Leon thought his heart would jump out from his mouth and dance tango in front of anyone who wanted to see it.

Really, what were the odds? He tried to breathe slowly to not wake up anyone, especially the boy who was hugging him just like a pillow. He felt both incredibly lucky and unlucky at the same time.

He breathed in.

Then he breathed out.

The first day of the club’s trip was an exciting one. They arrived almost late for lunch so everyone had to run there with their bags since the bus couldn’t ride on the sand. It was a sight to behold, a large group like that running around like lost ants.

After that, Moon and Nick respectively took the girls and the boys to their accommodations to leave their stuff there and then they all met up at the beach where some games were prepared for everyone. The first years all came to realize that everything in the university and in the clubs was decided with lotteries, so everyone was divided in four teams, the winners would choose the dinner menu.

They got blind folded and smashed watermelons with baseball bats; they raced up to gobble down some disgusting drinks concoctions; they played red light, green light; they had a dance off starring mainly the people form the photography club who didn’t know how to dance; and overall they all had a blast, leaving the swimming for the next day entirely because it was already night when they finished.

They ate an incredible combination of pizza and sushi that John’s team chose for dinner and then Moon and Nick stepped up to draw yet another lottery.

One of the objectives of this trip was to try and make the members get closer to each other. People, you see, almost always have a group of people they’re close to and will always want to stick to them, as Leon, Mark and John were planning to absolutely do just that. So the sleeping arrangements were drawn by luck, everyone was forced to be near people they didn’t choose.

And of course it was just Leon’s luck that he not only was the last one of the futon’s line, he was also stuck between Nick and a wall. As if that wasn’t enough, after much messing around in the room everyone was so tired that they eventually went to sleep and, as he was dozing off, Nick just straight up turned around and embraced him. Really, just like a teddy bear.

The second-year was fast asleep. The first-year got wide awake.

Just how was he supposed to sleep like that?!

The redhead was painfully aware of every bit of place that their bodies were touching but it seemed like the sleeping older boy found the contact too comfortable. The Senpai’s arm circled around the younger’s waist, his leg was placed between Leon’s legs, his whole body was glued to the other’s side and his face found a way to snuggle on the kouhai’s neck, unconsciously attracted to his smell.

Leon pressed his eyes shut so tightly that he saw stars forming. If anyone was awake to see, they’d seen his whole face glow red. Maybe he would combust right there. The first-year tried his best to calm down, but everytime Nick breathed on his neck he had to fight a shiver wanting to come up his spine. Everything was too much, each place they were touching felt hot. The redhead wondered for a moment if this was just a dream, but the brush of the other’s hair on his cheek felt too real for that. He wanted to run away, but he didn’t want to move a muscle.

Leon didn’t know if he wanted to indulge himself or cry at the situation. The Senpai was all over him, deep in sleep and Leon was so excited that he felt mortified. Just why did Nick have to be so damned attractive? Why did he have to hug him? Did this count as taking advantage of someone? Was he allowed to hug him back? Was he at fault for feeling his own body reacting? Shouldn’t he push the older boy back to his futon?

As his conscience appeared to have said hello, he tried to move Nick a little bit, pushing him back the way he came. The second-year mumbled uncomfortably and instead of turning back to the other side, he just clung to Leon even more.

Really, what was he supposed to do? He stammered a sigh. Nick would be the death of him, he was sure. A groan got stuck in his throat as he accepted his fate. 

—

The next morning came with the soft sounds of breaths and snores all around the room.

A little ray of sunshine placed itself on Nick’s eyes, naturally and slowly waking him up. The black haired boy blinked, wondering sleepily to himself how that light had reached him already, his biological clock told him it was still too early in the morning and he was not the closest one to the window…

…. Right?

At that moment a familiar scent caught his attention and he opened his eyes a bit, focusing on what was in front of him. Then he froze up entirely. Eh? What is going on? He thought to himself, feeling like his eyes could be spiraling around.

I mean, he could understand having rolled to his kouhai's futon, sure, Nick remembered feeling cold the night before, so he could process searching for warmth. That wouldn’t be too weird right? But did he miss his hugging pillow that much?? He was clearly the one holding Leon down, feeling the other’s body firmly under his embrace. Really, he was attached like a leech, wasn’t he? 

But why was the first-year hugging him back?!

Leon’s arm and shoulder was offered as a pillow to Nick’s head. At some point at night the younger boy was able to sleep, but it seemed like his body was as much of a traitor as Nick’s. The redhead was facing the elder now, their legs entangled entirely, his arm placed on the upper arm that the second-year was using to hug his waist, pulling him even closer. And his face… 

Leon’s forehead was touching Nick’s. He could feel every puff of air coming from the sleeping boy right on his own face.

The Senpai’s breath hitched.

They were too close for him to think straight.

