Chapter Text
After four rounds of drinks, Shirley was long forgotten, passed off to another one of their roommates. They didn’t get much footage at the start of the challenge, since they weren’t that drunk and more focused on taking care of Shirley.
Hanbon was lying on the couch, watching Will, Anthony, and Coy. She noticed how Coy and Anthony interacted. Anthony wasn’t exactly ignoring Coy, but he would only reply if Coy directly asked him something. Hm. Now that she really thought about it, Anthony and Coy had only talked two times the whole video. And she felt the need to change that.
“Guys! Guys!” Hanbon sat up on the couch. “We should do a staring contest!”
Will nodded eagerly. “Oh my gosh, yeah!”
Hanbon called Will over and glanced up, checking to see if anyone was recording them. She began whispering to him. “You should choose Coy and purposely lose.”
“Why?”
“So they can stare at each other.”
“But—“
“It’s fine. Don’t question it! You pick Coy and I pick Anthony.”
“Fine.”
“Staring contest! I pick Anthony!”
Anthony sighed and looked at the camera. “Staring contest?”
Hanbon nodded. “Okay, so whoever wins goes against the other person who wins, yeah?”
“Sure. Just hurry up.”
“Will, count down!” Hanbon knew how competitive Anthony would get.
“Three, two, one, go!” Will jumped up and down, watching them get ready.
Hanbon stood there for ten seconds and gave up. She looked down and blinked.
“I give up.”
“Pfft! You’re so lame! I could’ve gone for SO much longer!”
"Yeah, whatever." Hanbon eagerly moved over to Will and Coy. "Okay, it's your guys' turn!" She took the camera from Will and sighed. She just wanted Anthony and Coy to talk to each other. And she just wanted them to date already! She was definitely gonna sour her mood.
Hanbon didn't even realize that Coy and Will were done with their contest. Anthony was recording another angle.
She watched him realize that he was gonna have stare into Coy's eyes. And neither of them would give up due to discomfort, the camera was on! Hanbon nudged Will and he grabbed the camera.
Coy was thoroughly displeased to have to do this, especially since Anthony made it so awkward yesterday.
This was a bad idea.
Coy was undeniably hesitant to do the staring contest. He didn't like making deep eye contact, and he was surprised to win against Will. And now he had to compete against Anthony.
Anthony looked… not fed up, but slightly done with this game. Yeah. He would be, too. If he wasn't drunk. No, he actually wanted to do this, maybe it was because he was drunk. Maybe it was because he wanted Anthony to face him after being awkward all video.
"Uhm. Coy? Are you ready?" Hanbon nudged him. She was being pushy about it. Hm. Well, she was probably concerned! Yeah.
"Oh!? What? I'm ready. Let's do it." Coy stepped infront of Anthony, looking at his face.
Hanbon glanced over to Will. Not smugly, but… knowingly. Will nodded and started counting down. "Okay, start! Three… Two… One!"
Anthony quickly locked eyes with Coy, who's eyes were wide. Coy relaxed and decided to start studying Anthony's face.
His eyes were so blue. And… Wow. His face.
Okay, don't blink.
"Hey, Anthony. You need to keep looking at Coy."
"But--"
"It's a staring contest."
Anthony looked back at Coy. He sighed and adjusted where he was, making it slightly uncomfortable for Coy to keep looking.
Coy prematurely giggled at the joke he was going to make.
"What?" Anthony muttered.
Don't blink.
"Y'know, staring's rude."
"…"
Oh fuck. That joke sucked. He needed something else to say.
Coy's voice dropped to a whisper. "Are you mad at me?"
"Not on camera, Coy."
Coy just stared at Anthony's blue eyes and, oh wow, his pupils were so dilated. It was so evident against his light eyes. Were they dilated because he was looking at Coy or because he was drunk? No, it wouldn't be because of Coy. No way.
"Your pupils are dilated a lot."
"Wh… Okay?"
"Is it because you're drunk?"
"I'm assuming. Yes?"
"I think it's because you like me."
"Uh-- Not on camera, Coy."
