HM

Stereo Hearts

madamteatime

Summary: Professor Jung has a student he can't stop thinking about and it's making him break all his rules.

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  Changmin is twenty two the first time he takes a class with Professor Jung Yunho. The man bounces into the room all smiles and sunshine and Changmin thinks oh good, he's one of those. If Professor Jung's enthusiasm has yet to be crushed under the weight of academia that can only be a good thing.

Changmin's heard a lot about this Professor Jung, all of it overwhelmingly good. He's actually from the linguistics department, but the class Changmin is taking is one of the few cultural context courses he teaches. He speaks five languages and is only thirty, pretty young for a professor. He's known for having a radically informal teaching style that his students love and his more senior colleagues hate, but he gets such consistently good student evaluations that they're forced to just let him continue doing what he's doing. He's the heartthrob of every female on campus and a good chunk of the male population too. Changmin doesn't see what all the fuss is about - sure the man is good-looking, but he's nothing exceptional. His classes always fill up notoriously fast and Changmin had to bribe a friend into dropping this one before he could register for it. It better have been worth it.

Professor Jung gives a lecture on the post-modern misinterpretation of Confucian values in Korean society and it blows Changmin's mind.

- - -

Professor Jung - Yunho's - classes quickly become the highlight of Changmin's week. He has a unique opinion on everything and it lights a thirst for learning in Changmin that he'd forgotten he had. Yunho encourages active participation from his students in class and Changmin finds himself speaking up more and more often. Usually he's the quiet nerdy type who just does his work and leaves, but he enjoys sharing his opinions with Yunho. Yunho likes him because he's one of the few students who contributes to discussions and always has something of value to add, and Changmin basks in his approval.

At the end of the term he assigns them a paper on the topic of their choice and Changmin spends weeks buried in research. He wants to write the best paper he possibly can, partly because he has the inexplicable urge to please Yunho and partly as a way of giving something back to the best teacher he's ever had. It's the most effort he's ever put into a paper and the subject is only an elective for him, but Changmin doesn't care. His original draft is twice as long as the allocated word limit and he spends long hours painstakingly cutting it down until it's the required length.

He gets the paper back with a big red A+ and a smiley face on top of it, but what gives him pause is the note attached. It reads: Changmin, please see me in my office at your soonest convenience, followed by a list of Yunho's consultation days and times. Changmin frowns, looking up to ask Yunho about it but the class is already over and Yunho has left. He sighs and shoves the paper in his bag, mind whirling with questions about why his teacher wants to see him. He's never been asked to visit a professor's office before and it sounds foreboding – but surely Yunho wouldn't have given him such a good grade if he had some problem with his paper.

He finds himself outside Yunho's office the next day, shifting nervously from foot to foot. There's a big 'do not disturb' sign on the door, but Yunho had asked to see him. Changmin throws caution to the wind and knocks.

After a few long seconds the door opens to reveal his professor. He smiles at the sight of Changmin and ushers him in. Yunho's office is small and cluttered with books and papers in various languages. There's a desk and computer in one corner, but almost all the other space in the room is taken up by books. A small window allows sunlight to filter in, and Yunho has it open to let in a cool breeze.

"Please, have a seat," Yunho says, moving a stack of papers aside so Changmin can take the spare chair. Changmin sits on the edge of the seat.

"You wanted to see me sir?" he says nervously. Yunho smiles and takes the seat across from him at his desk.

"I did, and just Yunho is fine," he says. Changmin thinks that's the most ridiculous request he's ever heard – how is it okay for him to be on first name terms with his professor? He decides to ignore the suggestion. In the silence that follows Yunho clears his throat and glances down at something on his desk, and Changmin realises it's a copy of his paper. "It's about your paper, actually," he says.

"Is there some problem with it?" Changmin asks, resisting the urge to tack on a 'sir' at the end of his question.

Yunho shakes his head. "No, of course not. Your paper is good – it's really good, in fact. One of the best I've ever read from a student."

Changmin relaxes visibly. "Thank you," he smiles. Yunho blinks at him, then glances back down at his paper.

"What's your major Changmin?" he asks. Changmin shifts.

"I'm, uh, undeclared," he admits. Yunho raises an eyebrow.

"Second year and still undeclared?" he asks. Changmin shrugs.

"I have another semester left before I need to decide and I'm still trying to figure out what I like. Sir," he adds, a little impudently. Yunho picks up on it and grins.

"Well, I hope you make the right decision for yourself. In the meantime," he leans forward and clasps his hands between his knees. "There's a conference in Kyoto next month. I think it'd be a good idea for you to present your paper there."

Changmin stares at him, floored by this unexpected offer. "Seriously?" he asks.

"Seriously. It'll need some revisions and additions here and there, but we can work on that. It's a weekend-long convention and the university can sponsor your stay. It'll be a great opportunity to network and hear talks from other academics and I think you should seriously consider it."

"I'll do it," Changmin says immediately. "I mean – of course I'll do it, that's amazing, thank you so much – "

Yunho laughs and waves his thanks aside. "It's not every day I get to read such interesting work from a student, and a second year no less. Not that I think your cohort isn't competent, of course," he amends quickly. Changmin grins and leans back in his chair.

"No, I get it. There are some real dumbasses in our class," he says frankly.

"I wouldn't put it that indelicately but – yes," Yunho says, and Changmin laughs. Yunho's grins back at him briefly before blinking and looking away. "About the additions it needs though. . ." he begins.

"Actually," Changmin sits up. "My original draft was twice as long as the paper I submitted. Maybe we can work off that instead?"

"Interesting. Yes, I'd like to see that version too please," Yunho nods. Changmin promises to email him the draft as soon as he gets home and they arrange to meet later that week to go over it together. Ten minutes later he floats out of Yunho's office with his head somewhere on cloud nine.

- - -

Kyoto is the most amazing experience of Changmin's life.

He presents his paper on the first day to raucous applause and spends the rest of his time wandering around the convention hall and sneaking into likely-looking talks. Yunho had downplayed the scope of the convention – there are talks from all fields of study and the place is packed with academics from all over East Asia and beyond. Changmin finds himself in conversation with a lecturer in musical theory from Yonsei University, a Professor Kim Junsu who talks faster than Changmin can easily keep up with. Nonetheless, he's enjoying himself when he hears his name from behind them.

"Well if it isn't Shim Changmin, my star student," Yunho says, strolling over to join them. He's wearing a dark grey suit, a bit more formal than the button-down shirts he usually wears for class, and has one hand tucked in his pocket. Changmin's face lights up as he sees him.

"Sir! I didn't know you'd be here," he says. Yunho raises an eyebrow.

"Of course I'm here, I was the one who recommended you," he says, but his smile softens the barb and stops Changmin from feeling like an idiot. "And how many times have I told you, just Yunho is fine."

Junsu glances between them. "This one of yours?" he asks Yunho. "I should have known. He's smart, you made a good choice."

"Thank you Junsu, your opinion always means so much to me," Yunho drawls. Changmin's eyes widen, but Junsu merely grins in reply. Yunho laughs at the look on Changmin's face.

"Junsu and I went to the same high school," he explains. "We had a good relationship – I taught him Chinese and he taught me how to sing."

"You can sing?" Changmin asks.

"I'm okay, but Junsu's the master. He could've been a professional singer but for some reason he prefers to teach it instead."

Junsu snorts. "Have you seen the singers on TV lately? What did you want me to do, join one of those ridiculous boy bands?"

"It's true, your ego is far too big to accommodate other people. You'd have to be a solo act," Yunho says smoothly.

Changmin listens to their banter with a smile and somehow finds himself being dragged to dinner and karaoke with Yunho, Junsu and a couple of their friends from the convention. Yunho convinces Changmin to sing with him and they praise him for a natural, but the highlight of the evening comes when Junsu rises to sing. They encourage him with cheers and catcalls, all of which die down once he opens his mouth. Junsu sings a self-composed ballad and Changmin feels his throat close up, swept away by the depth and quality of his voice. He feels a hand on his knee and looks over to find Yunho smiling at him.

"He's good isn't he," Yunho whispers. Changmin swallows and nods rapidly.

"Yeah," he whispers back. Yunho squeezes his knee and pulls away, but Changmin feels the heat of his touch for a long time afterwards.

- - -

Changmin spends most of his winter break waiting for the new semester to start. He gives in to peer pressure and declares psychology as his major simply because it's what his best friend Kyuhyun is doing, but another possibility lingers persistently in the back of his mind. Linguistics is an obscure field to break into and there aren't very many career opportunities, but the thought of having Yunho for all his classes is so tempting he finds himself constantly reconsidering his decision. Changmin knows he thinks about Yunho a little too often, about their weekend in Kyoto and Yunho's hand on his knee in the dimness of the karaoke room. It had been a completely innocent and friendly touch, but in some obscure corner of his mind Changmin wants it to be more. These thoughts torture him, and one evening he finds himself scrolling through the list of classes Yunho is teaching for the upcoming semester. None of them are required for his major, but Changmin thinks to hell with it and signs up for intermediate Korean studies anyway, a continuation of the course he had taken with Yunho the semester before. It's good to have a broad knowledge of things not necessarily related to his area of study. It's not like he's stalking his professor in the only socially acceptable way he can.