They were so close he could count the other's eyelashes. His hair smelled so good. The hug was so comfortable Nick almost found himself wanting to snuggle more. Leon’s face looked so peaceful. His little birthmark looked clear at this distance. His parted lips looked so cute… so… unbelievably soft.

The elder felt entranced. He didn’t know when his own hand had reached for the kouhai’s cheek, ever so softly caressing his skin. He brushed some hair strands off the younger’s cheek, then touched the little spot under his eyes, finding it endearing. Slowly, his thumb brushed past the younger’s bottom lip and he felt himself gulp dryly at the motion.

At that moment, one of the other boys snored loudly and Nick jolted away from Leon, making the first-year mumble when he slipped out of the hug. The redhead went back to sleep after wiggling around a bit, but the second-year got up and beelined to the bathroom, closing the door fast but carefully to not wake anyone.

The black haired boy opened a tap and splashed cold water on his face multiple times before closing it back again and looking up to his reflection in the mirror. He was still blushed through and through. He groaned, pulling at his face.

“What the hell was that, Nick?” The second-year asked to himself.

Feeling a little out of breath, he realized the rhythm of his heart. Reaching out, he placed a hand, feeling the accelerated thumping. Was that from the startle of the snore or…?

 Nick felt absolutely helpless as he just whispered to his reflection again.

“What was that?”

—

In the end both boys were utterly unaware of each other's effects on… well… each other. So they just went on about their day like normal, pretending nothing happened.

I mean, nothing happened, really. But somehow both of them felt some kind of guilt, so for the whole day they coped with it the way they knew how: annoying one another.

“Was that on purpose?” Mark asked, following his friend as he was picking up a water bottle.

“What was what?” Leon avoided the other’s eyes.

“At the beach volleyball?” Mark crossed his arms looking irritated.

“What may you mean?”

“You spiked the ball right at Nick-senpai’s face”

“An accident, really” Leon waved it away.

“You aimed” Mark did not look amused.

“... he gave me sugar on the breakfast instead of salt”

“You put shouyu in his coffee”

“He tripped me into the sand”

“You tripped him into the sea”

“He avoided throwing the ball to me”

“Again, you spiked him on the face”

“He hugged me last night”

“You threw… Wait, what?” Mark dropped his own water bottle, splashing it on their feet.

Leon said nothing, sheepishly drinking his water. A pink tone was appearing on his ears. After an awkward moment of silence where Mark kept glaring at him, the taller one decided to talk “The jerk was sleeping like a rock. I thought I would implode right then and there” 

“You hugged?!” John appeared out of absolutely nowhere, giving the other two fright.

“Weren't you, like, hiding from the activities because you were sore?” Leon questioned, not answering him.

“Got bored” He shrugged “So… You hugged?” John elbowed him.

“I don’t think it counts as an actual hug, he was sleeping” Leon shrinked a little, feeling shy about it.

“And what about you?” Mark asked, a sly grin growing on his face.

“W-what about me?”

“Did you…” Mark walked to him like a cat “... perhaps…” He caressed Leon’s arm seductively, from wrist to shoulder and then up to his chin “...  I don’t know…” The shorter boy pulled the taller’s chin down and got up on his tiptoes so their faces were suspiciously close “... Meet him halfway on that?”

For a second they stopped there, faces really close, noses almost touching. John didn’t know if he should be looking, but he was not able to avert his gaze. Really those two…

“Eeeew” Leon finally let out with a disgusted expression “You’re giving me goosebumps, get away” He pushed Mark’s face down with his hand. His friend just laughed out loud and John, who didn’t realize he had held his breath, breathed out. Would he ever get used to that?

“Excuse me, are you two dating?” He snorted, going back to their usual joke.

“Spare me” Mark snuck out his tongue and Leon pretended to barf.

“And no, I didn’t do anything” The taller boy used the water from the bottle to refresh himself, spilling it a bit on his head “There’s this thing called consent, so yeah”

“Such a gentleman” Mark wiggled his eyebrows. He sat down on the sand, having no intention of going back to the volleyball game. He reached for his bag and took out the camera to turn it on. 

“At least you’re half decent” John remarked nonchalantly.

“Half? Where’s the other half” Leon was annoyed.

“The other half is the sleeping you” A naughty smirk played on his lips “I saw you two this morning, you were more entangled than a yarn ball. I asked just to make you talk”

Leon sputtered. He bashfully called his friend a liar and a snake, affirming Nick was not even there when he woke up, so there was no way that was true. He stomped away to get to the forming crowd to decide teams for playing police and thief and the other two watched him leave, finding his reaction funny.

John then sat down besides Mark and whispered to him exactly everything he had seen, up to Nick running to the bathroom and all. By the end of it, the shorter boy was a little blushed at the scene narrated, but they giggled together as Mark took a photo of Leon and Nick bickering from opposite sides of the game.