#wayvfic

The art studio was supposed to be a peaceful, creative space. At least, that’s what the owner had told you when you and Ten arrived for your painting date. The dim lighting, soft jazz playing in the background, and the faint scent of acrylics in the air all set the perfect atmosphere. But, of course, with Ten involved, things were bound to go off track.

At first, everything was going well. He was focused on his canvas, lost in thought, his brush gliding effortlessly across the surface. You were trying your best to keep up, though your strokes weren’t nearly as fluid.

“Are you even painting, or are you just admiring me?” Ten asked without looking up, a teasing lilt in his voice.

You scoffed. “Excuse me, I am deeply immersed in my work.”

He leaned over to peek at your canvas. “Oh. Wow. That’s… something.”

“Hey!” You nudged him with your elbow, making him laugh.

That was your first mistake. Because when Ten laughed, his playful side took over. Before you could react, he swiped his paintbrush against your arm, leaving a streak of bright blue on your skin.

Your jaw dropped. “You did not just—”

“Oh, I did.” He grinned, holding the brush like a weapon. “And I’d do it again.”

Challenge accepted. You grabbed your own brush, dipped it into a random color—red, for dramatic effect—and swiped it across his cheek.

Ten gasped like you had personally betrayed him. “Oh, it’s on now.”

The next few minutes were absolute chaos. Brushes were abandoned as the battle escalated. You dipped your fingers in paint and smudged them across his forehead. He retaliated by grabbing a handful of paint and smearing it across your jaw. At some point, he even left a green handprint on your shirt. Laughter echoed through the studio as both of you tried to dodge and attack at the same time.

By the end of it, Ten looked like a walking abstract painting—streaks of red, blue, and yellow covering his arms, face, and clothes. You were no better, your hair probably stained in multiple places.

Panting slightly, Ten glanced at your ruined clothes, then at himself, and then at the mess you had made. The poor canvases were long forgotten. “You think we’re banned?” he asked, grinning.

You laughed, wiping some yellow paint from his chin—only to smudge it further. “I think we should leave before they kick us out.”

“Agreed.” He took your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours, not even caring about the paint transferring between you. “But you have to admit… this was the best date ever.”

You shook your head, smiling. “Only because you’re ridiculous.”

“And you love it,” he said, winking.

kun wasn’t like his friends. ten lived for nights out and meeting new people and kissing boys he’d only just met. in a similar vein, lucas was always in a relationship, whether it being a fling that lasts a few weeks before he gets bored or one of his longer, more emotional engagements, kun has never known the man without someone on his arm. but kun was different. since they started college over three years ago now, he’d only kissed a handful of boys, maybe a girl or two in the beginning, and he’d only been in two relationships, both pretty long term relative to his friends. with the last one ending nearly a year ago, he couldn’t help but feel a little lonely; however, it wasn’t until the alcohol settled into his veins as he listened to stories of his friends’ most recent passionate endeavors during their guys’ night that he expressed this to anyone else.

“oh my god and then afterwards, he literally just, left me there. on the couch, naked. he didn’t even leave a blanket for me,” ten was a few shots in, speaking dramatically and drawing the most genuine reactions from his tipsy bestfriends as he spoke. “but oh my GOD did I even care after what that man had just done to me.”

kun never understood the hookup culture that his friends subscribed to, but he was happy for them; and they knew that, even if his snide remarks came off a little judgy. “i really can’t believe the situations you get yourself into sometimes,” kun laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “like you really can’t tell me it was worth getting treated that way to have sex with someone you’ll never see again.”

“kun,” ten began, placing his hands on kun’s shoulders and looking him in the eye, feigning as much seriousness as he could muster in his current state. “you really really need to get laid already,” this made kun immediately roll his eyes and laugh softly in ten’s face. “actually you don’t even have to fuck him right away, but like you could really use a cute boy in your life, man,” he ended with a slight seriousness that hit home more than he would’ve expected. kun knew exactly why ten was saying what he was saying. obvious to his friends, he’d been really stressed lately with midterms and club activities and whatever else he managed to find to keep himself busy enough to not have time to worry about how he felt so incomplete; about how much better all the stressful things in his life would be if someone else was there to experience them with him.

“wait wait wait,” lucas intergected, his normal deep voice even more boisterous with the drinks in his system. “you should make a tinder.”

at this, ten’s eyes widened and he immediately perked up with the biggest smile on his face.

“absolutely not.” kun intended to shut this conversation down before the boys got any stupid ideas in their heads. he was a little late.

