Myungsuk bounced behind Seunghyeon, intensely focused on the labels on each row of bookcases. History, Political History, Politics, Linguistics–

The University library was a palace compared to the public one close to home. Rows of books full of knowledge waiting for their contents to be absorbed into keen minds.

When they got to the third floor, Myungsuk started to read the labels again. Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics.

He halted in his tracks and beamed. Astrology.

His feet pivoted, stepping towards the marvellous collection until Seunghyeon pulled him back.

"Eh," Seunghyeon whispered. "Let's sit down first."

Myungsuk jutted out his bottom lip. "But they're right here," he said as he tugged his arm away. "I'll use the phone tracker to find you," he insisted.

"Yeah, 'cause you totally remember to use it instead of freaking out."

Myungsuk pursed his lips and hung his head. Silently, he followed Seunghyeon the rest of the way, gripping the backpack straps. It was for the best, Insoo was also going to join them after his class, and it'd be a pity if Myungsuk couldn't find him.

The next floor up, they spotted Kwangsun and Yoonah at a table next to one of the windows.

"Hello, Kwangsun. Hello, Yoonah," Myungsuk said. He kept standing, shuffling his feet.

"Hi, Myungsuk," Yoonah cooed, leaning over. "It's been a while. How are you?"

"I could be better," he said, eyeing Seunghyeon sitting down and setting his things.

Seunghyeon raised his eyebrow at him before rolling his eyes. "Okay, you know where we are now. Go get your books," he laughed.

Myungsuk bounced on his feet, beaming. "Okay," he chirped and zipped past them.

He ran down the stairs and all the way back to the bookshelf. Stumbling to a stop, Myungsuk took in a lungful of air before marching between the Astronomy shelves.

The bookcases towered over him, and without a direct light over them, it felt like a towering den made out of shelves. He reached out and touched the glossy spines of the books.

One by one, he started to pull them out until he had a satisfying stack. He rested his chin on the top book and hummed, glancing back from which he came.

Taking these books up a flight of stairs would require endurance, something his shaky arms did not have. Plus, Seunghyeon, Kwangsun, and Yoonah were directly in the sun, and they were talking, and there were lots of people there around too. Myungsuk hadn't seen another person around here, and the lighting was just right.

He knelt down at the end of the row, carefully setting the books on the floor. He took off his backpack and pulled out his big noise-cancelling headphones. Slipping them on, he leaned against his backpack and once comfortable, he grabbed the first book. He rested it against his thighs and opened it up.

After an hour, Myungsuk closed the second book with a satisfying smile. Dark matter was truly a fascinating phenomenon. While the book explained it exceptionally well, the short chapter wasn't enough to satisfy him.

He shuffled through the other books in his stack and frowned when none of them had a chapter for dark matter. He took off his headphones and pushed himself up and started to search the shelf.

As he walked along the shelf, the hair on his nape stood. He rested his hand on an empty space between the books, he looked over his shoulder. He furrowed his brows. No one was there.

Pouting, he turned back, and where his hand was rested, up close and shrouded in books, was a face.

"Boo!"

Myungsuk squeaked and clasped his hands over his mouth.

Insoo laughed and pulled his face away from the opening. "Sorry," he whispered, quietly chuckling. "I couldn't help it."

Myungsuk bit the inside of his cheek and whined. He wasn't one for surprises, but he couldn't be mad when Insoo smiled so earnestly.

He reached through the shelf to poke Insoo's nose. "You certainly did surprise me."

Grinning, Insoo held his wrist and brought Myungsuk's palm to his lips. "You looked so cute searching for books that I didn't want to stop you." He kissed his palm.

The firm kiss jolted up Myungsuk's arm. His heart skipped a beat and warmth pooled in his belly. Giggles bubbled up from his chest, and he pulled his hand back, muffling his mouth as Insoo came around.

"It's good to see you," Insoo said, and Myungsuk instinctively stood closer, biting back a purr when Insoo held his hand.

Myungsuk gazed at Insoo's radiant face. So open and lively, with pink cheeks and a hint of his adorable dark circles. He loved how he was the only one who saw Insoo like this.

"Your books," Insoo whispered.

He blinked. "Ah, the books," Myungsuked mumbled and turned to his stack. "I like them. I'll ask Hyung to check them out for me," he said. His brain was now too preoccupied with other things to focus on reading.

"I can do it," Insoo said. "Seunghyun-sunbae is," he trailed off, grimacing, "in a heated discussion."

"Oh, I see." He giggled and pulled away and started to pack his things. Insoo knelt behind him, picking up the pile of books. "Do you need help?" Myungsuk asked as he put his backpack back on.

Insoo shook his head. Steadying himself, he pushed himself up, holding the stack of books with ease. "I'll carry them for you."

Myungsuk's chest tingled, and he fiddled his fingers together. Only Insoo could look so handsome carrying books.

They walked down to the ground floor and spent five minutes choosing three books to meet the maximum checkout limit, much to Myungsuk's dismay. After stuffing two in Myungsuk's bag and one in Insoo's, they walked out of the library.