Changmin walks into class on the first day of semester a little earlier than he needs to. He's put some effort into his appearance for reasons he doesn't care to analyse, and Yunho looks up from his desk as Changmin takes a seat directly in front of him. He smiles and Changmin feels an answering smile tug at his lips.

"Changmin. This is a nice surprise," Yunho says, leaning his hip against his desk. He's wearing black suit pants and a white dress shirt, and there are stylish dark-framed glasses perched on his nose. Changmin's eyes rove over his body before he snaps himself out of it.

"Yes, well. I found that some of your lectures just weren't convincing enough last semester and I thought I should give you a second chance," he says. Yunho grins and rubs his chin.

"Don't be shy now. You know how I hate to disappoint my students," he says. Changmin grins and leans forward as other students start to filter in.

"Then by all means, work your magic. . .Yunho," he says, voice low. Yunho shoots him a heated look, equal parts pleased and surprised, and Changmin feels excitement pool in the pit of his stomach at his own daring.

Yunho is after all a lot more attractive than Changmin initially gave him credit for. It has a little to do with his physical attractiveness and a lot to do with the fact that Changmin thinks he might be in love with his brain. Their discussions in class frequently escalate into arguments now and Changmin loves it, loves the push and pull of being able to disagree with an authority figure without fear of consequences. Yunho seems to enjoy it too and encourages the other students to take his lead, and a few do but no-one quite has Changmin's moxy. He becomes notorious for being Professor Jung's little pet for the things Yunho lets him get away with saying in class, but Changmin doesn't care. Part of him takes pride in the label.

The middle of the semester finds them embroiled in a heated debate about a paper that's recently been published on the Chinese origins of Hangul characters. Yunho thinks it sounds credible, but Changmin and a couple of other students have taken a firm stance against it and think it's bullshit. Yunho says their sense of nationalism is blinding them to the truth and Changmin takes offence to that. They don't realise class is over until a quieter student meekly asks if she can go before she's late for her next class. Yunho comes to his senses and dismisses them with a laugh, quickly reminding them they have an assignment due next week over the din of students packing up and leaving.

Changmin lingers behind and eventually Yunho looks up and acknowledges him. The door closes behind the last student, leaving the classroom empty save for them.

"Alright, out with it," Yunho says.

"I can't believe you called me a nationalist," Changmin seethes. Yunho fights a smile.

"I didn't mean it as an insult," he says.

"Calling anyone a nationalist in this day and age is an insult."

"What a decidedly anti-nationalist sentiment."

Changmin points a threatening finger at him. "Don't mess with me Jung," he says. Yunho chuckles and props his chin up on one hand.

"How about we settle this argument over a beer," he suggests. Changmin pauses for a second, thrown at the sudden offer.

"What?"

Yunho checks his watch. "I have one more class before I'm done for today. Why don't you meet me at Randy's bar at 5?"

Changmin straightens, blinking. "Uh, okay," he says. Yunho's smile is dazzling him a little.

"Great! See you then," Yunho says, and he's gone before Changmin has really registered what just happened.

After a few minutes Changmin wonders if he's just been asked on a date.

- - -

Randy's is a bar just off campus that teachers and students like to frequent. It's a bit classier than the cheap on campus student bar Changmin usually goes to and has a nice atmosphere. On weekends the tables get cleared away to make room for a dancefloor and the second storey is opened to patrons who prefer to sit.

Changmin lounges at a table as he waits for Yunho to join him, his legs stretching out to the side. He's nursing a beer when the door opens to admit Yunho. He's changed into a t-shirt and jeans, and the clothes cling to his broad frame in the most enticing ways. It's the most casual attire Changmin has ever seen him in and his mouth goes dry as Yunho spots him and heads over.

"You're late," Changmin says in lieu of a greeting. Yunho laughs sheepishly, ruffling his hair with one hand and indicating for a waiter with the other.

"Sorry, I got held up in a meeting. Thanks Jae," he says as a pretty, dark-haired waiter comes over with a beer for him. He smiles at Yunho but gives Changmin a decidedly cold look before flouncing away. Changmin raises an eyebrow.

"You know him?" he asks.

"Jaejoong? Yeah, a little," Yunho shrugs.

"I don't think he likes me very much."

Yunho laughs and waves it off, taking a swig from his beer before leaning forward.

"So," he says. He looks relaxed and friendly outside of the constraints of a classroom – not that Yunho is ever unfriendly, but this feels more genuine. More intimate. Changmin's fingers tighten around the neck of his beer.

"I'm not gay," he blurts out.

Yunho raises an eyebrow. "Okay. Thanks for sharing?" he says.

Changmin feels like dying. Why the hell did he just say that? What spark of idiocy had gripped him to suddenly announce that?

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I – I mean, I – " he stutters, completely at a loss for what to do with himself. Yunho smiles and takes a swig of his beer.

"Changmin. Relax," he says. Changmin stops stuttering and stares at his hands.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

Yunho sighs. "I think you may have gotten the wrong impression here. I didn't intend for this to be a – a date or anything. I just wanted to have a beer with you. We're friends, aren't we? Friends do that."

Changmin's head shoots up. He swallows around his disappointment and nods. "Oh. Right. I mean, of course. Of course we're friends. I was just being silly."

"I am gay, by the way," Yunho adds casually. "Since we're apparently sharing sexual preferences."

Changmin almost chokes on his beer. He surfaces from a coughing fit and manages a weak, "Oh. Okay. That's fine, I mean, that's cool with me. To each their own."

"How liberal-minded of you," Yunho murmurs. There's something hard in his eyes, some memory of hurt that makes Changmin swallow and look away. It can't have been easy, being gay in a country as conservative as theirs. He wonders when Yunho knew, if he's told his family, if his colleagues are aware of his preferences. He suddenly feels like he knows nothing about Yunho, and he wants desperately to change that.

"So that's why you never. . ." Changmin murmurs.

"Why I never what?" Yunho asks. Changmin shakes his head, a ghost of a smile flickering across his features.

"Why you never showed any interest in your female students. You must know how many of them harbour crushes on you," he says. Yunho laughs, loud and sudden, and some of the tension disappears from his face.

"I am aware. I am also aware that it's not only my female students who like to fantasise about me."

Changmin feels his face heat up for reasons he can't explain. He clears his throat and finishes his beer. "Oh yeah, I overheard some of the guys talking about you once. . .I don't even think any of them were gay," he says.

There's a mischievous glint in Yunho's eyes as he smirks, watching Changmin fidget in his chair. It feels way too hot in the bar and Changmin tugs at his collar, casting around for something, anything to say just to escape the feeling of Yunho's gaze burning a hole into him.

"So have you ever – uh – with a student. . .?" Changmin trails off, a little shocked at himself for daring to ask such a personal question. Yunho's expression closes off and he shakes his head.

"No. I have a very strict policy when it comes to my students."

"Which is?" Changmin asks, feeling his heart sink.

"Not to sleep with them," Yunho says simply. "Some other professors might be a little lax about that rule but I'm not one of them."

"Oh," Changmin tries to hide his disappointment. "Well – good. That's very ethical of you."

"Rumors travel fast around here," Yunho says softly. "A reputation is all a man's got going for him and I wouldn't risk mine lightly."

Changmin meets his eyes and he doesn't know what he sees there – a challenge, a warning, or an invitation.

- - -

Yunho likes to think of himself as a fairly disciplined person. He doesn't drink excessively, has never dabbled in drugs and he's resisted the advances of more than a few students over the years.

All of this has become inconsequential in the face of Changmin, and his overwhelming desire for Changmin. He thinks the student must know, because he's hardly been subtle about it despite his best efforts to appear unaffected. It's hard to say what it is about Changmin that makes Yunho want him so much – or, to be more precise, it's hard to pinpoint any one thing because there are so many of them to choose from.

He tries giving Changmin the cold shoulder after their revealing talk in Randy's bar in the hopes that this might dissuade both himself and the student, but that only makes Changmin seek him out after class and demand why Yunho's been ignoring him. Yunho has no answers for him, so he ends up apologising and blaming it on stress. Changmin takes it upon himself to help him de-stress and they end up going to a movie in what Yunho sternly reminds himself is not a date, even if they do share popcorn and a drink.

