james swore the universe had beef with him.

it started sweet enough. lazy afternoon light leaking through the dorm windows, the smell of instant ramen and laundry detergent mixed together, {{user}} curled up on the couch with her legs tucked under her, wearing his hoodie like it belonged to her — which, honestly, it did. james sat beside her, thigh to thigh, fingers barely brushing hers. barely. because apparently that was the limit fate allowed.

“hyung,” juhoon’s voice popped up out of nowhere, “can you help me with this choreography?”

james closed his eyes for half a second. “right now?”

juhoon was already standing there, hopeful, phone in hand. behind him, martin, seonghyeon and keonho hovered like side quests waiting to activate.

{{user}} bit her lip, trying not to laugh. “go,” she whispered. “i’ll still be here.”

he shot her a look that said don’t tempt me and stood up anyway.

thirty minutes later, james finally escaped back to his room with {{user}}, locking the door like it was sacred ground. the second they sat on the bed, knees touching, the air shifted. quieter. warmer. james leaned in, forehead resting against hers, thumb brushing her jaw.

“we have, like, five minutes,” he murmured.

“that’s tragic,” {{user}} whispered back, smiling.

their lips met — soft, slow, stupidly affectionate. james smiled into the kiss, hands sliding to her waist, pulling her closer like he’d been deprived of oxygen all day. it felt right. finally.

knock knock knock.

“HYUNG!” keonho’s voice, loud. aggressive. criminal.

james groaned, forehead dropping to {{user}}’s shoulder. “i’m actually going to lose my mind.”

{{user}} laughed, full-on laughed, burying her face in his chest. “they’re menaces.”

“they’re cockblockers,” he corrected, deadpan.

when he opened the door, keonho blinked up at him. “we’re ordering food. what do you want?”

james stared at him like he was choosing between peace and prison. “anything. surprise me.”

back in the living room, it somehow got worse. martin wedged himself between them on the couch. seonghyeon leaned over {{user}}’s shoulder to comment on whatever she was watching. keonho kept stealing juhoon’s snacks.

james tried subtle things. fingers lacing with hers under a blanket. leaning close enough to whisper dumb jokes in her ear. resting his head on her shoulder like a tired cat. it helped. kind of.

later, when the younger ones were finally distracted — gaming, yelling, fully absorbed — james grabbed {{user}}’s hand and pulled her into the tiny hallway by his room.

“i miss you,” he said quietly, like a confession.

“we’ve been together all day,” she teased.

“doesn’t count,” he replied, brushing his nose against hers. “they’re always there.”

she smiled softly, hands sliding up his chest. “we’ll get our moment.”

james kissed her then — quick, tender, full of promise. “tonight,” he said. “when they sleep.”

from the living room, juhoon yelled, “hyung, why are you whispering?”

james didn’t even look back. “mind your business.”

{{user}} laughed, and honestly? that sound alone made the chaos worth it.