It was yet another lunch period, and Taeil was so proud to say that he could go and sit with his friends; no longer did he have to be alone. Being squished at these tiny tables, between Ten and Johnny, it was still a joy to have social interaction that was just so easy. Maybe it wasn't easy, though, when Johnny had his big arm wrapped around Taeil's waist. He felt so tiny, in the best way possible, and couldn't help but be shy around the man he wished he saw as just a friend. 

"Hey Taeil," Johnny spoke, smiling down at his roommate. 

"H-hey," Taeil stuttered back. What was it about Johnny? Why did he make Taeil feel so strange? Taeil had a guess of what he thought that feeling was, but he didn't want to admit it, even to himself. 

"How's choir going?" Even that simple question was enough to make Taeil a flustered mess, the idea that anyone cared enough about Taeil's life to ask about it, let alone a guy as cool as Johnny, was still amazing to him. But despite his distraction, Taeil still needed to answer the question. 

"It's...it's going really well, actually," Taeil admitted. "The people are really nice and think I have a nice voice. It's so different from high school choir." 

"I'm really glad," Johnny answered with a soft grin. "I'm proud of you, you know?"

Taeil was choking on his words and doing his best to formulate a response when Yuta groaned from where he sat, across from Ten. 

"I can't believe we've been here a ing week and a half and I'm already sick of the goddamn food," he complained. "I mean, I know it's not easy making massive servings, but there's gotta be something better than this." 

"I would say he's being a crybaby, but Yuta's kind of got a point," Ten responded. 

"There's always too much mayo," Winwin mumbled softly. 

"I wish there was something we could do, but going out to eat every meal would be too expensive," Taeyong spoke. 

"I would kill for a kitchen," Doyoung added. Everyone muttered their agreements with him. 

"I can't really cook for , but at least I could make noodles or something," Jaehyun said. 

"Honestly, a kitchen would be so nice," Kun spoke. "I love to cook, it's really my only hobby. I miss cooking so much." 

"You are a really good cook," Johnny spoke. 

"Yeah, your breakfast for all of us in Seoul was delicious," Taeyong added. 

"Aw guys, you don't have to be so nice," Kun spoke. 

"We're serious!" Ten whined. "You know you get roped into cooking with all the grandmas at every family event." 

"Maybe you should be glad we don't have a kitchen. We would make you cook for us all the time," Doyoung said. 

"I honestly don't think I'd mind it so much," Kun admitted. 

"You'd definitely be territorial over that kitchen though," Yuta piped up. 

"You would kill us if we so uch as left a single dish out," Sicheng added. 

"Exactly," Kun answered. The conversation continued, but as Taeil turned his head, he completely tuned it out. Hyungil was walking by, and even though Taeil's friends seemed annoyed, they still waved hello out of politeness. Taeil didn't join them though, simply watching his twin brother to see how he was doing. While Taeil was realizing he was oblivious to some things, he could read his brother like a book, even without talking to him. 

Hyungil ignored Taeil and his friends, walking by quickly with a small group of his own friends. But this group looked nothing like Hyungil's group in high school: it was tiny, there was only one girl with them, and instead of being the obvious leader Hyungil hung out towards the back. This group looked annoyed to be with him, rather than Hyungil's old high school friends, who looked honored to simply be in his presence. 

"Hey guys!" Hyungil called, and they all turned to him with deadpan expressions. One even rolled his eyes. "Wanna hear a joke?" He was met with silence from his friends, except for a slight nod. "How many guys does it take to open a beer? None, it should be open by the time she brings it to you." Taeil made a face; he was used to Hyungil's stupid ist jokes, but he pitied Hyungil's friends; no one else should have to go through what he did.

All of Hyungil's friends simply ignored the joke, immediately turning back around and walking. A couple just groaned, and only one chuckled out of politeness. Hyungil winced and looked at the ground sheepishly.

