We didn't say much on the way back downstairs.
Hyuck's hand was in mine, cold and damp, but I held it tightly—like I was afraid he'd disappear if I let go. The dorm lights felt too warm, too loud, after the quiet of the rooftop. The others were still laughing somewhere down the hall, oblivious.
We passed the game room without a word.
Hyuck didn't look at anyone. I didn't either.
I took him straight to my room and closed the door behind us.
The second it clicked shut, the silence changed. It felt heavier now—thick with everything we hadn't said, with everything we still needed to.
Hyuck stood near the edge of the bed, dripping wet, hair clinging to his forehead. He wouldn't meet my eyes.
"I'll get you a towel," I murmured, and he only nodded.
When I came back, I handed it to him and sat down beside him, the mattress dipping with our weight. We dried off in silence. My hoodie was soaked, his sleeves were still sticking to his arms. I reached out to help him unstick the fabric from his wrist, and his breath hitched—but he didn't pull away.
"I didn't mean to make you feel like you were too much," I said, finally.
He was still looking down, fingers clenched in the towel.
"I know," he whispered. "But you did."
I nodded. I deserved that. I deserved worse.
"I never realized how much I was hurting you," I said quietly. "I thought I was protecting you—protecting us—by being careful. I didn't want the others to tease us, or... or say stuff."
"They do that to everyone," he said, almost bitter. "They tease Yuta when he clings to you. You never seem to mind."
I swallowed hard. "It's different with you."
"Why?" he asked, finally turning to look at me. His eyes were soft but guarded. "Why is it different with me?"
"Because you're not just anyone to me," I said, voice barely above a whisper. "You matter more. Everything I feel for you is... so much, and sometimes it scares the hell out of me. With you, I get nervous. I mess it up. I second-guess everything because I don't want to lose you."
He blinked slowly. "But you already were losing me."
My chest tightened.
"I know," I breathed. "And I hate that it took this long to see it."
A pause. Then, almost reluctantly, he leaned his shoulder into mine.
"I didn't want to be mad at you," he murmured. "I just... I kept waiting for you to show me that you cared the same way I did. That I wasn't loving you too loudly."
"You weren't," I said quickly. "Hyuck, you weren't. If anything, I loved how loudly you loved me. I just didn't know how to match it without feeling like I was messing it up."
"You weren't messing it up," he whispered. "You were making me feel like I had to shrink."
God, that hurt to hear.
"I'm sorry," I said again, quieter this time. "I'll do better. Not just with words. I'll show you. I won't make you feel small again."
He looked at me for a long time. Then his fingers curled into mine, slow and gentle.
"Then show me now," he whispered. "Start here."
So I did.
I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into my chest, cradling his damp frame against me. No space. No hesitation. No fear. Just us—messy, broken, but trying.
His hand rested over my heart.
And for the first time in weeks, I felt it beat like it was supposed to.
————
Extra!
We stayed wrapped around each other for a long time—just quiet breathing, soaked clothes, and steady heartbeats.
No pretending. No more distance.
When we finally stood up, I grabbed a dry hoodie and tugged it over his head, watching as his cheeks flushed, his eyes soft. My hoodie. My Hyuck.
"You ready to go back out there?" I asked gently.
He hesitated, fingers gripping the hem of the hoodie. "I don't want to ruin the mood out there. I know it's all light and fun and—"
"I want to be near you," I cut in. "And I want them to know I want to be near you."
He blinked, surprised. His lips twitched, just slightly, into something that almost looked like a smile. "Are you saying you're finally gonna stop being a coward?"
I grinned and bumped his shoulder. "Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying."
We stepped back into the game room a minute later. Heads turned, but no one said anything at first—until Yuta grinned from the couch.
"Hey, the rain twins are back!" he teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
Someone snorted. "You two look like a drama finale."
The laughter picked up, but I didn't care. For once, I didn't shy away from the eyes. I walked over, still holding Hyuck's hand, and pulled him gently to sit beside me on the floor—right in the middle of everyone.
Hyuck's eyes widened slightly, and he tried to let go of my hand discreetly. I didn't let him.
Instead, I kept our fingers laced, right there in the open.
Taeyong glanced at us, then at our joined hands, and just smiled, quiet and knowing.
I leaned in and said it loud enough for the circle to hear: "You good, babe?"
Hyuck looked stunned for a second. His ears turned red, and I could tell he was fighting the urge to shove me playfully—but then something softened in his face.
He nodded, smiling small. "Yeah. I'm good."
And just like that, the tension dissolved. The others accepted it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Jaemin tossed him a controller. Doyoung made some snarky comment about "gross couples," and someone threw popcorn at him.
It was normal.
But it was also new. New because I wasn't pretending anymore.
Because Hyuck wasn't sitting alone in the corner watching me.
He was next to me. In my hoodie. Holding my hand.
Halfway through the game, I reached up and brushed the damp hair from his forehead.
He looked at me, surprised again.
"Just making sure you know," I whispered, leaning closer so only he could hear. "That I see you now. Really see you."
His eyes glistened—but this time, not from sadness.
He leaned in, bumped his forehead gently against mine, and whispered, "Don't stop."
"I won't," I promised.
And I didn't let go of his hand the whole night.