Changmin is either oblivious to his allure or he really is straight, but Yunho highly doubts the latter. Straight men do not look at their professors the way Changmin looks at him, nor do they assume 'grabbing a beer' might be a subtle way of saying 'I want your tongue down my throat.' He reminds himself that this is an incredibly bad idea, that his friendship with Changmin is already flirting with the borderline of propriety, that professors who fuck their students never get away with it without at least one or two vicious rumors circulating about them.

A larger part of Yunho doesn't care about the consequences as long as he gets to have Changmin.

He's moping in his office about his pitiable lack of self-control when a knock on his door makes him look up. The slim figure in his doorway smiles and crosses his arms.

"You look like you could use a drink," Yoochun says. Yunho groans and gets to his feet, grabbing his jacket on his way out.

"Let's go."

Park Yoochun is a lecturer in musical theory, Junsu's counterpart at their university. Yunho had originally met him through Junsu, and when he found out Yoochun was coming to work in the same place as him they had become fast friends. Yoochun is the same age as him and they make a striking pair on campus, relatively young, good-looking professors being a rare breed. Yunho has even heard rumors that they're apparently together, which amuse him greatly because Yoochun is the straightest man he knows. He prays at the altar of the female form and thinks there's no greater heaven than the one that lies between a woman's legs.

"So who's the guy?" Yoochun asks once they're seated at the bar. Yunho sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He has yet to mention his dilemma to Yoochun, but it doesn't surprise him that his friend already knows what's up.

"Changmin. His name's Shim Changmin and he's a student of mine. Psych major, but I'm thinking of stealing him for linguistics."

"He is legal, right?"

"Wha – of course he's legal you dick. He just turned twenty three," Yunho says, punching Yoochun's arm. He doesn't mention that he had gotten Changmin an expensive little phone charm for his birthday, a gift that was unasked for and wildly inappropriate. The memory of Changmin's blush still did funny things to Yunho's stomach.

Yoochun grins and swills his beer. "So? What's so great about him?" he asks. "What is so great about this Shim Changmin that he's got you all strung out and ready to break your infamously strict moral code for him."

"He's just – he's really smart okay," Yunho sighs. "And funny, witty – he could give you a run for your money. He seems kind of cold and shy when you first get to know him but beneath that he's confident and sweet. He's not afraid to question me. He makes me forget I'm in a position of authority over him and I love that, I love that he can stand up to me. People usually think a guy like me would want someone submissive but that's not it at all. . ."

"Let me guess, he's also good-looking on top of being your ideal type," Yoochun says wryly.

"Gorgeous," Yunho bursts out. "He's got these legs that go on forever and his eyes – ugh." Part of Yunho can't believe how pathetic he sounds. A larger part is just glad to finally get this off his chest. Yoochun gives him a sympathetic look and pats his arm.

"You've got it bad man," he says. "What's the catch?" he adds, because he can sense the 'but' coming. Yunho sighs and straightens in his seat.

"He says he's not gay," he frowns. Yoochun gives him a sympathetic grimace. "But I know he wants me, I can tell from the way he looks at me sometimes. I think he's confused."

"You should make him jealous. Let him catch you with someone else. I'm sure Jaejoong would volunteer," Yoochun smirks, indicating the waiter on the other end of the bar.

"That is a terrible idea for two reasons," Yunho says flatly. "One, trying to make him jealous is stupid and childish. And two, I am not tricking Jaejoong into helping me make another man jealous. I'm not that heartless."

"Uh, excuse you. My idea is brilliant and Jaejoong would do it willingly," Yoochun says.

"Yoochun. It's cruel to even consider using Jaejoong's feelings for me like that."

Yoochun laughs and shakes his head. "Don't flatter yourself. The candle Jaejoong held for you burnt out a long time ago when he realised you'd never be interested. Although I can't understand why – he's hot. If I were gay I'd do him."

Yunho gazes across the bar at the waiter in question. There's no denying that Jaejoong is extremely good-looking, and his crush on Yunho is common knowledge around these parts. Yunho frowns and looks away. "He's not my type. If I wanted someone that pretty I'd find myself a woman," he says.

"You said Changmin was pretty," Yoochun points out.

"Changmin is not pretty. Well I mean he is, but there's nothing feminine about his looks. He's all male. All male." Yunho's fingers tighten slightly on his bottle.

"You know, I never understood your fondness for getting naked and sweaty with other guys but I have to admit you've made Changmin sound so delectable I might just consider batting for the other team for a bit," Yoochun grins. Yunho's expression darkens.

"You stay away from him," he growls.

"Down tiger," Yoochun laughs. "I'm just messing with you."

Yunho glares at him for a second before deflating like a popped balloon. He slumps across the bar and groans. "My god I'm so pathetic right now."

Yoochun pats his back. "Take my advice. Ask Jaejoong to help make him jealous. You said he's confused, right? Maybe seeing you with someone else is exactly what he needs to realise what he wants."

"This is not going to end well," Yunho mumbles.

- - -

Towards the end of semester Changmin starts working part-time as a nude model for the fine arts classes on campus. The students need the drawing practice and he needs the spare cash, so it's a win-win situation all around. The teacher praises the angles of his body and asks him to pose in a variety of ways, some of them modest and some less so. Changmin doesn't mind – he knows he's got ideal model proportions and is confident in his own skin, and there's nothing sexual about the gazes of the art students.

What he doesn't count on is walking into work one day to find Yunho chatting to another man in the hallway outside the studio. Changmin freezes, his hand rising to clutch at the neck of his robe. He's naked under the cloth and he's going to be a lot more naked in a second and Yunho is right there, though he doesn't appear to have noticed him yet. Changmin feels a blush crawl up his neck.

"Changmin-ssi? We're ready for you now," the teacher says, indicating the podium at the center of a circle of easels. Changmin gives her a tight smile and moves into position, hands working on the knot of his robe. He purposely angles himself to face the window, through which Yunho and his friend are visible. Yunho finally glances over and their eyes meet just as Changmin lets the robe slide off his shoulders. He settles himself on the podium, one leg curling over his other and providing him with a small measure of decency – but he's still incredibly exposed, and Yunho's eyes pierce into his as they continue to stare at each other. Changmin tilts his head, a question in his gaze, and Yunho looks away. He says something to the man beside him and Changmin focuses his attention on his partner. He recognises him vaguely as a lecturer from the music department. Professor Park Yoo. . .something? Changmin can't remember his full name.

Professor Park makes some comment and Yunho nods, his eyes flickering towards Changmin. A grin spreads across Park's face. He's quite cute when he smiles, and Changmin recalls some old rumor that he and Yunho are an item. He glowers at the man. Park glances at him and for some reason Changmin's glower only seems to amuse him further. He mutters something to Yunho and Yunho sighs, running a hand through his hair. Changmin has the distinct feeling they're talking about him.

It's the longest class of his life, longer even than his first time when he chose an uncomfortable position and his leg cramped up before he could move again. He waits for Yunho to finish his conversation and leave but he lingers in the hallway for the entire hour, chatting unconcernedly with his friend. Changmin can't believe how unaffected he seems. He's literally spread out naked in front of the man and it's like Yunho feels nothing. He shifts slightly, lips curling up in a snarl.

"Changmin-ssi please hold still," the teacher admonishes lightly. Changmin stills, but his eyes continue to drill holes into the back of Yunho's head. Eventually Yunho glances at him again. His expression is unreadable and Changmin tilts his chin up slightly, further exposing the long line of his neck. Yunho trails off mid-sentence.

Changmin breathes a sigh of relief when the class ends at last. He pulls his robe back on and stretches, smiling as the teacher thanks him for his time. He chats with a couple of the students before they leave and then turns to his bag, digging his clothes out.

"I didn't know you modeled for the art students," a familiar voice says from behind him. Changmin tenses and rises to his feet.

"I only started recently. Needed the money," he says. Yunho nods. "What were you doing here?" Changmin asks.

"Looking for Yoochun," Yunho says. "His girlfriend teaches dance in this building so he's often found lurking around here."

Girlfriend. Professor Park has a girlfriend. Changmin feels ridiculous. He shrugs out of the robe and starts pulling his clothes back on, and Yunho pointedly looks away, giving him some privacy. Changmin almost wishes he wouldn't – Yunho's lack of response to seeing him naked is really doing a number on his self-esteem. They wander out of the studio once he's dressed and Yunho gives him a sideways glance.

"Do you enjoy it?" he asks. "Modeling, I mean."

Changmin shrugs. "It's just a job. It's not like I'm planning to make a career out of it."

"Why not? You've got the body for it."

There's an awkward pause, then Yunho laughs and ruffles a hand through his hair. Changmin is starting to recognise this as a nervous habit of his.

"I'm sorry, that was inappropriate," Yunho says.

Changmin shakes his head. "No, it's fine. I mean - thank you."

"So why wouldn't you consider modeling as a career?" Yunho asks, swiftly moving on.

Changmin blinks at him. "Well, uh. It's a ridiculous sort of job, isn't it? Not really for someone like me."

