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Nichkhun moves into the flat across from his on a Friday morning, right as he's about to leave for class. He's wearing a SHUN THE NON BELIEVER! shirt and ratty jeans and Wooyoung's tummy does a very dangerous swoop as they smile at each other.They exchange polite 'hello's and 'nice to meet you's and, on Wooyoung's end, "Welcome to the building."Nichkhun grins at him, dimples on his cheeks, and says, "Thank you, I appreciate it."He returns home after class to find Nichkhun on his way out, a bag of trash in hand."Moving in alright?" he asks as he unlocks his door, and Nichkhun chuckles heartily, nodding."It's going alright, yeah." He nods to Wooyoung's bags of food, courtesy of Mrs. Khoo from the Viet place down the block. "Take out for an army?"Wooyoung invites him over. (What is he supposed to do when Nichkhun's eyes get all puppy-like like that? Ignore him? Wooyoung might be a bit cold sometimes but he's not heartless.) He explains, "She's always over-feeding me, there's no way I can finish all this food by myself," and adds, "I'm sure with all the work you've been doing today you haven't thought about dinner," and Nichkhun bites his lip around a smile as he admits he, in fact, hasn't even stopped to have lunch."You sure it's alright?" Nichkhun asks for the nth time as he sits on Wooyoung's couch and loads food onto a plate.Wooyoung points his chopsticks at him. "Stop asking me that and eat, buddy. Don't make me force-feed you, I'm not above doing it."Nichkhun laughs and lets it go, murmurs, "Alright, no need to get violent," and Wooyoung nods in victory as he chews.They have dinner in Wooyoung's living room while watching late reruns of morning shows. This is how Wooyoung learns Nichkhun is a little over a year older than him, has two sisters and a brother, works in the library part-time, and is currently majoring in Asian History, got a scholarship back home to study abroad and is doing the best he can trying to juggle work and college.In turn Wooyoung tells him he has an older sister who he sees regularly (he adds: "She likes to drop by unannounced because she is actually Satan's daughter," and Nichkhun laughs so hard he nearly snorts beer through his nose), and that his parents live in a different state, retired and content. Wooyoung really doesn't have many friends—Junho and Chansung from work barely count, hasn't had a date in, like, six months (to which Nichkhun raises both eyebrows and says, "I find that incredibly hard to believe, Wooyoung, you gotta be shitting me," and Wooyoung flushes so hard he might pass out)."So it's just me out here in the city," he says with a shrug, suddenly feeling awkward.Nichkhun nods, and after a moment, says, "Well, now we have each other, don't we," and Wooyoung grins so wide he thinks his face might break.It becomes a regular thing: they get together for dinner every other day and talk about each other, about their days at work and school, the one class they have together and their old hag of a professor. Wooyoung tries teaching him how to cook Korean food and Nichkhun tries teaching him the secrets of Thai cuisine and it never ends with anything edible on the table but at least they have a lot of fun. Nichkhun's better at cooking than Wooyoung's ever going to get so eventually it's just him doing the cooking while Wooyoung hangs about the kitchen. Sometimes, if he's feeling magnanimous, he cooks and lets Wooyoung help.("You're supposed to be stirring," Nichkhun says, disbelieving."I am," Wooyoung retorts, shaking the spatula in Nichkhun's face. "This is how I do it and it's my kitchen, you punk, so shut up and chop your damn carrots!")It's almost Christmas, three months down the road, that Wooyoung realizes that he really likes Nichkhun. Like, really likes him. Like, 'thinks about kissing him on a daily basis' likes him. He's a great guy, genuine and honest, and when they're having dinner at Nichkhun's one night and he says, tipsy with white wine, "I really like you," while Nichkhun stirs some vegetables in a pan, he finds it's the most honest thing he's said, probably ever. "I'm glad you moved in," he adds, because Nichkhun hasn't stopped stirring his veggies and has a very thoughtful look on his face and damn it, Wooyoung's gone and screwed things up, hasn't he? "I mean, I'm glad we became friends." It's a piss poor attempt to fix things but Wooyoung's going to try.But then Nichkhun kisses him while they're doing the dishes, chaste and simple and tasting like soap bubbles because Wooyoung had to flick some suds at him, he had to. He smiles when he pulls away, his eyes bright and beautiful, and says, "I'm kinda glad I moved in, too.""Did you have to keep me in suspense like that," Wooyoung whines, poking Nichkhun's cheek, hand still wet.Nichkhun shrugs, grinning. "It's what you get for almost burning the meat. Now help me load the dishwasher so we can make out on your ugly couch."
