You Can't Pass As A Boy

Baekhyun puts a packet of cheese in the microwave

The day passed in a flurry of practices. Henry and Amber could do no more than send longing glances when no one was looking.

"I'm exhausted!" Jongdae exclaimed, throwing himself onto the sofa. "Can we watch Frozen?"

"Don't you want to sleep?" Baekhyun asked, putting a packet of some kind of food in the microwave.

Key ambled over and took it out again. "That's cheese, sweetie."

Onew beckoned to Amber. "Alex, could we have a word?" Once they'd shut themselves in the room Onew shared with Key, he turned to her. "Have you...er...?"

Amber pressed her lips together and thought of Henry. "I'm sorry, Onew, but--"

"Oh."

"Let me finish." Amber put a steadying hand on the windowsill. "I'm sorry, but I don't think it would be the best thing for our careers, and for the band and...all."

"I see," Onew said, with a large smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What would you do in America?"

"Shake hands." Amber held out her arm and they shook.

Onew blushed when she pulled her hand back. Nevertheless, he shyly asked, "if the situation was different, would you...?"

"If I say anything," Amber said, "either of us might be tempted to do something that might - just possibly - ruin the band. So..."

"Okay." Onew turned to leave. "Wait, Alex, I wanted you to know..." He grabbed Amber's arm and kissed her cheek. "You are sexy."

~~~

Key had visitors standing in the living room area of their dorm. Jonghyun, who'd actually been invited, Taemin, who was curious, Jongin, Taemin's twin brother and Minho, who no one quite knew why he had arrived, all stood awkwardly. They looked round when Onew and Alex came in.

All in all, it was over half of Shine-Z.

"Um, hi?" Onew greeted with a small wave. "What are you--"

"Hyung!" Jongdae called in despair from a sea of DVDs. "I can't find Frozen anywhere!"

As D.O.T's excitable maknae seemed near to tears, Minho knelt by him. "I'll help you look."

Jongdae looked at him with a kind of reverence. "Thank you," he whispered, and they continued searching.

Henry noticed Amber rubbing at her cheek. "Are you--"

"Going to bed, yes. Come on." She pulled him into their room.

The pain of that day's exercises hit Henry as he began to change into his pyjamas. His back definitely ached and having to hold a sheet in front of himself wasn't helping.

"You don't have to do that, you know," Amber commented. "I did have a few male friends would weren't anything like as shy as you, so I have seen boy parts before."

"Not mine," Henry said through gritted teeth.

"Whatever." Amber swung herself onto her bed. "Onew kissed me."

"What?"

"Here." Amber indicated her cheek.

Henry pulled the sheets away, finished, and walked to her bed. "You aren't okay with this, are you? Or are you?"

"You're babbling," Amber laughed. "Of course I'm not."

"I'm not either." Henry sat beside her. "I don't know why."

"You're jealous."

Henry hummed in response.

Five minutes later, Henry had slipped into his own bed and was desperately trying to sleep. Truth was, he was too excited to sleep. Plus Jonghyun and Key were being quite noisy.

"Can't sleep?" Amber asked into the darkness.

Henry groaned. "No."

"Neither. Do you want me to come over?"

"To my bed?" Henry sat up in surprise.

"Yeah, we could...spoon."

Henry suddenly felt a warm thing press against his back and realised Amber was hugging him. He felt his heart skip a few million beats.

It was very not unpleasant. But still...too close.

"This is awkward."

"Yeah." Amber climbed off and lay on her own bed again. "Night."

"Night," Henry called back.

Neither could help stealing glances at the other.

All night.