"Because you think modeling is beneath you? That someone with your brains should be doing something more important with his life?" Yunho asks. There is no judgement in his tone.

"Well – yes. That's exactly why," Changmin admits. Yunho smiles at him. They pass the dance studios and pause to watch the students practice some complex choreography. There's a TV on in the corner playing old pop music videos and after a while Changmin realises Yunho is watching that instead of the students.

"I used to do that," Yunho says softly.

Changmin stares at him. "You're not going to tell me you used to be some famous pop star back in the day," he says. Yunho laughs.

"No, but I danced for some of them. I was a back-up dancer for a couple of years before I went back to university to do my masters. I knew it wasn't feasible as a long-term career choice - I just really wanted to dance. Best two years of my life," Yunho smiles, nostalgia evident in his tone.

"Wow, that's. . .pretty cool actually," Changmin says, impressed.

"I used to be pretty cool before I became an insufferable old academic," Yunho grins. Changmin laughs.

"You're okay now too," he says, nudging his shoulder. Yunho smiles and they move on, leaving the dance studios behind.

"The point was -"

"There was a point?" Changmin quips impudently.

"My point was. Don't knock a thing until you've tried it, and don't take yourself so seriously you forget that sometimes it's ok to do something just for the fun of it."

"So you think I should take up modeling as a career," Changmin says flatly. Yunho turns to him with a sigh.

"Don't put words in my mouth. I just think you should find something you enjoy doing and then do the crap out of it. You're only young once but experiences are forever."

They pause at the end of the corridor. Sunlight filters in through the glass door and lights Yunho's hair from brown to burnished copper. Changmin is slightly taller than him but Yunho has a habit of making him feel much smaller.

"We're not all born with your apparent conviction for everything," he mutters, looking away. Yunho reaches over and cups his cheek, thumb stroking across the sharp plane of Changmin's cheekbone.

"I wasn't born with it either. I had help along the way," he says softly. Changmin's eyes flutter, his breath catching in his throat as Yunho shifts closer.

"There's a party at Randy's tomorrow night. Come if you're free," Yunho says, voice soft and low. Changmin nods, caught and held by the heat of his gaze. He leans closer, until their foreheads are almost touching and he can feel Yunho's breath ghosting over his lips.

Kiss me! Changmin's mind screams. But instead Yunho pulls away with a sigh. He gives Changmin one last, searing look before he leaves.

Changmin stands frozen in the hallway, still waiting for a kiss that never came.

- - -

Changmin isn't really in the mood to go out the following night. He's a little peeved at Yunho for chickening out of the perfect set-up for a kiss and he has a mountain of assignments he's been neglecting. All his plans get thrown out the window, though, when his friends burst into his dorm room early in the night and physically drag him out to, quote, 'the party of the year.' Naturally, this party happens to be at Randy's.

They grab a table on the second floor near the balcony and Kyuhyun brings them a round of drinks. They toast to being young and rhythmically challenged as they watch the people dancing on the floor below. Changmin scans the crowd, searching for a certain someone before his friends' conversation draws his attention back to them.

"Is that him? That's the professor you've been mooning over?" Minho asks, nodding towards the other side of the room. Yunho is sitting at a table with Yoochun and a couple of people Changmin doesn't recognise. He sits up, eyes roving over Yunho's tight black jeans and v-neck shirt. Minho whistles under his breath. "Wow, he's hot. Why don't any of my professors look like that?"

"Because you do science. Nobody good-looking is ever in science," Kyuhyun says. Minho rolls his eyes at him.

"Psychology is a branch of science, you twerp," he says.

"That's not what it says on my transcript," Kyuhyun grins.

It's an argument they've had many times before. For some reason even though psychology is technically a science it's only offered as a major under the arts program of their university. Minho the biology major likes to say it's because only people not smart enough for real science do psychology. Kyuhyun usually retaliates by reminding him that he's destined to spend the rest of his life stuck in a lab for shit pay. Changmin is technically a psych major too, but he tries not to get involved in these arguments.

"It looks like he's spotted us - oh yeah, he's coming over," Kyuhyun says.

"Be cool guys," Minho hisses. Changmin rolls his eyes at them.

"Hey," Yunho says, smiling at them as he strolls over.

"Hey Professor Jung," Kyuhyun says easily. He'd taken one of Yunho's classes the previous year and recommended them to Changmin. Yunho points a thoughtful finger at him.

"Kyuhyun, right?" he says. Kyuhyun nods, pleased that Yunho remembers him. Yunho inquires after his studies and which classes he's taking now, and then Kyuhyun introduces him to Minho. Changmin is silent throughout the exchange, staring moodily into his glass until Yunho's hand drops onto his shoulder and squeezes.

"You okay?" he asks. Changmin looks up at him and feels his breath hitch at the concern on Yunho's face.

"Yeah. Just stressed about assignments I guess," he mumbles. Yunho nods understandingly and drops his hand.

"It's important to relax sometimes too," he smiles. "I'll see you around."

"Sure," Changmin says. His friends wave at Yunho as he leaves and then turn to him with twin frowns on their faces.

"Dude. Drop the attitude, he was being totally nice," Minho says. Changmin gives him a moody look and doesn't reply. He watches Yunho over the top of his glass, watches him talking and laughing with his friends. Eventually they pull him onto the dance floor and Yunho laughs, shaking his head as they try to coax him into dancing for them. They insist, and finally he nods. They clear a space around him, clapping and cheering. Changmin sits up and Kyuhyun and Minho break off their conversation to look too.

Yunho dances, and Changmin forgets where he is, forgets everything but the graceful twist of Yunho's limbs as he moves to the beat. He leans forward, eyes fixed on the other man as Yunho spins on the dance floor. Other people are starting to watch and cheer him on. Changmin's hand tightens on his glass.

"Wow, he's really good," he hears Kyuhyun say from somewhere behind him.

"He used to be a back-up dancer," Changmin says, unable to tear his eyes away.

"Really? Did he work with anyone famous?" Minho asks.

"Yeah, but he didn't say who," Changmin murmurs. Yunho finishes with a flourish and applause breaks out around him. Minho and Kyuhyun join in enthusiastically, but Changmin only has eyes for the man on the dancefloor. Yunho shakes his hair out of his eyes and looks up, grinning as he catches Changmin's gaze. Changmin stops breathing.

"Quick give him a napkin, he's about to drown in his own drool!" Kyuhyun laughs. Minho cackles and throws napkins at him until Changmin snaps out of it and turns back to them.

"Oh shut up," he grumbles. When he glances down again Yunho has gone back to dancing, this time with his friends joining in. Changmin watches Yoochun lean in and say something in his ear. Yunho shakes his head, but Yoochun insists until Yunho eventually throws his hands up and gives in to whatever he's saying. Yoochun grins and disappears into the crowd.

After a while Changmin sees the pretty dark-haired waiter – Jaejoong – weaving his way through the crowd towards Yunho. His eyes narrow, then widen as Yunho grins and catches Jaejoong around the waist, pulling him close. Kyuhyun whistles under his breath.

"Oh no – oh, this isn't going to end well," he says as Yunho proceeds to basically grind up against the waiter. Jaejoong throws his head back and Yunho dips him before pulling him back up, his lips hovering dangerously close to Jaejoong's pale neck. Changmin's hand tightens on his glass until it's in danger of breaking.

"Yeah okay, we're not paying for that if you break it," Minho says, prying his fingers off the glass. On the dancefloor Yunho buries his hand in Jaejoong's hair and yanks his head back, their hips moving together to the beat. Changmin is on his feet before he knows what he's doing, his fists clenched at his sides. Dimly, he hears his friends catcalling and egging him on as he makes his way downstairs, breathing hard, blood rushing in his ears, hardly aware of what he's doing as he grabs the back of Jaejoong's shirt and yanks him off Yunho. Jaejoong stumbles, and Changmin gives him such a withering look that he instantly backs away. Changmin turns on Yunho just in time to see the other man wink at Jaejoong before the waiter melts back into the crowd. Changmin's eyes narrow as he puts two and two together.

"You played me," he says. He feels incredibly stupid now that he's come to his senses. The grin melts off Yunho's face and he grabs for Changmin's wrist before he can leave.

"Changmin, wait," he says.

"Get off me," Changmin growls.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, I just – " Yunho draws closer and Changmin almost moans at the overwhelming scent of him. There's a sheen of sweat over his collarbones and he's breathing hard. "I just. . .needed to know how you felt."

His hands flutter over Changmin's sides before coming to rest on his hips. Changmin clutches the front of Yunho's shirt, his head spinning as Yunho pushes up against the length of his body, his eyes searching Changmin's face. Changmin bites his lip and resists the urge to grind into him, his head dropping so his lips can brush Yunho's ear.