“kun pleaseeeee?” ten begged with full on puppy dog eyes. “you never know, the love of your life might be on there right now.”

kun pulled away from the grip ten still had on his shoulders and raised his eyebrows at his friends in an attempt to get his seriousness through their heads. “no way. you guys know how i feel about dating apps. i will happily wait a thousand years for the right man to meet me face to face if that’s what it takes.”

lucas was not convinced. “dude you haven’t had a boyfriend in months. literally all you do when you’re not with us is study. obviously that’s not making you any progress soulmate wise so like.. what’s the harm in giving it a go?”

neither was ten. “exactly. kun you deserve to find someone, you really do. worst case scenario you go on a couple of bad dates and we have something to laugh about, best case scenario you find someone you think you can fall in love with,” kun softens, just a bit, at the sincerity of ten’s words. for a second that is. “and yeah most of them suck but i promise there’s some high quality, top notch men on there if you look hard enough. trust me, i’ve found a couple myself,” he adds with a quick wink. when kun’s scowl returns to his face ten reverts to his previous tactic: puppy dog eyes. “pleassssse kun. you know we really just want the best for you.”

kun sighs, rolling his eyes begrudgingly at his defeat. “i can’t believe i’m saying this out loud but i guess i have been kind of lonely lately,” he begins, catching his friends’ hopeful attention. “not in like a sad kind of way but maybe in a ‘this would be better with someone else’ kind of way.”

that was enough for lucas to grab kun’s phone from its place on the coffee table and download the app before kun even had time to protest.

-

“awww he’s kinda cute.” ten said, clicking to view the full profile of a boy just a year younger than kun.

“he’s holding a dead fish.”

“you know what they say, the bigger the dead fish the bigger his...”

“literally no one has ever said that.”

“ugh fine. next.”

kun went to bed that night disappointed about to his expectations, if not a little more.

-

it wasn’t until three days later when kun was laying in bed after a busy school day that he even remembered he had downloaded the stupid app a few nights prior. after a brief battle between his strong opinions towards the dumb application sitting almost mockingly on his home screen and his skeptical curiosity, he unlocked his phone and opened the neglected app, the latter obviously winning out.

kun spent a few minutes swiping. he clicked each individual profile to get as solid of a read as he could on each guy before making his decision with a careful consideration, something he had definitely never seen either of friends apply to their tinder boy sprees. left. left. left. kun was growing ever more frustrated, none of the boys striking a chord with him. perhaps he was being a bit harsh with his standards but he really truly felt that he couldn’t see himself in a relationship with any of these men. left. left. left again. and that’s when he stopped. almost instinctively swiping on the next boy before a picture loaded before his eyes that made him rethink every criticism he had ever given his friends or their dumb app. this one was cute. more than cute. kun never really understood what the phrase “boyish charm” meant, but he knew this boy had it. he was beautiful in such an understated way. not aggressively attractive by conventional standards, but gorgeous and delicate and handsome in a way that kun thinks he could stare at for hours.

with a breath of fresh air, kun finally swiped right. he felt a brief wave of something akin to panic, or maybe excitement, wash over him when a screen he had yet to see appeared. “it’s a match! sicheng likes you too,” the screen read. kun couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on his face for a split second before he forced it into a scowl, unhappy that he had fallen into the trap of these dumb apps. soon after, kun put his phone down and went to bed. he hated the lingering curiosity about the boy that he knew nothing about, but let himself indulge in his own imagination for just a little while before falling asleep to the thought of having someone to call his.

-

the next day was busy for kun. between his four classes and studying for his upcoming midterms, he hadn’t even had a second to consider swiping mindlessly through tinder or messaging the single boy he had deemed worthy of his swipe. that was, until he was sat outside the dining hall, letting himself enjoy a few free minutes to eat dinner with ten and lucas. amidst lucas’ downward spiral into the stress of his classes and how much work he has to do, kun’s phone buzzes. he doesn’t want to be as distracted as he is from his friends’ problems by the notification his phone lights up with, but he can’t seem to fight the curiosity of what the tiny words that read “sicheng sent you a new message.” would reveal. kun decides to wait until he can give his full attention to the weird little crush that’s already begun brewing on the total stranger living in his phone. he locks his phone and puts it in his pocket before returning his attention to the people in his life he knows are actually real.

-

back in his dorm, kun immediately flops onto his bed. he scrolls aimlessly through twitter and instagram before finally landing back where he was last night. knowing that he has a ton of studying to do before bed, he clicks on the messages tab and indulges himself, maybe for a little longer than he means to.

kun: hmmm maybe if i deem you worthy

sicheng: and how do i obtain your approval oh great magician?

kun: well for starters

kun: you’re really cute so that gets your foot in the door

sicheng: 😳

kun: but it’s gonna take a little more than that unfortunately

sicheng: i can dance

sicheng: does that help?

sicheng: ooh and i have a dog

sicheng: but he lives with my parents :(

sicheng: or i can show you my anime figurine collection it’s pretty impressive

kun: haha honestly?

kun: i think you just might be worthy of two magic tricks😂

sicheng: you mean to tell me you know more than one magic trick????

sicheng: wait

sicheng: are you a wizard?

kun: not last i checked

kun: but i guess you’ll be happy to know that i actually know like

kun: 10 magic tricks

sicheng: whaaaaaat

sicheng: lol what point in your life did you not have any friends?

kun: middle school😔

kun: but it’s okay i came out stronger

sicheng: so now you have friends AND know magic?

sicheng: AND you’re hot??

sicheng: sounds kinda op to me

kun: well i’d say all of those are only kind of true

sicheng: i’m still impressed

kun: thank you

sicheng: ✌︎('ω'✌︎ )

The air was thick with tension, the kind that settled between two people when too much had been said—and yet, not enough. You stood across from WinWin in the dimly lit practice room, arms wrapped around yourself as if the pressure of your own hold could keep you from shattering completely.

