Junho is sitting on his couch, letting a random show play in the background as he’s texting three different people about random shit when a surprising name pops up in his notifs.

Smartass.

Junho sucks in a breath and hurries to get to the message.

[ When do you want to do this? ]

He clicks his tongue upon seeing the message, a mix of apprehension and relief filling him in equal parts. Relief, because he feels somehow awkward being the one to text him first after last night—it’s just a photo, just a photo—but apprehensive because, wow, holy shit, Junho might actually be making progress and he doesn’t really know if that’s a good or bad thing.

Luca contacted him first though! That has to mean something. Something like... Junho is getting somewhere with him. Admittedly, the ‘where’ isn’t too clear, but it’s something.

[ do what? haircut? ] he sends back, just to be difficult and test the waters. He knows full well what Luca means. Cooking. Just cooking.

[ No, dipshit. Do you want the japchae or not? ]

[ hmmmmmmmm ]

[ I’ll take that as a no. ]

[ Goodbye. ]

[ no wait! ]

[ i want it ]

[ Then act like it. ]

Junho scoffs, feigning ignorance of the way his face heats at the presumably innocuous text—unless you’re as dirty minded as he is.

Exasperated, he rubs at his face and shakes himself. Mind—gutter—out.

[ let’s go grocery shopping tomorrow ]

[ Together? ]

[ yeah ]

[ Why? ]

[ cause i wanna come with ]

Luca takes a while to reply back to that one, but Junho has since become used to that and busies himself with social media in the meantime.

Five minutes later, Okay, I guess. If you want to.

[ i’ll front the bill (￣^￣)ゞ ]

[ but will we be at your place to cook? ]

Junho imagines how well that’d go down. It won’t be the two of them, that’s for sure. Sofia and Rico would be in the house, if not directly in attendance to the cooking show and while he loves those two, a part of Junho... doesn’t like the idea.

[ let’s go to mine!!!! ]

[ No way, all of my tools are at my place. ]

[ yeah, sure, but can u imagine how annoying nonna and rico are gonna be??? they’d insist on never leaving the room,,, ]

[ Shit. ]

[ yeahhhhh ]

[ They’ll ask so many questions. ]

[ too many ]

[ You’d end up saying something stupid and embarrassing yourself the most. But I’ll have to witness it. ]

Junho chokes.

[ bITCH ]

[ I guess I can pack any special utensils I might need. ]

“Fucking bastard.”

[ u do that...... dick ]

God, it’s an uphill battle with this guy.

[ When do you want to meet up tomorrow? ]

Junho gives this question some thought before he replies. And in that moment of consideration, Junho realizes and remembers several key things. 

One, tomorrow is a weekday. Two, Junho has a day off so they could honestly meet at any time and... three...

[ isn’t it a school day for you?? ]

The dude is still in fucking high school.

Recalling this piece of information that has never seemed so important until now, Junho wants to bury his head into his pillow in shame, more disgusted with himself than he already was.

Just great, not only is he somewhat flirting with his recently deceased best friend’s brother, but the brother is still a high school student?

Junho can barely even recognize himself anymore.

He’s never been interested in younger guys—not even mattering that Luca isn’t that much younger, barely a few months between them, and he’s literally the same age as Ciana—but, but... Junho has a type! Older, muscular men, preferably mid-twenties with some scruff attached and some experience in bed to boot.

Thinking seriously about the matter, Luca is still a fresh-faced young boy. Inexperienced and brand new, like a lamb taking his first steps, pure still, no matter how gruff and cold his outward experience. He oozes awkwardness and doesn’t Junho already have enough of his own to deal with?

Fuck. The both of them together, it’s like putting two bottoms together...

Junho shakes his head sharply. Wrong. Two... tops?

Is Luca even a top?

An image flashes behind his eyes, a half-lidded gaze with Luca’s burning bright blue eyes staring back at him, an imagined sigh and grunted out moans, him beneath him.

“Agh!!!!” Junho runs his hand through his hair hastily and groans loudly at the shift his thoughts have taken. It’s times like this he’s thankful no one is a mindreader. Then everyone would know how much of a dumb pervert he really is... and that definitely won’t be good if his halmeoni knew the truth.