"I don't want to talk about this here," he says. Yunho glances around them and understands instantly. He takes Changmin's hand and starts leading him away. Changmin glances up towards the balcony and spots his friends watching them. They give him thumbs up signs and encouraging nods and Changmin manages a weak smile in response.

Yunho leads him onto the roof. It's cool and quiet, a few people lingering here and there. A couple of students are smoking a joint in the corner and Yunho swipes it from them and lobs it over the side of the roof. They start to protest, but then one of them recognises him as a teacher from the university. Yunho raises an unimpressed eyebrow and they leave quickly. Changmin hides a grin behind his hand.

"That wasn't very nice," he says.

"I wanted this spot. What's the use of power if you can't abuse it once in a while?" Yunho says.

Changmin leans against the edge of the roof and yanks Yunho towards him. Yunho stumbles and catches himself with his hands on either side of Changmin. Their hips press together and Changmin takes a deep breath, heart thumping somewhere in the vicinity of his throat.

"Yesterday, near the dance studio," he says. "Why didn't you kiss me?"

"I wasn't sure you'd be okay with it," Yunho says softly.

"But you're sure now."

Yunho smirks and presses closer against him. "Oh yeah. I'm sure now."

Tension spools out between them. Changmin's focus narrows until there is only Yunho, and Yunho's lips hovering closer to his.

"If you leave without kissing me again I swear I'll do something drastic – " he starts. Yunho cuts him off by crushing their lips together. Changmin arches into him, a moan forming in the back of his throat as Yunho's mouth works over his.

"Like kiss back?" Yunho pants, pulling away briefly. Changmin groans and tugs him back down.

"Oh god kiss me, just kiss me," he murmurs, and Yunho does just that.

- - -

Dating Yunho turns out to be somewhat anticlimactic at first. After their first incredible makeout session on the roof of Randy's Yunho grows a little closed off and wary of where they stand with each other. Changmin knows that being with him is breaking a lot of Yunho's rules and he tries to be as understanding as possible. He takes pains to keep things on the down low for Yunho's sake. They go out to places people from the university don't tend to frequent and Changmin tells his friends in no uncertain terms that if they breathe a word about his relationship to anyone he'll have them hanged, drawn and quartered. Changmin not being the type whose threats should be taken lightly, it ensures that no rumors about them start floating around campus.

But when Yunho is still hesitating a month into their relationship Changmin starts losing his patience. They're having dinner at a fancy new Italian restaurant he wanted to try when he puts his fork down and leans forward.

"So are you ever going to fuck me?" Changmin asks flatly.

Yunho chokes on his salad, and Changmin spends the next minute thumping him on his back. A harried-looking waitress brings them water and Yunho gulps it down with a weak nod of thanks. Once he's made sure Yunho isn't going to die Changmin returns to his seat and gives him an exasperated look.

"Seriously? It was that shocking?" he says. Yunho runs a hand over his face.

"I'm sorry. I understand you must be frustrated, I just. . ." he swallows and looks down. "I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advantage of you. Of my position over you. I want us to be equals in this and it's hard when you're my student and I have this sense of responsibility to you – "

"I can't believe you're still hung up on that," Changmin sighs. "Do you really think I'd let you take advantage of me? Yunho, look at me."

Yunho looks at him, and for some reason the uncertainty in his gaze makes Changmin smile. He reaches across the table and strokes the back of his hand. Yunho slants a look to their side, but they have a corner table and no-one is paying any attention to them.

"I want you," Changmin says softly. "All of you. I'm sick of taking cold showers, it makes no sense when I've got this sexy as fuck boyfriend who won't put out for some lame ass reason – "

Yunho's eyebrows snap together. "It is not lame – "

"It's lame," Changmin interrupts him. "We're both consenting adults, we know what we're doing and it's not like I'm using you to get good grades. In fact I think you've been grading me tougher than ever since we got together," he frowns.

A smile flickers across Yunho's face. "I just have high expectations of you," he says.

"And I have expectations of you, one of which is that you should actually want to have sex with me." Changmin searches his face, disappointment heavy in the pit of his stomach. Yunho's brow furrows in distress and he leans across the table.

"What – of course I want to have sex with you," he breathes, clutching Changmin's hand. "I want it so bad you have no idea – "

"Ask me back to your place," Changmin pleads. He doesn't care how desperate he sounds. "Please, please take me home with you or I swear I'm going to end up jumping you on the street or in the bathroom of this restaurant and that's not how I want our first time to be."

Yunho bites his lip to hold back a helpless laugh. Changmin puts on his best puppy dog eyes and Yunho melts in the face of his pout. He ducks his head, shoulders shaking with the effort not to laugh. "Okay. Okay, you win. Happy?" he says.

"Not yet," Changmin says forebodingly. Yunho rolls his eyes at him.

"Changmin will you please come home with me and indulge in a night of crazy mind-blowing sex or I shall be forced to throw you over this table and have you right here," Yunho says, eyes wide with fake earnestness. Changmin grins.

"God, I thought you'd never ask. Uh, yes to the going home with you, no to the offer of sex in public. Getting arrested would really put a dampener on things."

Yunho has a nice little bachelor pad of an apartment about a fifteen minute drive from the university. Changmin's been there a few times in the last month, but he's not interested in exploring the apartment because he's too busy ravishing Yunho the second they get through the door. He pushes Yunho up against the wall and grinds against him, their lips meeting in rough, wet kisses that make Changmin weak at the knees. Yunho somehow manages to lock the door behind him and then they're stumbling to his room, shedding a trail of clothes as they go.

Changmin falls back on the bed and pulls Yunho down on top of him, their moans lost in each other's mouths. He wraps his legs around Yunho and arches up, and when Yunho finally finallypushes into him Changmin wonders how the hell he ever waited so long for this.

- - -

Morning finds them wrapped around each other in a warm, naked mess of limbs. Changmin wakes first, stirring and sitting up. He scrubs a hand through his hair and glances at Yunho, still fast asleep beside him. A smile curls Changmin's lips and he leans down, mouthing the side of Yunho's neck where a couple of bruises are starting to become visible. Yunho shifts and Changmin straddles him to hold him still. He keeps kissing his neck, eventually trailing his lips down to kiss and bite at his chest and shoulder. Yunho moans in his sleep and turns his head. Changmin can feel his morning erection nudging the small of his back and grins.

He rises up on his knees and fumbles for the lube, lying discarded somewhere on the bedside table. Changmin slicks his hand and then eases two fingers into himself, biting his lip as it causes pain to shoot through him. He's still sore from last night, but it slowly fades to a dull ache and then a thrill of pleasure when he curls his fingers and finds that spot that made him see stars the night before. He slips his fingers out with a sigh and then leans back, wrapping a hand around Yunho's cock and slicking him up. Yunho opens his eyes just as Changmin sinks down on his length, their moans echoing around the room. Changmin groans and curls his fingers in Yunho's chest as he starts to move.

"Morning," he says, hips undulating slowly as he rides Yunho.

"You could have just shaken me awake or something," Yunho says, voice rough and gravelly with sleep. His morning voice is so sexy Changmin gives a small 'oh' of pleasure, grinding down harder against him.

"This way is more fun," he pants. Yunho murmurs in agreement and lifts his hips up, fucking into Changmin as the younger man pushes down. Their eyes meet and Changmin holds Yunho's gaze for as long as possible, keeping their pace slow and lazy. Yunho's hands slide up his torso and stroke his stomach, as though he wants to feel himself moving inside him. Changmin bites his lip in an attempt to muffle his moans and Yunho's hands reach down to clench on his waist. His lips part in a pant, and a few minutes later he throws his head back and comes with a low groan. Changmin gasps as wet heat fills him, his own erection leaving trails of precome across Yunho's stomach.

He slows their pace, almost stopping altogether before Yunho flips them and presses him into the bed. They kiss in deep, wet strokes, tongues lapping at each other and Changmin's head spins. Yunho is an exceptionally good kisser, and Changmin thinks he could happily spend a lifetime simply making out with him. Yunho bites down on his lower lip, tugging it between his teeth before lavishing the spot with his tongue. He grows hard again while he's still inside Changmin, and Changmin groans as he starts to move, his legs rising to wrap around Yunho's waist as he fucks him into the bed. His erection leaks between them and Yunho reaches a hand down to stroke him as they move together, the desperate little sounds Changmin makes lost in his mouth.

It doesn't take long before Changmin is arching up and coming with a soft cry. His release spills all over his stomach and on Yunho's hand as he shudders and clenches around the other man. Yunho gasps, slowing his pace to almost a standstill as he waits for Changmin to come off his high. He starts moving again when Changmin pushes against him and Changmin groans, his body sensitive from orgasm. Yunho sits up and pulls Changmin further onto his lap, fucking him at a faster pace, but it's not enough. He needs to be closer, to feel Changmin all around him. He pulls out and Changmin makes a noise of protest, head thrashing on the pillow.