He wouldn’t look at you. His eyes were glued to the floor, fingers clenched into fists by his sides. You could see the rise and fall of his chest, the weight of unspoken words pressing against his ribs.

"You hate me. I get it."

Your breath hitched. "No, WinWin, I—"

You wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong, but the words tangled in your throat. How could you? After everything that happened, after all the things you left unsaid, all the times you pushed him away when all he did was try to reach you?

WinWin let out a hollow chuckle, finally lifting his gaze to meet yours. His eyes weren’t angry—they were tired. Worn out from the endless cycle of misunderstandings and unspoken feelings.

"No, it's fine," he said, voice quiet but firm. "I hate me too. It’s something we can have in common."

Your heart cracked at the way he said it, like he had long since accepted that he was impossible to love. Like he truly believed he wasn’t worth fighting for.

"That’s not true," you whispered.

He tilted his head slightly, an almost amused look crossing his features. "Then why do you always pull away?"

You swallowed hard. "Because… I'm scared."

WinWin didn’t move for a moment, but you could see the way his expression softened, just barely. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before looking at you again. "Scared of what?"

"Of ruining you. Of ruining us."

It was selfish, really. You had spent so much time convincing yourself that you were the problem, that staying away from him was for the best. That if you let yourself love him the way you wanted to, you’d only bring him down.

But now, looking at him, seeing the way he held himself together like he was afraid of breaking apart, you realized—

You had already hurt him by keeping your distance.

WinWin took a careful step toward you. "You don’t get to decide that for me."

You blinked, breath catching.

"If you hate yourself, then fine," he murmured. "But don’t use that as an excuse to push me away."

Tears stung the corners of your eyes as his words sank in. You had been so caught up in your own fears that you hadn’t even noticed how much it affected him. How much he had been hurting, too.

Slowly, hesitantly, you reached out. Your fingers brushed against his, and for a moment, he didn’t move. Then, ever so gently, he closed the distance between you, his hand warm against yours.

"You don’t have to go through this alone," he said softly.

You took a deep breath, standing outside your family’s house with Ten practically glued to your side. He had his arm wrapped around yours, fingers loosely intertwined with yours, and his head resting dramatically on your shoulder.

"Do we have to go in?" he whined playfully, squeezing your hand. "What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m weird?"

You turned to face him, gently flicking his forehead. "First of all, they will like you. Second, you are weird."

Ten gasped, clutching his chest as if you had just mortally wounded him. "Excuse me?! You love my weirdness!"

You laughed, nudging him toward the door. "I do. But come on, my mom is already watching us from the window."

Ten straightened up immediately, but his hand remained tightly around yours. As soon as you stepped inside, your mom was already there, greeting you both with a warm smile.

"You must be Ten!" she said, pulling him into a hug before he could react.

Ten’s eyes widened, but he immediately melted into the embrace. "Oh, I like your mom already," he whispered, making you chuckle.

Your dad stood behind her, eyeing Ten with a raised brow. "So, you’re the famous boyfriend."

"That’s me!" Ten said proudly, squeezing your hand for comfort. "Y/N talks about me all the time, huh?" He shot you a teasing look, and you rolled your eyes.

Your younger sibling popped up from behind your dad. "Do you really dance better than Y/N?"

Ten let out an exaggerated gasp. "Better? Y/N, how dare they question my superiority!" He clung to you dramatically, hiding behind you like a scared kitten.

Your mom laughed, clearly already falling for his antics. "Come on, let’s eat before Ten permanently fuses himself to Y/N’s side."

At the dinner table, Ten was an absolute sweetheart—helping serve food, listening intently to stories about your childhood, and sneaking little glances at you like he was already planning to brag about tonight later.

At one point, your dad cleared his throat. "So, Ten. What exactly are your intentions with my child?"

You tensed, but Ten, still holding onto your sleeve, simply pouted. "Intentions? To keep them forever, obviously."

Your sibling snorted, and your mom bit back a smile, but your dad raised an eyebrow. "Forever, huh?"

Ten nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! Y/N is my favorite person in the world." Then, as if realizing how much he was confessing, he turned to you and whined, "Y/N, your dad is scary! Protect me!"

Your dad sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, I approve. But only because you’re the first person to make Y/N bring home someone this entertaining."

Ten beamed, resting his head against your shoulder again. "See? I knew they’d like me."

You groaned, but deep down, you were relieved. As clingy as he was, he had your family wrapped around his finger already.

Later, as you walked Ten to the door, he suddenly wrapped you in a tight hug, burying his face in your neck. "Your family is nice," he mumbled. "But I missed having you all to myself."

You laughed, running your fingers through his hair. "You were literally attached to me all night."

"Not enough," he grumbled. "Now, come on, say you love me before I leave, or I’ll refuse to let go."

You rolled your eyes but leaned in, whispering, "I love you, clingy baby."

Ten grinned against your skin. "I knew it. You love my weirdness!"