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"what happened to you?" riku asks from the couch when yushi enters the dorm. there's a movie playing on the tv that can barely be heard over the sound of daeyoung in the kitchen.
yushi sighs, kicking his shoes off at the doorway and taking a seat at the dining table. "sion hyung is mad at me."
this captures daeyoung's attention, who makes a curious noise as he looks up from the stove to furrow his eyebrows at yushi. riku matches his expression. "what did you do?"
with both his roommates looking at him like he just told them he'd robbed the convenience store down the street, yushi groans, slouching down in his seat. he recalls the events of the past thirty minutes.
they'd arrived back to the dorms a couple hours ago, back home after another long day of work with the promise of an unbothered weekend. yushi was in the other dorm sitting cross-legged on the couch playing on his phone, with sion resting on his thigh reading a book.
"would you still love me if i were a worm?" sion had asked.
yushi looked down to see sion already looking up at him, book forgotten flat against his chest.
"eh?"
"would you," sion started again, shifting so that he and yushi were now sitting face to face, "still love me if i were a worm?"
yushi's first reaction had been to laugh in confusion, but sion seemed to be so serious that yushi had to stop himself. he briefly brought a hand up to sion's forehead to make sure the other wasn't in some sick delirium before clearing his throat.
"um well… you'd be a worm," yushi said slowly. is this some trend he's never heard of?
yushi's recollection is interrupted by riku letting out a burst of laughter. he sighs again while daeyoung offers a consolatory look, but he's clearly holding in a laugh too.
"yushi," riku begins once he's calmed down a little, walking over to the kitchen. "look, this is how these conversations are supposed to go, okay?"
daeyoung turns down the flame on the stove before riku takes his hands into his own, looking into his eyes. yushi feels like he's going to be sick at this display.
with the greatest sincerity in his voice, riku asks, "honey, would you still love me if i were a worm?"
"of course i would," daeyoung smiles tenderly, voice saccharine. "i'd love you even if you were a rock, or the dirt in the ground, a microorganism, a fleck of dust—"
"you two are disgusting," yushi cuts in. daeyoung continues on regardless.
"i'd love you even if you were a worm and i were a bird, if we were predator and prey. i'd love you no matter what you are, even if i were destined to kill you," he finishes with a peck to riku's lips.
yushi watches, unimpressed, clapping his hands dryly as riku and daeyoung bow enthusiastically. daeyoung chuckles, turning back to the stove and riku moves to sit with yushi.
"you didn't even let me finish," yushi frowns.
"well, you're back here so i'd assume you didn't say anything very pleasing," riku points out.
yushi gives up. "worse. he didn't say anything, just got up and went to his room."
daeyoung comes over, placing a pan of beef fried rice down on the table along with plates and utensils and takes the empty seat next to riku. yushi thanks him for the meal, scooping himself a portion.
it has been such a long day. he's hungry, tired, and grimy, and now his usually clingy boyfriend is angry at him all the way in a different dorm.
"i'm sure you two will make up quickly, hyung," daeyoung says while yushi scarfs down his food.
riku makes a noise of agreement, no longer making fun. he reaches across the table to pat yushi's arm in comfort. yushi just sighs, not saying anything more, and dinner continues with daeyoung and riku picking up conversation in the way they always do.
yushi buries himself under his blankets, hair only half dry, blinking down at the chats on his phone.
goodnight hyung, love you, he texts.
sion only sends back a sticker of a crying mametchi and yushi sighs for what feels like the millionth time today.
he'll have to try again tomorrow.
yushi goes down to the other dorm the next morning.
"good morning, hyung," ryo greets when he opens the door.
yushi hums in response, following him in. he places a container of pancakes (courtesy of his roommates) down on their dining table. "i brought you guys breakfast."
his eyes flick down to the joycon in ryo's hand. "a little early for video games, don't you think?"
ryo just shrugs, plopping back down onto the couch next to sakuya. "wanna play?"
"maybe later. is sion hyung awake?" he asks, even though he probably already knows the answer.
the two boys shake their heads in unison, sakuya pointing towards sion's room, before unpausing their game—the sound drifts quietly through the space.
yushi makes his way down the hall, quietly entering sion's room and shutting the door behind him.
sure enough, sion is curled up on his bed still fast asleep. he looks a mess; hair sticking up in all directions against his pillow, blanket wrapped around his legs, and his sleep clothes have ridden up a little. yushi grins softly and moves towards him.
he presses his knee down to the mattress, his hand caressing the exposed skin of sion's leg. "hyung, wake up."
sion stirs a little, but still barely moves. yushi lowers himself further onto the bed, sitting now. his hand travels up to pat down sion's bedhead.
"hyung," he calls out again.
sion's eyes blink open slowly, squinting up at yushi. he groans and stretches upwards, wrapping his arms around yushi's neck and tugging him down. yushi falls onto sion with a grunt as the other nuzzles closer to him.
in this sleepy haze, sion is much clingier than normal. he holds onto yushi with a grip that yushi knows is not worth trying to fight, so he just sighs and waits.
"you don't love hyung," sion grumbles eventually.
yushi huffs and wrestles himself looser in sion's grasp, propping himself up. sion is noticeably more awake now, despite the way he seems like he'll knock out cold any second. he looks like he's joking, but yushi knows better.
the slightest doubt that he loves sion makes yushi’s heart twist.
"hyung would love you if you were a worm," sion continues. "i'd love you and your tiny little worm body. i guess then you wouldn't be able to eat much with your tiny tummy. but i'd make sure you ate well. get you all your favorite leaves and whatever—disgusting things worms eat…" he trails off like he's in a trance.
yushi tugs them both up, fearing that sion is on the verge of falling asleep again, and partly because his arms were getting tired. they're in the same position as they were yesterday. sion plays mindlessly with yushi's fingers as the other is given a second chance at this life-altering question.
but yushi is still yushi, so he can't help but mess around a little first. "i loved you when your roots were outgrown and your hair was fried. i think i'd love you through anything."
sion lets out a noise of exasperation, leaning forward to bury his head in yushi's lap.
“you don’t love me,” sion whines muffled.
"hyung," yushi starts apologetically, a tender smile on his face. "i would love you in every single universe. no matter where we are or who we are or what we are. i can't imagine a life without you."
the raw confession makes yushi flush a little when he finishes. he's sure his ears are a tinge pink when sion raises his head to look into his eyes. sion is practically gleaming as he tackles yushi down, peppering kisses across his face.
“ushi-ya,” sion coos. “you really love hyung so much?”
yushi doesn’t say anything else in the chaos of it all, trying to retreat from sion’s relentless attacks.
after a while, sion calms down, kissing yushi proper. slow, comforting. “i love you a lot,” sion breathes against his lips.
"but would you still love me if i were a worm?" sion asks again, ever so persistent. yushi laughs, finally giving in. he pulls sion against his chest.
"yes, hyung, i would still love you if you were a worm."