"No," he moans. Yunho murmurs endearments in his ear as he rolls him onto his side and spoons him from behind. He lifts Changmin's leg and hooks it around his waist, a position that leaves the younger man open and exposed for him. Changmin groans as Yunho sinks back into him, his face pressed into his neck as he starts to thrust with renewed vigour. Changmin is soon hard again, precome leaking onto his stomach as he jerks in Yunho's arms.

"Oh god, so close. Please – " he gasps as Yunho reaches a hand down and wraps it around his cock, swiftly jerking him off in time with his thrusts.

"Come on baby," Yunho gasps into his neck.

"Yunho," Changmin comes with a cry of his name, and Yunho follows him over the edge as Changmin clamps down around him. His teeth dig into Changmin's shoulder, muffling his cries as he empties into him for the second time.

They draw apart sweaty and satisfied, lips seeking each other in lazy kisses for long minutes. Yunho eventually pulls away with a sigh.

"I have to get ready," he murmurs.

"Thank you for the best morning sex ever," Changmin sighs against his lips. Yunho kisses him again and sits up with a chuckle.

"Been having much of that, have you?" he asks as he rolls to his feet.

"Nope. That's why it was so good," Changmin says, stretching out across the bed. He's all soft and pliant from fucking, caramel skin flushed with sweat. Yunho leaves to shower and comes out to find Changmin curled around his pillow. He stirs when Yunho presses a kiss against his cheek, pulling his shirt on at the same time.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" he asks. Changmin glances at the clock.

"My first class isn't for another three hours," he yawns.

"Oh to be a student again," Yunho sighs. Changmin grins and shuffles up on his knees to help fix his tie and collar.

"Why so formal today?" he asks as Yunho shrugs on a suit jacket.

"I have some meetings to go to. Just boring admin stuff," he says. He wraps an arm around Changmin's waist and tugs him close, and Changmin sighs at the sensual feeling of Yunho's suit against his bare skin. Yunho kisses his cheek, then his nose and finally his lips. He pulls away with a laugh when Changmin starts making needy moans into his mouth.

"Go shower, you smell like sex," Yunho says as Changmin tumbles back down on the bed.

"I smell like you," Changmin purrs, stretching cat-like. "If I shower your scent will go away. I'd rather just stay filthy."

Yunho laughs and disappears briefly into the kitchen before reappearing with a piece of toast in his mouth. "There's food in the fridge for whenever you feel like being a productive member of society again. And don't forget to lock up when you leave," he says.

"Society is overrated," Changmin sighs into his pillow. "Stay in bed and make love to me forever."

Yunho smiles. He doesn't know how they graduated from sex to making love in just one night, but Changmin is barely coherent right now so he allows it.

"I wish baby."

He drops a kiss on his forehead before he leaves, but Changmin is already asleep again.

- - -

Yunho is in his office a few weeks later when Changmin enters. He locks the door behind him, drops his book bag on the floor and straddles Yunho, crushing their lips together with absolutely no warning. Yunho groans and clutches at his waist, kissing back before he comes to his senses and pulls away.

"No – oh no, not in here, this is my office Changmin – "

"Shut up and let me kiss you," Changmin growls, capturing his lips again. Yunho finds himself succumbing helplessly to his assault, mouth moving hungrily over Changmin's.

"Stop," Yunho groans. "If someone walks in on us. . ."

"I locked the door," Changmin mumbles against his lips.

"Someone could still hear, these walls are paper thin. You're going to get me fired – "

Changmin makes a frustrated sound and pulls back. "Look, I have twenty minutes before my next class and I really just want to spend them making out with you, so don't make me regret skipping my lunch break for this," he says.

"I can't believe you skipped lunch just to make out with me in my musty little office," Yunho mumbles as Changmin goes back to peppering his lips with kisses.

"I can't believe it either. Food used to be the number one love of my life."

He doesn't realise what he's said until Yunho stills beneath him, his hands tightening on Changmin's waist.

"Used to be, huh," Yunho says. Changmin groans and feels a blush stain his cheeks.

"Let's not make a big deal about this," he mumbles, burying his face in Yunho's neck and pressing kisses against his throat. Yunho smiles.

"But I want to make a big deal about it. I want to set off fireworks and shout it from the rooftops. I want to take an ad out in the paper and announce it over the radio."

Changmin blushes harder, but he can't stop the grin that spreads across his face. "Dork," he mutters, capturing Yunho's lips again. They kiss leisurely for a few minutes before Changmin draws back, bright-eyed and panting.

"You didn't say it back," he says. Yunho raises an eyebrow.

"You'd have to have said something in the first place for me to reply to it."

"I as good as did!" Changmin splutters.

"As good as is not good enough," Yunho grins. He's teasing him and Changmin huffs, biting on Yunho's swollen lip in retaliation. Yunho seems content to let him take his revenge through harsh little kisses, but Changmin isn't satisfied. He pulls away again and glares at him.

"Fine. I'll say it," he grumbles. Yunho strokes his cheek and waits as Changmin glances away and fidgets. They're both proud men and it's hard to be the first one to make yourself vulnerable like this, but Changmin looks back at Yunho and sees only incredible warmth and fondness in his gaze. It gives him strength.

"I love you," Changmin whispers. Yunho closes his eyes and presses their foreheads together, a small smile curling his lips.

"C'est la chose la plus romantique que tu ne m'ais jamais dite," he murmurs against his mouth. Changmin shivers, the syllables foreign but sensual to his ears. Yunho murmurs something else in French and Changmin moans, his arms tightening around the other man's neck. Yunho laughs and nuzzles at the side of his face.

"Oh, you like that?" he teases. "You like it when I speak to you in tongues?"

"Yes," Changmin moans.

"Fait ce bruit, encore une fois," Yunho growls. Changmin doesn't know what it means, but it makes him moan again. Yunho kisses him, hungry and desperate and Changmin melts into him.

"Tell me you love me," he whispers. "Please, I need to hear you say it."

"Tu le sais déjà," Yunho murmurs. "Je t'aime, je t'aime."

"In a language I understand," Changmin groans.

"Tu as compris ça,"

"Yunho."

Yunho laughs and pulls away, taking Changmin's face in his hands and stroking his cheeks with his thumbs. Changmin is flushed and breathless, his lips swollen and his beautiful doe eyes bright. Yunho never wants to stop kissing him.

"I love you," he says. "I love you Shim Changmin, I love you – "

Changmin falls on him with a moan, kissing him with renewed passion. They alternate between deep, exploratory kisses and soft, teasing pecks until Changmin sighs at last and reluctantly pulls away.

"I should go. I have a class in about two minutes on the other side of campus," he says. He gets to his feet unsteadily and picks up his bag, and Yunho follows him to the door. He presses Changmin up against it before he can open it and Changmin groans, burying his fingers in Yunho's hair.

"Yunho, please," he gasps. "I'm going to be late."

"I'll write you a note," Yunho murmurs. Changmin's giggle gets muffled against his lips.

"Somehow I doubt my developmental psychology professor would take it very seriously," he says.

"Is that Professor Kim? That old bat, I hear he sleeps with his students in exchange for good grades."

Changmin mock gasps. "Teachers sleeping with their students? What a ridiculous notion that I would never believe true of any professor in this fine establishment," he says. Yunho grins and tickles his side.

"Brat," he says as Changmin squirms and tries not to laugh. "And for your information, I do not sleep with my students. I sleep with a student. Singular. And I don't ever plan on turning that into a plural."

"But what if I leave you for Professor Kim?" Changmin says, widening his eyes.

"Then I would seriously question your sanity and wonder what I saw in you in the first place."

Changmin laughs and Yunho swallows the sound, kissing him until Changmin is limp and trembling in his arms. Yunho sighs and presses one last kiss to his nose before pulling away with difficulty.

"Go. Go to your Professor Kim. I hope he croaks halfway through the lecture so you can immediately fly back into my arms," he says.

"One can only hope," Changmin grins, giving him a last, fleeting kiss before he slips away.

Ten minutes later Yunho receives a text from him that reads:「Shame on you, wishing death on a man this old.」

Yunho cackles and texts back,「If you get really desperate you have my permission to blow him, but anything beyond that could put a serious strain on our relationship.」

Changmin doesn't reply for another ten minutes. Eventually Yunho's phone buzzes and he glances down at his text, a grin spreading across his face when he reads it.

「You'll pay for that later.」

"Oh I hope so. . ." Yunho murmurs.

- - -

When Changmin enters his third year Yunho asks him to move in with him. Changmin accepts readily, happy to leave behind the cramped, noisy student dorms. His friends throw him a going away party and Changmin gets so smashed at it that he kisses Yunho in front of everyone when he comes to pick him up. The news is all over campus the next day – some dismiss it as baseless rumors, others as just silly drunken shenanigans, but it doesn't really matter what anyone says because Changmin is no longer Yunho's student. Yunho has lost the battle to steal him for linguistics and instead Changmin focuses his energies on completing his psychology major.