Coy tried to will Anthony to blink. His eyes were starting to burn.
"Anthony…" Their faces got closer together, mainly because Coy was leaning in. "Please tell me?"
"You… I'm not--" Anthony looked down and blinked a couple times, trying to make sense of what Coy was saying.
"I won! Yes! Anthony, you suck!" Coy jumped up and down, sticking his tongue out at the camera. "Yes!"
Hanbon just stared at the two. Anthony was sat on the couch, deep into thought, and Coy, who was jumping up and down, shaking Will's shoulders.
"We should end the recording there? And we can film the outro in the morning, with Shirley." Hanbon suggested, glancing back at Anthony.
They all nodded, and she watched Will head upstairs. He must've been really tired, since he didn't protest heading to sleep. Will usually did, because he really liked hanging out with all of them.
"Hanbon… Can I talk to Anthony?"
She looked back to Anthony and raised an eyebrow. Anthony shook his head, glancing over to Coy.
He felt really bad to say no, but he was really drunk and it was difficult to think straight. Oh, and that. He was straight… Well… No, he was straight and didn't want to let down Coy.
"Mm too drunk…" Anthony murmured, leaning his head back on the couch.
Hanbon sat next to Anthony on the couch and looked back at Coy, who pouted and quietly nodded.
"Okay…" Coy's head was hanging down and he looked like a kicked puppy. Hanbon watched Coy walk away and she felt so so so bad for him. She wanted to cry for him.
"Anthony! He's so sad…" Hanbon looked at him and her eyes watered.
Anthony just looked up at her and saw she was about to cry. "What… Why are you crying?"
Hanbon's tears spilled over and she quickly wiped them. "I just want you guys to be happy!"
"…"
"And-- And I've seen how you guys are with each other when you're actually talking and it's so nice! I--" She sniffled and cried even more. "Everytime I edit, I see all the jokes you guys make and the chemistry you guys have! Just… I want you guys to be happy. Together."
"…Hanbon, what the fuck?" Anthony actually looked at her and furrowed his brows. "How long have you been thinking about this?"
"Uhm. Since… March? When you and Coy went in groups and I had to edit that part. And you guys really bonded and I had to cut some of your jokes because… Well, I don't know. It was vulnerable, but the conversation wasn't really deep."
"You-- You cut my jokes?! Those were some of my favorites I made. And how many times have you watched that part?"
"So many times. And I talked to Coy and he had a look on his face that said 'I like him but I'm lying to myself,' and… Ugh." Hanbon wiped away her tears and laid back on the couch. "I'm sorry…"
"For what?"
"I dunno, I just feel bad for dropping all this on you. Uhm… I'm gonna sleep, okay?"
"Yeah, okay…"
And so Hanbon effectively left Anthony alone with his thoughts. After dropping a bomb on him.
Coy thought about him? That's not what she said but… it was insinuated. He didn't care if Coy liked him and he didn't care if he liked Coy -- which he didn't. He was… straight.
"Fuck him and fuck everything and…" Coy sat down on the floor of Anthony's room. He was only in Anthony's room because he was downstairs with Hanbon, and Coy was sure he wouldn't come up tonight.
He'd taken Anthony's hoodie again. It was comforting to wear, and it was nice to be able to rely on having a hoodie from Anthony. Coy was so drunk and he'd felt bad after Anthony told him he was too tired to talk to him… Coy wiped the tears that started flowing again. This was so stupid. He shouldn't be crying over this. God, he was so lame.
As he sat down on the hardwood floor of the room, the door creaked open. Anthony walked in, rubbing his eyes. Coy instantly sat up and sniffled.
"Coy?"
"Uh…"
"Are you crying?"
"Yeah?"
"Why?"
"…"
Anthony climbed over his bed and looked off the side, to the ground. "What are you doing there?"
"I thought you wouldn't be up here."
"Do you usually sleep in my room when I'm not gonna sleep here?"
"Sometimes?"
"Well, you're gonna need to get out."
Coy pouted and climbed up the side of the bed. "Do I have to? Can't I just stay in here?"