"How was class?" Myungsuk asked as they walked down the paved path, their arms swinging between them.

"It was good." Insoo nodded. "I was telling my friends you're here. They said they wanted to meet you."

Myungsuk paused, looking away. "O-oh."

"Don't worry," Insoo said, squeezing his hand. "I said it's up to you. I won't introduce you until you're ready."

"Thank you," Myungsuk whispered.

"Of course," Insoo said. He glanced around before wrapping his arms around Myungsuk. They stood there, holding onto each other.

Myungsuk took a deep breath. The air mixed with Insoo's toasty scent, and his heart started to pound. He wanted Insoo with him. He wanted to be close to him.

His scent grew sweeter as warmth swirled in his chest. He bit his lip and glanced up. Insoo's cheeks weren't just pink; they were red.

Insoo rubbed his mouth and nose with his hand and steadied his breath, but Myungsuk tasted Insoo's scent shifting into a smoky warmth.

"I want to kiss you," Myungsuk blurted out.

Insoo's eyes widened and stopped Myungsuk from coming closer, gripping his arms. Myungsuk blinked and tilted his head at Insoo frantically looking around.

"Not here," Insoo whispered and cleared his throat. He took Myungsuk's hand and guided him in the other direction.

The door unlocked with a beep and Insoo pushed the door open. Myungsuk looked around the cramped control booth, dropping his backpack in one of the chairs.

He walked over to the large windows, leaning over the table as he looked out. The auditorium was dark, the only light source was the emergency exit lights by the doors. Fascinating how this place felt old and abandoned when the rest of the campus was so modern and lively.

A firm weight rested on his back as Insoo leaned against him, erasing Myungsuk's train of thought. Myungsuk wiggled around until they faced each other, staring at Insoo's shy expression.

"This is the most alone we've been," Myungsuk whispered.

"Yeah," Insoo whispered back and his scent thickened and Myungsuk shivered. The thought excited Insoo as much as it excited him.

He wrapped his arms around Insoo's neck, staring at his lips. They hadn't kissed since the museum, and Myungsuk didn't know how he survived so long without it. Myungsuk stood on his toes as they leaned closer, his heart fluttering in his chest.

Insoo pressed their lips together – soft, gentle kisses. Insoo took Myungsuk's plump bottom lip between his before pulling back with a lop-sided smile. "You've been practicing."

Myungsuk sucked in his breath and nodded. "Yeah. Is it good?"

Insoo nodded. "Really good," he breathed out and leaned into Myungsuk's smile, catching his lips once more.

Satisfied, Myungsuk's confidence grew ten-fold, and he shifted back onto the table, their lips never parting as Insoo slotted himself between his legs.

Myungsuk's hands eagerly roamed Insoo's body. His arms and his shoulders and his chest. Every inch of him fed Myungsuk's instincts, his scent sticking to the walls like honey the more he breathed in Insoo's alpha musk.

Heat swirled in the pit of his stomach the more they kissed, surging throughout his body when Insoo pressed their chests together, and again when Insoo slipped his tongue into his mouth.

Buzzing, Myungsuk instinctively wrapped his legs around Insoo and pulled him in. The moment Insoo pressed in tight, his whole body shuddered. Moaning into each other's mouths, Insoo held him closer, no part of them left untouched by the other.

Their kisses grew more clumsy and needy. Myungsuk's foggy mind only focused on Insoo's scent. His body and the growing heat from his groin made him curl his toes and whine, begging for something, anything more. Sparks surged through his body, every nerve on edge, suddenly aware of everything, all demanding his attention.

Myungsuk pulled back with a gasp. The noise halted in his brain. "I need a break," he panted, dropping his head back.

Insoo let out a breathless laugh and nodded. "Take your time," he said and kissed Myungsuk's cheek and nuzzled the crook of his neck. As Myungsuk's body relaxed, a smile grew on Insoo's face.

Insoo's hair was dishevelled and his shirt was wrinkled and his lips were swollen. Myungsuk purred, biting his bottom lip. He wanted to kiss him again, even for a minute more.

"What time is it?" Myungsuk asked.

Insoo pulled out his phone. "It's–" he paused. He pulled away, standing up straight. "Seunghyeon-sunbae texted me." He gulped as his thumb scrolled. "A lot."

Myungsuk sat up. Oh right, Seunghyeon must be looking for him. He probably should've texted him. "Just text him back–"

The metal screech of a door echoed through the auditorium, and they both froze. Myungsuk clapped his hands over his mouth and stumbled off the table, away from the window.

"Myungsuk! Are you in here?" Seunghyeon's voice rang out.

"Insoo! Myungsuk!" Kwangsun called out before they started to speak to each other, inaudible from the control booth.

Insoo's arms around him tightened. "How did they find us?"

Myungsuk sucked in his lips and looked away. If Myungsuk texted Seunghyeon earlier, Seunghyeon wouldn't have come looking for them while they were both clearly indecent. "Could be from the tracker on my phone," he explained with a sheepish smile.