He insists on paying half the rent on what is now their apartment, and though Yunho initially resists he gives in with the understanding that it's important for Changmin's sense of independence. Living together is hard to adjust to and at first they fight a lot. They're both proud, stubborn men and apologising doesn't come easily to them, but over time Yunho finds that it's easier and easier to give in to Changmin as the barriers of age and status slowly dissolve from between them. Changmin is good at leading him, and sometimes that's exactly what he needs.

It's these unacknowledged needs that he's thinking about one night in the silence of their home. Changmin's working on an assignment and Yunho had been grading papers, but he can't concentrate so he puts them aside and sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The steady tap-tap-tap of Changmin's keyboard is somehow distracting and comforting at the same time, and Yunho leaves his desk to sprawl out on the couch beside him. Changmin lifts the rug thrown over his knees so Yunho can share its warmth, all without looking away from his laptop screen.

"Changmin," Yunho says softly.

"Hm?"

Yunho examines his profile. He knows Changmin isn't really interested in hearing what he has to say – his mind is a million miles away, lost in some journal article or other. Yunho thinks that's probably for the better; Changmin's full attention would just make him chicken out of saying what he wants to say.

"What is it?" Changmin asks when some time passes and he still hasn't said anything. Yunho fidgets with the tassels on the rug.

"I want you to fuck me," he says, keeping his tone as calm and blunt as possible. The tapping stops and Changmin looks at him over the rim of his glasses. His eyes search Yunho's face but they seem vacant, distant. He looks back at his screen.

"Okay," Changmin says. "Not tonight though, I really need to finish this assignment."

Yunho sits up. "That's it? Just okay? No questions or concerns?" he demands. They've never done it that way before and he thinks Changmin should have at least some sort of reaction to his request. Something more than just a vague okay.

"I think you're forgetting that for most of my life I thought I was straight. I've fucked women, even if it did feel sort of strange and wrong. I know how it works."

"I'm not a woman," Yunho says, irked by this flawed logic.

"I'm well aware of that."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not really taking this seriously? This is a big deal for me Changmin and it was hard for me to ask you – "

"For fuck's sake Yunho," Changmin finally explodes. "This paper is due at 9am tomorrow and it's only half done right now because someone insisted we spend the week eating our way through all the sushi bars in Hongdae. So excuse me if I'm not too interested in talking about whatever new sexual fantasy you want to indulge in. I need to spend tonight finishing this, drag myself to campus to hand it in and then, and only then, if you want, I will do you. But right now just back off okay."

Yunho pulls back, stung and confused. He knows Changmin is stressed and he feels guilty that it's partly his fault, but Changmin's tone is harsher than the situation calls for. It's not what he said but more the way he said it, with some deep, trembling rage in his voice that Yunho knows he hasn't deserved. Changmin almost sounds like he's on the verge of crying, and that's definitely not something he does often no matter how stressed he gets about a paper.

"Okay," Yunho gets to his feet. "Forget it."

He resists the urge to drop a kiss on the top of Changmin's head before going to bed, wrapping the blankets tight around himself. He doesn't hear Changmin come to bed before he drops off, and he's not there when Yunho wakes in the morning. He must have pulled an all-nighter to finish his paper, and his suspicions are confirmed when Changmin trudges into the house an hour later looking like death warmed over. He rubs a hand over his face and slumps against the kitchen counter where Yunho is having his coffee.

"Sleep. Bed," Changmin mumbles. He shuffles closer and wraps his arms around Yunho from behind. "I'm sorry. I was mean last night. I'm sorry. I love you," he says. He sounds so pathetic Yunho can only take pity on him. He turns and pulls Changmin into his arms, stroking the top of his head as Changmin curls into him.

"Go to sleep. We can talk when you wake up," Yunho says. Changmin nods and covers a yawn with one hand.

"I have something to tell you. Remind me when I get up," he calls as he goes into their room, collapses on the bed fully dressed and passes out.

- - -

Changmin wakes up warm, naked and incredibly well-rested. Yunho must have undressed him and tucked him in before he left for work. He stirs and sits up, reaching for his phone to check the time. It's just past 5, so Yunho should be home soon. Changmin can't believe how long he slept for - he's pulled all-nighters before but they rarely leave him this tired. He grimaces and rolls out of bed, showering and changing into sweatpants and a t-shirt before wandering into the kitchen to find something to eat. He's heating up leftover kimchi jjigae when he hears the door open. Changmin listens to the tell-tale sounds of Yunho taking his shoes off and hanging his keys and takes out another plate.

"Something smells good," Yunho comments as he steps into the kitchen. Changmin greets him with a kiss and wraps his arms around his waist.

"Hey," he says, voice low and inviting. Yunho chuckles.

"I see you slept well."

Changmin trails a hand up his back. "Would've slept better if you were there with me," he says, biting his lip. He kisses Yunho again, and this time it's slow and suggestive. Yunho leans into it for a second before pulling away and gently untangling himself. Changmin makes to follow him but Yunho shakes his head.

"No. We need to talk," he says. Changmin frowns.

"I already apologised about last night. I'm really sorry, I don't know why I snapped like that. I was just stressed about my paper - "

Yunho shakes his head. "It's not about that. Well it is, sort of, but it's not about what you said. You sounded way more upset than you needed to be last night and I know it wasn't all because of your paper. This morning you said you had something to tell me. What's going on?"

Changmin clears his throat and looks away. "Nothing. It's nothing," he says. Yunho sighs and gives him a disappointed look, eyes searching his face.

"You know this, this right here?" he says, pointing between them. "This relationship doesn't work unless we talk to each other. Right now you're holding something back from me and I don't understand why, but it's clearly something that's making you upset and that makes me upset. Pushing it aside or trying to distract yourself with sex isn't going to make it go away."

Changmin swallows and shakes his head. He finds that he's fighting tears and tilts his head back, blinking rapidly. Yunho draws closer and strokes his cheek.

"Changmin. Mon amour, my darling, talk to me," he says softly. Changmin inhales a trembling breath and thumps a fist against Yunho's chest.

"Damn you Yunho," he says, voice shaking. "Damn you for being so understanding, for seeing right through me. Why can't you be a little more selfish sometimes?" He hits Yunho a few more times, weak, pathetic punches that don't even make the other man flinch. Yunho catches his hands and curls his own around them, forcing Changmin's fists open so he can lace their fingers together. Changmin takes a deep breath and collects himself, raising his head to meet Yunho's gaze.

"I came out to my parents last week," he says, voice dull.

Yunho's eyes widen. "What? When? Why didn't you tell -"

"When I went to see them over the long weekend. They've been asking a lot of question about whether I'm seeing anyone and who I've been living with and all this crap about girls they want me to meet and it kind of just - slipped out."

Yunho's heart is racing at twice its normal rate. He can't believe Changmin hid something so big from him for a whole week. "And?" he prompts.

"They disowned me," Changmin says flatly. "Told me they never want to see me again."

Yunho's face falls. The small hope he had harboured that maybe Changmin's parents would be accepting, maybe they'd see past the social stigma falls to pieces and shatters on the kitchen tiles between them. Yunho swallows and reaches up to touch Changmin, to smooth trembling hands over his shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks, voice pained.

"Because," Changmin says. "I couldn't bear to see this, this hurt in your eyes. I knew you'd only blame yourself."

"This is all my fault," Yunho whispers.

"Don't," Changmin says fiercely. "Don't make me regret telling you."

"If I hadn't pursued you -"

"Then I'd still be happily living a lie, is that it? Is that what you want for me?"

Yunho pauses, stops to think about it for a second. "No. No, of course not."

"I don't regret falling in love with you Yunho," Changmin says softly. "You've made me happier than I ever thought it was possible to be. My only regret is that other people can't see that."

Yunho pulls him close, hugs him so tight Changmin almost can't breathe. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry my love. I'm sorry I can't protect you from these things. I'm sorry you had to bear this alone. I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner. . ."

"Don't," Changmin whispers. He's crying silently into Yunho's shoulder, tears seeping into the older man's shirt. "Don't apologise. I'll just c-cry harder if you apologise."

Yunho kisses his tears away, kisses him again and again until Changmin stops crying and just stands there with his eyes shut tight, lips pressed against Yunho's. His face feels all wet and gross, and he pulls away to go wash it and blow his nose. He wanders back into the lounge feeling lost and drained and Yunho tugs him onto the couch, cradling Changmin against himself. Changmin curls up between his legs, his head on Yunho's chest, and Yunho tugs the rug up to cover them. He cards his fingers through Changmin's hair and Changmin closes his eyes, lulled by the action and the sound of Yunho's strong, steady heartbeat beneath his ear.