"N--"
"Hear me out!" Coy moved closer and toyed with the hem of the hoodie he was wearing.
Anthony just stared at Coy and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you wearing my hoodie? This is, like, the eighth one you took this week."
"You're exaggerating." Coy glanced up to Anthony, who wasn't watching him, and buried himself under his covers.
"Coy. You--"
"I'm sleeping, I can't hear you."
"You said you wanted to talk earlier?"
"I… Yeah. Can we?"
"Mhm. What do you have to say?"
"Okay, well…" Coy sat up and gave the conversation his full attention. "I know you don't like me back, and that you've said countless times that we'll never have anything. But! I just want to say I do really like you, and as much as I try to tell myself I don't, it hurts to lie.
"Of course, I'm not telling you this because I think you'll magically fall in love with me as soon as I tell you. Hell, this might make it awkward between us and maybe I'm ruining our friendship, but if the truth hurts so much that it tears us apart, was it ever the truth?
"And I'm sorry for randomly telling you this on a Thursday night, the afternoon after you yell at me that you didn't want me to help you when you were sick." Coy glanced up at Anthony, who was staring at him.
He looked at him with an odd expression, one he hadn't seen before.
"Coy."
"Anthony?"
"I… I'm so confused.
"Why? I can tell you everything again, I can slow down--"
"No, no. I'm confused on… I like you too, but…"
Coy exhaled a small breath, and really desperately wanted to get his hopes up. He wanted to start planning their dates and their… "But?"
"Woah. There is no but. I do like you."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"You're not joking?"
"Not joking." Anthony smiled stupidly and studied Coy's face.
"No bits?"
"Coy."
"But are you s--"
Anthony quickly leaned in before Coy could say anything and kissed him. Coy was, obviously, caught off guard and fell back.
What. The. Fuck.
He was kissing Anthony. Kissing the guy he'd felt feelings for, almost over a year. For so long. He finally got what he was looking for in Anthony's eyes whenever they joked around. The split second of a look Anthony would give him. Coy sighed into the kiss and Anthony moved away.
"Uh… Sorry."
"…For?" Coy smiled lazily and glanced down to Anthony's lips.
"I mean, I kind of kissed you out of nowhere and--"
Coy grabbed Anthony and kissed him. Kinda roughly. He'd grabbed onto Anthony's shirt and kept him close, even when Coy pulled away.
"There. Now we're even?"
"…"
"Now we can kiss more. Yeah?"
Anthony blushed. Coy stared.
This was the first time he'd seen Anthony fully blush. And he had blushed because Coy had made him.
"How long have you been waiting?"
"To kiss you?"
"Y… Yeah."
"So long!" Coy laughed and scooted closer to Anthony. "I don't know exactly how long, but I know I've been talking with Hanbon about it recently."
"I know. Me and her were talking a couple minutes ago."
"Really?" He leaned his head on Anthony's shoulder and clung to him. "Tell me what she said!"
"Okay, well, she said she knew you liked me because she edited a video where we were paired up. And in that video, apparently we had really good 'chemistry' and she saw how you look at me."
Coy smiled at Anthony and kissed him again. Anthony quickly took the chance and ran with it, deepening the kiss. Eventually, they ended up almost completely pressed together. Anthony pulled away for air, not even half a second, and then kissed Coy again.
"Anthony…"
"Shut up."
They made out for almost an hour. When they finally pulled away, both of their lips were, almost unnoticeably, swollen.
"Hmm…" Coy hummed, glancing down at Anthony's lips.
"Was an hour seriously not enough?" Anthony yawned and laid back. "I wanna sleep now."
Coy rolled his eyes. "Fine." He muttered.
"Are you gonna sleep in my room or…" Anthony glanced down to Coy, who nodded and clung onto his side.
Coy was already half asleep. Anthony wondered how he could make himself tired so quick. "I'm sleeping now, okay?"
"Wh… Okay." Anthony fully looked down to Coy. He began running his fingers through Coy's hair. He looked so… peaceful. So much calmer than most of this week.
