In Chains and Shadows || Heehoon

Sunghoon is straight! (?)

It had been a quiet afternoon in the mansion, and the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over the marble floors. Heeseung sat on the couch, idly flipping through a stack of papers that had been left on his desk. He was never one to let his work pile up, but today, he found himself distracted—by the soft sound of Sunghoon humming in the kitchen.

It had been weeks since Sunghoon had started helping around the house, mostly out of boredom, but also because Heeseung had made a deal with him: "If you help around here, I won't keep you locked in that room all day." It was an offer Sunghoon had reluctantly accepted, though Heeseung had noticed that the "help" came with a lot of sarcasm and passive-aggressive commentary.

Still, there was something oddly endearing about it. Sunghoon's little huffs and muttered insults, his attempts at pretending that he wasn't getting more comfortable here, had become part of the charm.

Today, Sunghoon was busy preparing something in the kitchen, and Heeseung could hear him grumbling about not having enough ingredients to make something fancy.

"You know, I could've made you something fancy, but someone only has basic ingredients here, so..." Sunghoon's voice drifted from the kitchen. Heeseung smirked, setting the papers down.

"I didn't know you were a chef," Heeseung called out, leaning casually against the doorframe of the kitchen. Sunghoon jumped slightly when he saw Heeseung standing there, but he quickly recovered.

"Not a chef, but I can manage," Sunghoon said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He turned to the stove and began to stir a pot. "You should be lucky you have someone as talented as me here to save you from eating instant ramen every night."

Heeseung chuckled and leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "I thought you hated cooking."

"Only when it's for you," Sunghoon muttered, not looking at him, though the faint blush creeping across his face suggested otherwise.

Heeseung raised an eyebrow, thoroughly enjoying the rare glimpse of vulnerability in Sunghoon. "Oh? Why's that?"

Sunghoon opened his mouth to retort, but then paused. For a moment, Heeseung thought he had struck a nerve. But then Sunghoon's eyes softened, and he sighed in mock defeat.

"You're impossible, you know that?" Sunghoon muttered, stirring the pot with exaggerated frustration. "Anyway, did you need something, or are you just here to distract me?"

Heeseung smirked. "You know, you're always so defensive. It's cute."

Sunghoon shot him a glare, but Heeseung noticed that his cheeks had turned a little pinker. The shift in Sunghoon's mood had been subtle, but Heeseung had gotten better at reading him over the past few weeks. There was a lot more going on beneath the surface, and Heeseung was starting to enjoy uncovering it.

Sunghoon cleared his throat and put the spoon down, wiping his hands on a towel. "Anyway, what were you really doing in the living room? Don't tell me you were just staring at your laptop again."

"Who, me?" Heeseung feigned innocence, but his smirk betrayed him. "I was doing important work."

Sunghoon snorted. "Right. 'Important work.' Is that what you call browsing the internet?"

Heeseung chuckled, stepping closer to the counter. He leaned in, his voice lowering slightly. "Actually, I was looking up something very important."

"Oh?" Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued despite himself. "And what would that be?"

"Research," Heeseung said, his tone teasing, "on...well, something personal."

Sunghoon's expression shifted, and a nervous laugh escaped him. "Personal? What are you looking up? More ways to annoy me?"

Heeseung chuckled. "Maybe. But no, it's a little more... personal."

Sunghoon narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "You're being weird, Heeseung. Stop it."

"Hey, I'm just trying to have an intellectual conversation here," Heeseung said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "It's important research on the topic of... sexuality."

Sunghoon froze, his spoon hovering over the pot as he slowly turned to face Heeseung. Heeseung watched the way Sunghoon's eyes widened for a brief moment before his lips pressed into a thin line.

"What about it?" Sunghoon asked, trying to keep his voice even, but Heeseung could detect the slight edge of unease creeping into his tone.

"Well, it's just... I've been thinking about it lately," Heeseung said, his expression turning serious, though the glint of mischief was still evident in his eyes. "You know, the whole... 'am I straight, or am I something else?' type of thing."

Sunghoon blinked, clearly taken aback. "Wait, what?" he blurted out, then quickly recovered, waving his hand. "You're asking about *that*? Really? Who does that?"

Heeseung shrugged casually. "A lot of people, I think. But it's always kind of been a mystery to me. Like, when you look at someone, how do you really know if you're into them? And how do you know if you're straight?"

Sunghoon was quiet for a moment. He shifted awkwardly on his feet. "I don't know, man. I'm straight. That's all I know."

Heeseung raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

Sunghoon's face instantly turned a shade of red that would have made a tomato jealous. He let out a nervous laugh, clearly flustered by the sudden turn in their conversation. "Yes! I'm sure. I mean, I've never thought about it before. I just... I like girls, okay? I don't... I don't think about guys like that."

Heeseung leaned against the counter, his smile widening. "Are you blushing, Sunghoon? That's so cute."

"I'm not blushing!" Sunghoon immediately protested, though the way his cheeks had turned an even deeper shade of crimson betrayed him. He quickly turned his back to Heeseung, busying himself with stirring the pot again, though it was clear he was trying to hide his embarrassment.

Heeseung, of course, wasn't going to let it slide. He walked up behind Sunghoon, leaning in close enough that his breath brushed against Sunghoon's neck. "You know," he began, his voice lower than usual, "there's nothing wrong with being curious."

Sunghoon stiffened, his face burning even hotter now. "What are you talking about? I'm *not* curious! I'm just... I'm just saying, I like girls, alright?"

Heeseung smirked, thoroughly enjoying the flustered mess he had turned Sunghoon into. "Oh, come on. You don't have to hide it from me. I mean, you can't tell me that *this* doesn't feel at least a little confusing."

Sunghoon shot him an incredulous look over his shoulder, though his eyes were wide, full of confusion and something else that Heeseung couldn't quite place. "You're really something else," he muttered, shaking his head, trying to calm his racing heart.

Heeseung's smile softened, a playful glint still in his eyes. "I'm just messing with you, Sunghoon. You don't have to get all worked up about it. But hey," Heeseung said, his voice teasing but also warm, "I wouldn't be *too* quick to rule out the possibility. You know, some things can surprise you."

Sunghoon snorted, finally turning back to face Heeseung, though he still couldn't quite meet his gaze. "I'll stick to liking girls, thanks."

Heeseung raised both eyebrows, looking almost too smug for his own good. "If you say so."

The tension that had built up between them, that awkward, uncertain moment, seemed to dissipate with Sunghoon's huff of frustration. He grabbed a plate and began to serve the food he had prepared, though the little smile on his lips betrayed him. "You're really a menace," Sunghoon muttered, though there was affection in his tone.

Heeseung leaned casually against the counter, still watching him with that same teasing smile. "Yeah, but I'm your menace."

Sunghoon rolled his eyes, his face still a little flushed. "Lucky me."

And as the two of them shared a quiet dinner, the conversation shifted back to more comfortable territory. But Heeseung couldn't help but glance at Sunghoon, noticing the slight hint of a smile on his lips, and the blush that still lingered in the younger man's cheeks. It was an entirely different type of warmth, but Heeseung was beginning to enjoy it.