The music softened as Gemini stood near the table with a bright smile, holding the knife ready to cut his birthday cake. Everyone gathered around him, clapping and cheering as he sliced into the cake.
Gemini:
Alright, first bite goes to-
Without hesitation, he picked up a small piece of cake and turned to Fourth.
Gemini:
this guy, of course
The room erupted into cheers and whistles as he fed Fourth the first bite. Fourthâs face turned a light shade of pink, trying to suppress a smile.
Pond:
Oh ho, priority, huh? We see where your heart lies!
Gemini:
Come on, Phi. Everyone knows I like him.
Fourth:
Shut up, flirt!
he mumbled, though the smile on his face betrayed him.
The group laughed, teasing the two while others began passing out plates with slices of cake.
Joong, meanwhile, noticed Dunk standing slightly apart from the crowd, his eyes fixed on the cake. Dunk wasnât saying anything, but the way he kept glancing at the table. Joong smiled softly, walking over to the cake. He took a small piece in his hand, ignoring the utensils, and turned toward Dunk.
Joong:
I know you want this.
Dunkâs eyes lit up, and he nodded, opening his mouth like an excited child. Joong held the cake up, feeding him carefully.
Dunk:
Ummmm, so yummy!
he said, his voice muffled as he savored the sweet treat.
Joong smiled, before stepping away. He was about to head to the sink to wash his hand properly when he felt Dunkâs hand wrap around his wrist.
Joong:
Dunk-
Before he could say more, Dunk brought Joongâs hand closer and licked the leftover cream off his fingers
Dunk:
Mmmm! So tasty, Joong! So yummy!
The room fell silent for a beat before gasps and muffled giggles
around them.
Pond:
Whoa, Dunk! Straight to the point, huh?
Fourth:
Gemini! Give Phi Dunk another plate before he starts licking everyone elseâs fingers!
The group burst into laughter while Joong stood frozen, his ears burning red as he swallowed hard, staring at Dunk in disbelief.
Joong:
Dunk-what-
he stammered
Dunk simply smile at him innocently, as if unaware of the chaos he had just caused.
Gemini stepped in, rescuing Joong from further embarrassment.
Gemini:
Phi Dunk, come here!
He grabbed Dunk by the arm and guided him to a chair.
Gemini:
Here, you can eat as much as you want.
Dunkâs face lit up
Dunk:
Really?
But instead of digging in, Dunk looked toward Joong across the room, their eyes meeting. He seemed to be silently asking for Joongâs permission, his big eyes searching for reassurance.
Joong nodded
Dunk, reassured, turned back to the table and began eating, his happiness so infectious that everyone couldnât help but smile.
Phuwin leaned over to Pond, whispering
Phuwin:
Look at Joong. Heâs still blushing!
Pond smirked.
Pond:
You think heâs regretting feeding Dunk now?
Phuwin:
Not a chance. He loves it
Joong, catching their whispers, shot them a glare
Joong carefully adjusted Dunk in his arms as he slept soundly, his head resting against Joongâs shoulder. His arms immediately curled toward Joongâs chest, his peaceful expression making Joongâs heart feel lighter. The party was still buzzing with laughter and loud music when Gemini noticed Joong carrying Dunk.
Gemini:
Phi Joong, you can lay him in my room. If youâre too tired, you can crash in the guest room. Weâre not planning on sleeping tonight anyway!
Joong shook his head gently, glancing at Dunk.
Joong:
We have a workshop tomorrow. I canât stay up late
Gemini smiled, pointing toward the hallway.
Gemini:
Okay then, the guest room is over there if you change your mind
Joong:
No, Iâll sleep with him. If Iâm not there, heâll wake up in the middle of the night.
Pond overheard and immediately stepped closer
Pond:
Wait, wait, wait! Donât tell me you two sleep in the same bed every night?
Joong:
Shut up, Pond. Donât go personal
Phuwin leaned in, raising an eyebrow.
Phuwin:
Oh? Personal, you say? Joong, be honest with us. You like him, donât you?
Joong stammered slightly, caught off guard.
Joong:
No! Weâre just friends!
Pond:
Uh-huh. Sure. Friends who canât sleep without each other.
Joong sighed, clearly done with their teasing, and walked off without another word, carrying Dunk toward the room
Phuwin and Fourth exchanged a look, an idea sparking between them.
In Geminiâs room, Joong gently laid Dunk down on the bed. Dunk immediately reached for him in his sleep, murmuring something. Joong smiled softly, sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment.
Joong:
You always cling to me like this
he whispered to himself, brushing a stray strand of hair from Dunkâs face.
Dunk move slightly but didnât wake up. Joong sighed and decided to stay. He slipped under the blanket beside Dunk, wrapping it around them both. Dunk unconsciously snuggled closer to him, his hand clutching Joongâs shirt
Joong:
Goodnight, Dunk
Meanwhile, in the living room, Fourth and Phuwin were hatching a plan.
Phuwin:
Should we do it? I mean, just one pic wonât hurt, right?
Fourth:
Of course! The fans will love it. And come on, you saw how protective Joong was!
They tiptoed to the door, peeking in. Seeing Joong and Dunk sleeping so peacefully, Dunkâs head resting on Joongâs chest, they couldnât resist. Fourth pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.
Fourth:
Perfect.
Phuwin:
Now for the caption. Hmm⦠New couple but old love.
Fourth:
Genius
They quickly uploaded the picture to Twitter account, they watched the notifications flood in almost instantly. Fans were commenting nonstop, flooding the post with heart emojis and hashtags like #JoongDunkForever and #SleepingBeauties.
Back in the room, Joong and Dunk remained oblivious to the chaos online. Dunk shifted slightly in his sleep, draping an arm across Joongâs waist, while Joong immediately held him closer......