Insoo gaped before pressing his lips together and curtly nodding. "Oh."

"Yup."

Myungsuk glanced down at the strained front of Insoo's pants, and it stirred something in him. He reached out, brushing his fingers against Insoo's jeans. "Sorry."

Insoo jerked "Ah, no it's fine," he stammered. "We weren't going to do anything like that, anyway."

"We weren't?" Myungsuk blinked up at him, disappointed.

Insoo gawked at him. "Wha–"

"Myungsuk!" Seunghyeon yelled again and they both jumped when they heard footsteps climbing closer. "Where are you?"

Myungsuk panicked the closer Seunghyeon came. Insoo, on the other hand, was frantically fixing himself. Tucking his shirt back in and fumbling with his buttons and readjusting his jeans, Insoo looked up and met Myungsuk's eyes.

Myungsuk was frozen in place, his mind blanking. "Help," he squeaked.

Insoo reached over and tugged Myungsuk's shirt down. "I got you," he whispered. "Take deep breaths," he said as he flattened Myungsuk's hair before kissing the top of his head.

A few breaths later, Myungsuk's brain and body started up again. He grabbed his backpack, swinging it on, and fanned his face with his hands, flapping them in Insoo's direction too.

"Myungsuk? Are you in there?" Seunghyeon's voice was right behind the door now.

"You know, they're probably doing it if they're in there," they heard Kwangsun say with a snicker.

Insoo and Myungsuk blushed harder.

"Shut up," Seunghyeon grumbled. The door shook, and Myungsuk clutched his chest. It was locked.

"I guess they're not here," Seunghyeon sighed. "Come on. Let's go," he said and their steps retreated.

They listened as they both headed back down the stairs, glancing out the windows when the door they came from opened, letting in the hallway light. Once the auditorium exit closed, they sighed in relief.

Insoo put a finger over his mouth and crept to the other door they entered from. As slowly as possible, he pushed it open with a creek that made Myungsuk's teeth hurt.

When the crack was wide enough, they both slipped out. And with the same delicacy, Insoo closed the door, clicking as it closed.

They did it. They escaped without getting caught.

Giggling, Myungsuk covered his mouth with his hands. "That was fun."

"Yeah, it was," Insoo said, stifling a laugh. His expression softened and took Myungsuk's hand. "I'm glad you had fun."

"Of course." Myungsuk grinned and laced their fingers together. "We should do this again," he said as they rounded the corner.

"Do what again?"

Myungsuk and Insoo jumped and dropped each other's hands. Seunghyeon and Kwangsun were standing there, a few meters away.

Seunghyeon crossed his arms, glaring at them. "Why didn't any of you answer your phones? Insoo, I expected you to at least answer."

"I'm sorry, sunbae," Insoo said, gulping. The smile on his face vanished in an instant and Myungsuk held back a whine.

Insoo didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't fair that Seunghyeon was scolding him. In fact, Seunghyeon was in no position to yell at them at all.

"It's my fault, Hyung," Myungsuk said, standing straighter. He took Insoo's hand. "We were busy."

Seunghyeon squinted at him. "You were busy?"

"Yup," Myungsuk said firmly and grabbed Insoo's hand. "We were busy kissing."

Insoo choked and Seunghyeon glared at them furiously. "What the hell, Myungsuk!"

"What?" Myungsuk snapped back. Everyone stared at him in surprise. Myungsuk squinted at Seunghyeon. "He's my boyfriend. I can kiss him if I want to. I'm shocked you have a problem with that."

Seunghyeon gaped. He closed his hanging mouth, but it fell open again. Seunghyeon pressed his lips into a tight line and furrowed his brows. He went from touching his face to waving his hands to shrugging and back and with his face contorting, unable to stay on one expression.

Seunghyeon pressed his fingers against his temple and turned to Kwangsun. "Is that how I sound?"

Kwangsun's laughed in surprise, and a bit of awkwardness too. "Are you asking if you're that blunt?"

Seunghyeon nodded.

Humming, Kwangsun nodded. "Yeah, sometimes."

Seunghyeon ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh my Gods." He turned back to the two of them and shrugged. "I guess... I– Uh..." his shoulders rose higher and then dropped them, waving his hands. "Remember to be safe. And, uh, answer your phones next time?"

Myungsuk nodded, smiling. "We will."

"Right," Seunghyeon said slowly. He stepped back, turning away from them, clearing his throat. "Anyway. It's almost five, Myungsuk. Let's go home," he said and was already walking down the hall.

"Okay," Myungsuk hummed and turned to Insoo, reaching up and kissing his cheek. "Call me tonight?"

Insoo nodded mechanically, his deep blush going all the way down his neck. Myungsuk wondered if his whole body was red too. "Uh... yeah," Insoo managed with a strained voice.

"Good," Myungsuk said and pulled away. He waved at Kwangsun. "Bye, Kwangsun."

"Bye." Kwangsun still laughed behind his hand. Myungsuk jogged to catch up to Seunghyeon, and when he looked back, Kwangsun patted Insoo's shoulder, whose face was as red as a strawberry.