As they walked away, Taeil couldn't help but think about how far his brother had fallen; from his days of high school glory to the reality of his life in university. It was a bit satisfying, but Taeil wasn't too happy. He didn't relish in other people's failures the way his brother did. Simpl, he wanted his brother to learn from his mistakes, and live a good, happy life in a way that didn't hurt other people. Taeil shook his head; he knew for a fact that he spent way too much thinking about his twin. Instead, he should be thinking about the new, wonderful life he'd created at university for himself. 

He mentally tuned back into the conversation his friends were having at the lunch table, but at that point everyone had begun conversations without him. So, Taeil figured he would use what skill he'd learned best from being lonely all those years: eavesdropping on other people's conversations. Ten and Yuta were leaning across the table, whispering to each other, and it made Taeil beyond curious. After all, Ten always seemed to act weird around Taeil, maybe they were talking about him. 

"Ten, seriously, I need your help with him!" Yuta whispered emphatically. 

"What the hell do you need help on?"

Yuta's whisper dropped even lower. "I want to date him, but all we do is ." 

Ten's jaw dropped and he pulled back. "You're ing my cousin?" He mouthed angrily before Yuta pulled him back close so nobody else could hear (well, other than Taeil, but he was an eavesdropping expert). Ten shook his head with disappointment. "You dirty, dirty man," he mumbled. "Sicheng is an innocent baby, and you've corrupted him." 

Taeil was shook, to be entirely honest. Sicheng really did seem like an innocent baby, not to mention the fact that this information meant there were two more confirmed gays in their suite. First Taeyong and Ten, now Yuta and Sicheng...it was a lot to think about. But Taeil didn't have time then; he wanted to hear more of this gossip. 

"I have not corrupted him!" Yuta growled with wide eyes, looking side to side. "He's crazy. He's never ing satisfied. He puts on this sweet act in public, but as soon as we're alone...he jumps me, he gets what he wants." 

Ten stared back at him slack jawed. "That's...that's sacrilege..." he mumbled, still shocked. 

"It's not! This is all true, I swear," Yuta whined under his breath. "Literally on the second day I got in the shower and he just jumped in with me and started suc-"

"Yuta, I really don't wanna hear about my cousin's life anymore," Ten whispered tiredly. 

"But I need your help! I don't wanna just be friends with benefits, and nobody here knows him better than you." 

Ten was about to respond, with Taeil listening closely, but a new arrival stopped all conversation. 

Jungwoo and Yukhei finally showed up, squeezing into the two seats across from Taeil. They kept looking over at each other and giggling like idiots. They couldn't really look their friends in the eye, and despite the warm early fall weather, Jungwoo was wearing a scarf. 

"So, you two," Ten spoke with a gleam in his eye. "What gives?"

The two boys shared a look and giggled loudly. Jungwoo's cheeks turned pinker than they already were, and Yukhei placed his giant hands over his neck. 

"The are you two on?" Doyoung asked. 

"Yeah, what is up with you guys?" Kun added. Yukhei moved his hand to brush his hair out of his face, and Ten began to smirk. 

"What's that on your neck?" Ten asked. Yukhei looked panicked and immediately moved his hand back. 

"Uh, n-nothing," Yukhei stuttered. 

"Was that a hickey?" Jaehyun mumbled. 

"N-no!" Yukhei cried, Jungwoo staring pointedly at his lunch tray. 

"Come on, I think we all know by now," Taeyong said. 

"I-I don't know what you guys are talking about," Jungwoo responded. But immediately after he finished speaking, the other boys lunged at them, tearing away their hands and Jungwoo's scarf until their hickies were visible to the entire cafeteria. 

Even though everyone laughed they were still surprised, mostly at just how many they both had. Jungwoo buried his face Yukhei's shoulder, and Yukhei looked shyly at the ground, still smiling. Once his friend's screaming ceased, Yukhei spoke up. 

"We had to make up for not kissing in seven minutes in heaven, okay?" Yukhei whined. Everyone looked around awkwardly. 

