”Do you have a crush on anyone and if yes, who?”

Dongho shut his eyes tightly, willing himself to have misheard the question. He knew Truth or Dare was a bad idea. Especially if Eli was involved.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” he said and Eli repeated his question, slower this time. Nope, Dongho got it right the first time. He took a deep breath. He knew there was no way out of this. Sure, he could name a girl from Girls’ Generation or something that he thought was pretty, or some random girl from school they wouldn’t even know, but there were several reasons he wasn’t going to – one; he was a really bad liar and his hyungs were pros at seeing right through him, two; they’d forever and ever if he chose a random noona or a girl they’d never heard of, three; this was truth or dare and Dongho really didn’t like breaking rules.

“Kevin-hyung,” he finally mumbled, so lowly he hoped no one heard it. Then he quickly stood up and fled to the safety of his own room, locking the door and burying himself underneath the blankets. It didn’t help at all; he could still hear the deafening silence in the living room, his cheeks were still burning hotter than fire, tears were building in his eyes, his heart was beating at a rate of a hundred miles per hour, Kevin would-

There was a knock on the door. Dongho buried his face in his pillow, hoping it would stop the hot, humiliating tears before they traced his cheeks. The only result he got was not being able to breathe. His whole body stiffened as he heard the door open. Let it not be Kevin, please God, let it not be Kevin…

“Dongho,” Kevin’s voice said. The amount of tears wetting Dongho’s pillow immediately increased. Kevin heaved a sigh and Dongho felt him sit down on the edge of the bed, placing one hand on the maknae’s back.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Kevin asked. His voice was cautious, soft, careful. It was sweet, Dongho thought, and immediately felt like kicking himself. He stayed silent, lest he slip something stupid. Again.

Kevin heaved another sigh and the bed shifted as he lay down next to Dongho. Dongho knew, because the other’s breath was suddenly right next to his ear. Oh God. A tiny, choked sob escaped him, into the pillow.

“Dongho, are you crying?” Kevin asked, voice worried now. Dongho swallowed and willed his voice to carry.

“No,” he answered, even if he knew it was useless.

“Oh, Dongho,” Kevin murmured as he shifted again, so his head was resting on Dongho’s back. Dongho gave up on the pretense and let loose another sob, his hands clenching the sheets.

“You hate me now, don’t you?” he asked, voice muffled.

“I could never hate you,” Kevin corrected him. “I was just a little surprised.”

Dongho didn’t know what to answer to that, so he allowed the silence to steal the space in the room, save for his own muffled sobs and shaking attempts of breathing.

Suddenly, Kevin’s arms are around his waist and even if Dongho struggles, Kevin is stronger than he looks and manages to pull the younger boy into his lap.

“Please don’t cry,” he whispers as he wipes Dongho’s tears with his own sleeve.

“Baby,” he adds in English and Dongho chokes on one of his sobs and start coughing. Kevin says nothing as he pulls him closer to his chest, but Dongho feels him mouth babybabybaby against his throat and suddenly his tears are no longer of fear and sadness, but of relief.

“I love you,” he chokes out. Kevin smiles against his skin.

“I love you too,” he responds, still in English. Dongho loves it when Kevin speaks English, and Kevin knows it.

“Stay with me,” he asks, slightly out of breath even as his tears start ceasing.

“Of course.”