Requested by Natasza.

The first time Ahn Su-ho almost kissed you, it was an accident.

It happened after school, when the sun hung low and orange over the rooftops, when the hallway was finally quiet enough to hear your own breathing. When you just got done with your turn of cleaning. You had been walking beside him, matching his lazy stride, when he suddenly stopped short. You didn’t, and your forehead bumped lightly into his back.

“Ow,” You said, more surprised than hurt.

He turned immediately, eyes wide, hands already lifting as if to steady you. “Hey---are you okay?” He asked, voice soft in a way it usually wasn’t when he joked around.

You nodded, rubbing your forehead. “You stopped out of nowhere.”

He laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “My bad. I thought I saw something.”

You looked up at him then, closer than usual, close enough to notice the faint scab on his lip from a fight he swore didn’t matter. For a split second, neither of you moved. His gaze dropped---not to the floor, but to your mouth---and you felt something unfamiliar twist low in your chest.

Then he stepped back too quickly, clearing his throat. “Uh. We should go,” He said, like he hadn’t noticed anything at all.

You both pretended that moment hadn’t almost become something else.

The actual kiss didn’t happen until days later.

It was late, the kind of late where the city felt slower, quieter, like it was holding its breath. You sat on the school rooftop, legs pulled to your chest, watching Su-ho lie flat on his back beside you, arms folded under his head. He talked about nothing and everything---about dumb rumors, about Beom-seok complaining too much, about how the stars were probably overrated.

“You’re really bad at being serious,” You said, smiling despite yourself.

He turned his head toward you. “Who says I’m not serious?”

“You,” You replied. “All the time.”

He laughed, the sound warm and easy, then slowly went quiet. The wind brushed past, cool against your skin. You became painfully aware of how close he was, how your shoulders nearly touched when he sat up.

“Hey,” He said after a moment.

You hummed in response, eyes still on the sky.

“Can I ask you something?” He asked.

You looked at him then. His expression was different---still soft, still familiar, but nervous in a way you’d never seen before. It made your heart stutter.

“Okay,” You said.

He hesitated, lips parting, then pressing together again. “If I do something stupid,” He said carefully, “Will you hate me?”

Your brows knit together. “That depends,” You said. “How stupid?”

He smiled faintly. “Pretty stupid.”

You exhaled a quiet laugh. “I don’t think I could hate you,” You said honestly.

Something shifted in his eyes at that. He fixed his position, turning toward you slowly, giving you time, space, a choice. You didn’t move away.

“Then… just tell me if you want me to stop,” He said.

Before you could overthink it, before fear could catch up to courage, you nodded.

Su-ho leaned in, not rushing, not reckless like everyone assumed he always was. His hand hovered near yours, close enough to feel warm but not touching. His nose brushed yours first, tentative, like he was checking if you were still there.

“Is this okay?” He asked quietly.

“Yes,” You said.

When he kissed you, it was soft---softer than you expected from someone who threw punches without hesitation. His lips pressed against yours gently, like he was afraid you might break. You froze for half a second, then relaxed, letting yourself lean into him.

The world didn’t explode. There were no fireworks. But your chest felt too full, your thoughts blurred, and his hand finally found yours, fingers curling carefully between yours like it was exactly where it belonged.

When he pulled back, barely an inch, he rested his forehead against yours. His smile was small, almost shy.

“So,” He said. “That was my first.”

You blinked. “You’re lying.”

He scoffed softly. “I swear. I’m bad at a lot of things, but lying isn’t one of them.” He joked.

"See?" He grinned. "I can be serious, if i want to."