"Are you two, like, together?" Jaehyun finally spoke up. 

Yukhei and Jungwoo looked at each other, smiled, then turned back to the others. "Yeah, we are," Yukhei proudly answered. 

Everyone grinned back at them, squealing and screaming in excitement when Taeyong finally interrupted the freak out session. 

"Wait...didn't you two meet when we all got here like...a week and a half ago?" 

"Well...yeah," Jungwoo admitted. Everyone began to scream again, simply at the idea that two people could date after not even knowing the other existed less than two weeks prior.

"Honestly, I couldn't care less, it's just funny," Taeyong added.

"I can't judge either, I was in an internet relationship for all of my teen years," Ten said. 

"Well, I can judge," Kun piped up. "And it's weird! You two barely know each other." 

"Come on, it's a little bit cute," Jaehyun responded. 

"Love at first sight," Yuta added, and Doyoung made a gagging noise. 

"Love at first sight isn't real," Sicheng mumbled, and Taeil pretended not to notice Yuta's face fall. 

"How old are you guys? We're young! It doesn't matter all that much how long you've known someone, if you like them, you like them, and you shouldn't hold back in going for it," Johnny spoke. He gave Taeil a brief look at the end of his little monologue, and Taeil tried his best to not make anything more of it than it actually was. 

Like Ten and Taeyong, Taeil didn't care about their relationship itself, it just gave Taeil a ton to think about. 

First Taeyong and Ten, then Yuta and Sicheng, now Jungwoo and Yukhei, it was really looking like Taeil ended up in the gay dorm. But Taeil loved and adored his new friends and he would never judge or abadon them because of this. He was always surprised when he found about his friend's ualities, but it never really changed his opinion of them, after all, their dating lives didn't really affect him. 

But if he could accept his friends, why couldn't he accept himself? Maybe he could debate whether or not he was actually gay, but it was impossible to deny that he had feelings for Johnny. He could say his situation with his family was different, that's why he couldn't let himself have this crush, but he was sure not all of his new friends would have accepting families either. Anyways, the opinions of his family shouldn't affect him at all because he knows they're . The opinions he values the most are those of his friends, and he knows they would always accept him. So why not accept himself? Obviously there was no way Johnny would ever like him. But he wouldn't have to tell anyone about his little crush, and maybe he could get some peace of mind. 

Just then the boys all realized how late it was, clearing their trays and hurrying to class. Taeil started on his way alone, feeling the weight leave as he let himself just like Johnny, when he felt a light tap on his back. He turned around to see Ten smiling at him. 

"Hey! Where are you headed?"

"Unitopia building," Taeil answered. 

"Me too!" Taeil smiled, it was always nice to not be alone. Ten grinned back at Taeil, but somehow, it seemed a bit sinister. Ten was extremely mischevious, so Taeil knew something was about to happen. 

"So," Ten started with a lift of his eyebrow. "What's going on with you and Johnny?"

Immediately, Taeil's feet froze, his eyes going wide. Clearly Ten had been teasing, he hadn't meant any harm, but Taeil thought he'd been more discreet. He cheeks flushed red but he shook his head, walking toward class again. Ten watched him worriedly. 

"W-well, u-um, so, uh, there's...there's really nothing," Taeil managed to speak. 

Ten scoffed. "I really don't think there's 'nothing going on'. It's obvious."

"It is?" Taeil cried. 

"No Taeil, I mean, just to me," Ten answered, attempting damage control. "I'm the king of gossip. I can always sense those things." 

"Okay," Taeil answered slowly. "B-but...there really is nothing. We're not seeing each other or anything." 

Ten sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry for prying. I was honestly just teasing but you seem really uncomfortable, so I'm sorry. I'll stop." 

"I-it's okay," Taeil stuttered, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Honestly , it wasn't okay, Taeil was not ready to talk about it, especially after he just admitted he had feelings for Johnny that day. But he wasn't sure what else to say. 

