotion cycle.
The pictures are not what he's expecting. He shoves them back into the card as quickly as he can praying that no one is close enough to him to have seen. He steals a glance up and down the hallway. Realizing he is alone for the moment he pulls the pictures back out.
There are three pictures total. The first, Kangjun is laying on their dorm couch. It would be an innocent enough picture if not for Kangjun's near nudity and the look he's giving the camera. Quickly turning to the next picture, Hyunil is relieved to see it's a little safer. While still far too little clothing, the photographer caught Kangjun mid laugh. Hyunil stares transfixed at the second photo for a long moment.
Before he has a chance to turn to the third photograpgh Kangjun has gifted him he hears the others coming back down the hall. He hurridly shoeves the pictures and card back into the envelope and his bag. He closes his eyes and counts slowly to five to regain his composure. His groupmates and him are called into the studio before has chance to speak to Kangjun.
Hyunil speaks little during the broadcast. Every time he looks at Kangjun sitting accross from his mind wanders back to the photographs in his bag. He tries hard not to get his hopes up about what the other boy might be trying to tell him.
~
Hyunil gets his chance to talk to Kangjun later in the van. The others are still inside the broadcast station in hunt of a vending machine.
"What were you thinking leaving those pictures in my bag? Anyone could have found them," he hisses.
Kangjun grins brightly as he replies, "Ah, so you found them. Good, I was getting worried maybe I hid them too well"
"Of course I found them! And right before a braodcast too."
Kangjun laughs. "Did you like my present."
Hyunil chooses to ignore his question. Instead he asks, " This isn't some prank is it?"
"No."
When it becomes obvious that the other boy isn't going to offer further explanation without prompting he asks, "So, why did you give these to me?"
Kangjun doesn't answer right away. He's refusing to look at Hyunil as he says, "I know you look sometimes. At me I mean." He spares a quick glance at Hynunil before he continues, "And I like it. I want you too because I do too. At you I mean."
Hyunil lets out a breath he wasn't aware of holding. His response is interrupted by the van door sliding open and the oud chatter of the others.
Hyunil mind is racing the whole car ride back home as he process the idea that Kangjun returns his feelings.
~
Two days it's Hyunil's turn to wake Kangjun up by crawling into bed with him. They haven't had a chance to talk since Hyunil's birthday. Kanggjun turns to face him as
he settle sinto the bed.
"Happy birthday," he whispers. He curls around Kangjun as he continues, "I liked your birth present."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
He reaches for Kangjun's hand to wrap their fingers together. They lapse into silence as they drift back to sleep holding hands.