Coy leaned into Anthony's hand. "Mm…"
Anthony half-closed his eyes. Aw. He was gonna fall asleep. Anthony tried to will himself to stay awake, to bask in the calmness of laying next to Coy.
The next morning, Anthony woke up to Hanbon yelling at Will from somewhere downstairs. He groaned and moved to lay on his back, moving his hand out of Coy's hair.
Coy sighed in frustration and looked up to Anthony. "Ugh… What time is it?"
"Too early." Anthony pulled Coy closer and buried his face into his hair. "Your hair's so soft…"
"Yeah?"
"Mm."
"We should go downstairs."
"Don't wanna…" Despite his words, Anthony sat up when Coy did.
Coy softly laughed at him. "We just need to film the outro for the video we filmed last night."
"And then?"
"Then we can bedrot all day."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise."
"…Fine."
Coy moved off the bed and stood next to the edge, trying to help Anthony off the bed. Anthony sat there for a couple seconds, simply staring at Coy.
"Are you checking me out?"
"Uh. No?"
Anthony silently giggled at Coy.
"What? What're you laughing at?"
"Hm? Nothing!"
Coy suspiciously looked at Anthony and rubbed his eyes. "Whatever." He mumbled, grabbing the other's hand and pulling him towards the door.
Anthony simply followed. When they got downstairs, Hanbon looked towards them and raised an eyebrow. Will was in his own universe, happily talking about something insignificant.
Hanbon was staring and Anthony gave her a look.
"Hey. Are we gonna film the end of the video we started last night?"
"Uhh…" Hanbon glanced around the kichen and slowly nodded. "Yeah, if-- Yeah."
Coy laughed awkwardly at how weirded out she was. "Let's film."
They all went into the goffice and decided what to do. They ended up agreeing on ending the video with Will and Hanbon talking to Coy and Anthony, who were sitting on the couch, about Shirley.
After they were done filming, the group ate breakfast together. They talked about the different angles they got last night and how they would edit them.
Coy sighed after a while and decided to go upstairs. Soon after, Anthony clumsily excused himself and excitedly hopped into the bed.
"Hi, Coy!" Anthony looked at Coy thoroughly and began laughing again.
"What? Stop laughing at me!"
Anthony moved closer to Coy and kept laughing. "You have, like, a hickey or something."
"What!? Is that why Hanbon--"
"Yeah." Anthony fell back and laughed. "That's so dumb!"
Coy was silent for a couple seconds and sighed. "You have one, too."
"What?" Anthony stopped laughing and sat up.
"Not so funny anymore, huh?"
"We filmed like that?"
"You let me--"
"Yeah, but most of what you do isn't professional!"
Coy pushed against Anthony's arm. "What does that mean!?"
"No-- I'm sorry, that was rude."
"Yeah."
"Okay, it's not like our viewers will notice."
"Let's hope not…" Coy muttered, moving next to Anthony and contentedly sighing.
Like two days later/Whenever the video comes out
"Coy?"
"Hmm?" Coy had been fast asleep on Anthony's chest, with his hands sprawled out in his hair.
"They, uhh, they noticed."
"The viewers?"
"Yeah…"
"What'd they say?"
"Well…"
ohohoh1298: wait okk i see anthony and coy
-- ash.treigh: wdym?? I dont see anything
-- ohohoh1298: they have hickeys at the end (timestamp around 18:30)
-- ash.treigh: omfg they do.
Coy had fully sat up and was looking off of Anthony's phone. "Is that all they said?"
"No, there's so much more."
"Mm." Coy began trying to soft launch them making out. "Hi…"
"Coy."
He ignored Anthony and softly kissed him on his lips, just barely a brush. "Hm?"
"S… Coy, I thought we were reading the comments!"
"I got bored."
Anthony just stared at Coy. He kissed Anthony again and Anthony actually kissed him back this time.
"Bored?"
"Yeah… I'm also hungry."
"No, you started this." Anthony kissed Coy harder and they both fell back. Holy fuck… He wanted this for so long. He finally got Anthony.
"Order food later?"
"We'll see."