"Are you..." Ten started, his voice much softer. "not out?" 

Taeil sighed and shook his head. "I-I don't even know if I-I'm..." he sighed again. 

"I'm...I'm really sorry then. I thought since lately you've been so much more confident, and, well, I got the vibe, I guess I thought it was kind of implied." 

Taeil shook his head. "Yeah, I'm...I still have to think about it." 

Ten nodded and they walked awkwardly in silence, not quite sure what to say any more. Taeil was still shaking a little; he definitely wasn't ready for this conversation. But it wasn't the absolute worst situation: Ten seemed extremely guilty; since he was gay himself he knew better than to out someone before they were ready to come out. Plus, Taeil felt a tad bit relieved that he didn't have to keep his feelings bottled up any more, at least to one person. 

"Do you..." Ten finally started again slowly, trying to ease the awkward silence. 

"Yes, okay, fine, I like Johnny, alright?" Taeil breathed out aggressively. Ten began to laugh, and Taeil gave him a confused and upset look. 

"That wasn't what I was asking," Ten explained with a giggle. Taeil winced and blushed, chuckling a little at himself. 

"Oh," Taeil spoke shyly. 

"I'm glad you trust me though," Ten said. 

"Well as of right now you know more about my feelings than anyone else, so telling you that wasn't much more of a stretch." 

"Hm...alright, I'll take it." 

"But like I said, there's nothing going on between us. I just like him. We haven't done anything." 

"What about that kiss during seven minutes in heaven?"

"Well that wasn't either of our faults!" 

"You know, you didn't have to kiss in there," Ten said with a sly smile. 

"W-well...u-uhm," Taeil stammered awkwardly, there really was no explanation for their kiss in that closet. 

"Exactly," Ten answered. 

"Wait, aren't you his best friend though? You would know if he liked me, and you haven't mentioned anything."

"Ah ah ah," Ten started. "I am not getting involved in this. You two have to figure this out for yourselves."

"Weren't you the one who wanted to know what was going on between us?" Taeil questioned. 

"I'm a gossip, okay?" Ten whined. "I always like to know everybody and what's going on in their love lives. My romance was trapped in the internet for so long that I had to live through other people to feel less lonely. Still, I wanna know about you and Johnny, but I'm going to interfere in any way, good or bad. But that means I won't tell Johnny about your feelings. He may be my best friend, but your secret is safe with me."

"It better be. Johnny is my roommate, he can't know. I don't want things to be awkward." Taeil, though, honestly wasn't worried. He was surprised at how easy it was to talk about his crush with Ten. Maybe, admitting everything to Ten was a good idea. 

"Of course. I promise I'll keep my mouth shut, for once," Ten answered with a glint in his eye that Taeil couldn't read. 

"Honestly, it's just a silly crush though," Taeil spoke with a sigh. "It's whatevs." 

Ten looked at him seriously and shook his head. "Clearly it's not whatevs. This is a big deal for you, you're dealing with feelings you've never felt before. Not to mention that judging by your brother, your family hasn't exactly made it seem like being gay is a good thing. Let yourself feel your feelings." 

Taeil slowly grinned. "Thanks for being so understanding, Tennie." 

The thai boy grinned. "Always." 

"If you ever need to talk about your problems...I'm here too." 

"I think the dramatic part of my life is over, but if I ever need anything, I'll definitely take you up on that offer. And keep me updated on you and Johnny's relationship, alright?" 

"Sure," Taeil answered with a chuckle. Finally, they reached the building where their classes were held. 

"What floor is your class on?" Ten asked. 

"Third." 

"Well, I'm down here," Ten responded with a wave. 

"See you around!" Taeil called, waiting by the elevator as Ten ducked into his class. Honestly, it had been a crazy lunch period, and Taeil had a lot to think about. But all of this drama and weirdness was worth it: having friends, and great ones at that, was a blessing worth a lot of suffering.