Luckily, just as Junho is sure he’ll stew in his thoughts forever, he hears the ding of a text coming through.

[ School ends at three. You’re the one with a car, so pick me up. We’ll go grocery shopping from there. ]

Junho’s eye twitches at the demanding tone that seeps through the text. Why is he even entertaining the idea of them together? God, it’s so embarrassing. Luca is probably just messing with him when he flirts back...

Okay, okay, but... this means Junho is going to pick Luca up from school.

At the thought he can’t help but grin widely, face assuredly red, and breaths coming out in huffy happy sighs. The idea of it is entirely too cute to him. A bit like he has a little brother who he has to pick up from school...

Junho grew up like a single child. Even having little sisters, he’s never experienced actually being an older brother. Sure, he is one, but he doesn’t feel much like one.

Back when Junho was still in school, every year Junho would take a month out of summer break to live with his mother in Korea. It’s there he got to know his sisters and realized that he’s entirely too inept in speaking Korean to really connect with them. It didn’t help matters that both of them are awfully shy and introverted.

That, and his step-dad is weird around him and he has the sneaking suspicion that none of them like him very much at all. His sisters avoid him like the plague for anything but family dinners and his mother’s parents are quick to criticize him for everything—none of his achievements ever matched up to what his two little sister’s were doing under their careful watch and Junho is ultimately too lacking for their taste.

He’s the throwaway child after all.

Regardless, Junho didn’t go to Korea last year, and hasn't decided if he’ll go this year—he hates feeling like an island and it just isn’t worth the airfare to be miserable for an entire month in Incheon.

He misses spending time with his mom though.

Need to call her.

[ yeah ] Junho texts, just realizing he almost left Luca on read. 

[ i’ll pick you up tomorrow, which school tho? ]

[ Brashear. ]

[ got it! ]

[ omg im so happy ]

[ japchae! made with you! ]

[ you might even call this the start of a beautiful friendship ]

[ Don’t kid yourself. ]

[ jdaskdkjhf dude ]

[ i’ve been to your place ]

[ you’re going to mine ]

[ you’re gonna cook me food ]

[ call it what it is! ]

[ I’m just doing this to get you off my back and get experience cooking a new dish. It’s nothing anything remotely friendly. ]

[ And who says we’ll even talk after this? ]

[ Maybe you’ll hate me after tomorrow. ]

[ ¯_(ツ)_/¯ ]

[ i already know you’re an ass ]

[ but as u’d already kno ]

[ i’m into ass lol ]

[ sjhkjhkfhSAKJHDKJA ]

[ im sorry that was such a stupid joke ]

[ im so embarrassed now (,,꒪꒫꒪,,) ]

[ God. ]

[ h-hewwo? ]

[ Goodbye. ]

[ pls forget that joke uwu ]

[ Not likely. It's seared into my memory now. ]

[ Second hand embarrassment from you is actually deadly. ]

[ But can't say I'm surprised. ]

[ I already knew you were into my ass from the way you were gripping it the other night. ]

Junho inhales sharply through his nose, stunned Luca is the one to bring it up. Fuck, he’s bolder than Junho took him for and that’s information he rather would have never learned.

Junho attempts to play it off.

[ its a good ass!! ( °٢° ) ]

And it really, really is. Junho sighs. He’s probably being too honest.

[ Hm. ]

[ About that night actually, I did want to say something. ]

[ yes? ]

And Junho promptly watches Luca attempt to write his response for a solid ten minutes before presumably giving up when only a single phrase was sent.

[ Never mind. ]

Junho curses loudly and vehemently.

[ u coward!!!! (ꐦ`^´) ]

[ hhhhhh ]

[ got me on the edge of my seat for nothing ᵟຶᴖ ᵟຶ ]

[ See you tomorrow. ]

"Tch," he muttered.

[ avoiding the topic now?? ]

[ i c i c ]

[ i'll let it slide for now ]

[ see you tomorrow indeed (´꒳`)ﾉﾞ]