"When I told my parents," Yunho says softly. "They reacted pretty much the same way as yours. Disownment, not our son anymore, leave and never come back, yada yada, the works. I wasn't lucky enough to already be living somewhere else at the time so I was homeless for a while on top of all that, but it all worked out somehow in the end. After a while, when I had seen a bit more of the world and experienced how most people reacted to someone like me, I realised that my parents' anger stemmed from fear and hurt. Not for themselves, but fear and hurt for me, for what the world out there could do to me. Of course their reaction was insane, but understanding that made it a little easier to forgive them in the end."

"You never really talk about your family," Changmin mumbles after a while. "I assumed you weren't on good terms with them."

"We're not the best of friends, but we do talk occasionally and I try to go home for the major holidays. My dad is actually more accepting than my mom, which is the only surprising part of this tale. I think she can't get over the fact that I'm never going to give her grandkids."

Changmin chuckles weakly and shifts against him, one hand rising to trace meaningless shapes onto Yunho's chest. Yunho catches his hand and raises it to his lips, kissing his fingers one by one. Changmin sighs and sits up, turning in his arms to straddle him.

"I don't know what to do now," he admits, hands clenching in Yunho's shirt. Yunho strokes his side soothingly.

"Their anger will pass. Their love for you will absorb it. They're your parents - they have no choice but to love you."

Changmin goes still for a long time at this.

"And my anger?" he asks at last, voice low. "Who will absorb that?" There's a hint of a growl in his voice as he speaks, a dangerous edge to his tone.

Yunho has no answer for him, so he leans up and kisses him instead. Changmin kisses him back hard and rough, hands rising to hold Yunho's face still so he can ravish him how he wants, all teeth and tongue. When he pulls back Yunho's lip is bleeding.

"I seem to recall making you some promise to fuck you," Changmin says, his voice pitched soft and low. Yunho shudders.

"M-maybe now isn't the right time," he tries, but it's clearly the wrong thing to say because Changmin's expression darkens and he grinds against him, one hand reaching down to palm at Yunho's crotch.

"Don't deny me Yunho," he hisses. "You won't like the consequences of denying me."

Yunho groans as Changmin rubs him through his pants. This is what he'd wanted, but this isn't exactly how he'd pictured it going. Yunho knows Changmin isn't angry at him - he's angry at the situation, at his parents, at the things he can't change. He might even be a little angry at himself, and as Changmin laps at the blood on his lip Yunho realises that he is not opposed to being an outlet for that anger. He lets Changmin drag him off the couch and into their room, groaning as Changmin pauses briefly to slam him up against the wall. Yunho's head cracks against the plaster and he gasps, and Changmin takes the opportunity to lick into his mouth. His hands tear at Yunho's clothes, ripping them in his urgency and discarding his tattered shirt before raking his nails down his chest. Yunho cries out.

"Changmin - Changmin please," he moans, head rolling against the wall. Changmin growls low in his throat and drags him towards their bed, pushing him down and crawling over him. He sinks his teeth into Yunho's neck, biting down hard and Yunho whimpers, incredibly turned on from the intensity of Changmin's rage. They fumble with each other's clothes, stripping off and rolling together. Yunho manages to pin him down briefly before Changmin pushes him off, forcing him face-down on the bed with a hand in his hair.

"Don't fucking move," Changmin growls, reaching for the lube. He gives Yunho no warning before he shoves two slicked fingers into him. Yunho cries out, thrashing under him. He had always suspected that Changmin was secretly stronger than him, and the ease with which he pins him down now is proof of that. Changmin scissors his fingers, his free hand curling into Yunho's chest and leaving crescent-shaped marks behind.

"Fuck you're so tight," Changmin hisses. Yunho can't muster a reply, incoherent sounds falling fast from his lips. Changmin curls his fingers and Yunho's vision goes white, his back arching and his lips parted in a silent scream. Changmin grins and shakes hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, you like that?"

"God yes, do it again, fuck me Changmin fuck me please," Yunho moans. His begging seems to have the desired effect - Changmin removes his fingers and slicks himself up before nudging Yunho onto his hands and knees. He takes hold of his hips and pushes into him in one hard stroke and Yunho almost screams, pain shuddering through him. Changmin doesn't give him time to adjust - he thrusts into him hard and fast, nails leaving red marks down Yunho's arms as he fucks him at a brutal pace. Yunho cries out with each thrust, the pain slowly fading to be replaced by mind-numbing pleasure as Changmin starts hitting that spot on every stroke.

They've never been this rough with each other before. They've had angry sex plenty of times but it was always with Yunho on top, Yunho who can maintain a measure of self-control even in the depths of his rage. An angry Changmin, however, has no control whatsoever, and he manhandles Yunho without a care for the marks he's leaving or how roughly he's fucking him. He bites down on the smooth skin of Yunho's back, working the warm flesh between his teeth until there are red marks all down Yunho's spine. Yunho groans, his head rolling forward, sweat streaking his sides. His cock lies heavy and neglected between his legs, leaking precome everywhere as Changmin slows his pace a little and pants into his neck.

"Please Changmin - need to come," Yunho manages to get out.

"Beg me for it," Changmin pants. "Beg me to touch you."

"Please!" Yunho sobs. "Please touch me, I need you to touch me, make me come - Ah!" His knees buckle as Changmin wraps a hand around him, jerking him off as he starts thrusting fast again. Yunho writhes under him, pleas and whimpers and curses spilling past his lips.

"So close, I'm so close - Changmin -" he gasps as Changmin's hand tightens on the base of his cock.

"You'll come when I tell you to come," Changmin growls. Yunho groans.

"No, no, Changmin don't do this to me - oh fuck -"

Changmin hits that spot dead center and cum splatters across his hand. But Yunho is still hard, and he writhes helplessly as Changmin brings them both to the brink.

"Now," Changmin hisses. "Come with me Yunho, come on -"

Yunho cries out and spills all over his hand, his orgasm long and intense. Dimly, he feels Changmin come inside him and whimpers as his release fills him. Yunho collapses once Changmin pulls out of him, managing one last moan before he blacks out.

- - -

He jerks awake in the middle of the night to a stinging pain in the side of his neck. Yunho groans and tries to arch away, but a hand holds him down.

"Shh, hold still," Changmin says. Yunho realises he's swabbing at the side of his neck, and the stinging is from the antiseptic the cloth is dipped in. He gives Changmin a confused look. "It was bleeding," Changmin explains. He puts the bloodied cloth aside and urges Yunho to roll onto his stomach.

Yunho shifts with a tired groan. His body is one giant ache and he wants desperately to just sleep it off. He's lucky it's the weekend tomorrow and he has no other commitment but to lie in bed all day.

Changmin's hands trail down his body, his touch firm and gentle, and Yunho realises he's checking him for any other injuries. He smiles into his pillow and turns his head.

"Are you okay?" he asks softly. Changmin pauses.

"I can't believe you're asking me that right now." His voice sounds strained, and Yunho turns to look at him properly. Changmin looks guilty and miserable, and that's not the reaction Yunho wants after the most mind-blowing sex of his life. He reaches for Changmin's hand and tugs him closer, curling up around the other man as Changmin lies beside him.

"Thank you for giving me what I wanted," Yunho says, kissing the tip of Changmin's nose.

"How can you say that?" Changmin asks despairingly. "Yunho, I hurt you. You're covered in bruises and scratch marks. I'm so, so sorry, I don't know what came over me -"

Yunho cuts him off with a kiss, stroking Changmin's back. "It's okay. It's okay baby. I wanted it," he says. "I asked you to fuck me, remember?"

"Not like that," Changmin whispers. Yunho shifts and bites back a hiss of pain.

"Like that was fine too. I've never had an orgasm that intense before, it was amazing."

Changmin stares at him, torn between disbelief and a hint of amusement. "Have you always had such masochistic tendencies or is this something new?" he asks. Yunho shifts again, trying to get into a comfortable position for his aching body.

"I think you just bring out different sides of me. My previous partners were all a lot more submissive but that didn't really do it for me," he admits.

"What are you trying to say?" Changmin murmurs.

"What I'm saying, my sweet, is that nobody has ever satisfied me as completely as you satisfied me tonight. So don't feel bad about it. I don't."

Changmin sighs and rubs circles into Yunho's back. It feels nice, and Yunho arches into him with a happy sound. "You are too good for me, I hope you know that," Changmin mutters.

"I do know that," Yunho says drowsily. "I question my reasons for staying with you every day."

Changmin smiles, his other hand also reaching up to knead the sore muscles of Yunho's back. He can feel Yunho drifting off against him and turns his head to press a kiss against his temple.

"I love you," he whispers. Yunho sighs and curls closer to him.

"Je t'aime, mon chéri."