Work Text:
Sakuya and Ryo have been friends since their early trainee days, being attached by the hips since the beginning — both young boys who had left their homes, family, friends and their lifes to follow their dream, which wasn't guaranteed that it would happen.
Fortunately, both boys debuted together after a tiring and exhausting survival show. Debuting with your best friend is truly a blessing.
As time went by, fans started to love their dynamic, calling them "sakuryo", they didn't mind it, it was cute.
They had never thought of each other with other eyes.
Or at least that was what Ryo thought. Ryo knew he liked boys, but he didn't get to have that much experience with neither of both genders, so he just couldn't really label himself — he knew Sakuya was pretty, on their early debut days he looked super cute to his, and everyone's eyes.
But after a year and a half of their debut, Sakuya started to change. He got taller, he got slimmer, his cute round cheeks disappeared, now showing a sharp jaw and making his plump lips stand out more, he got confident about his deep voice — Ryo stayed pretty much the same, but he did in fact know that he got prettier.
Until now, Ryo only thought of Sakuya as only a friend, a cute younger friend who he liked to cling to — but now Sakuya was stronger, and he manhandled Ryo when he got tired of too much affection, or he would tell him to stop with that deep voice. Ryo's stomach did a weird thing when he would do that, but he didn't pay that much attention to it, it's normal to feel like that to your best friend, right?
One day, they were practicing for their new Japanese Mini Album — the rest of the members were on the couch, others on the floor, drinking water and resting a little before they had to practice again.
Sakuya and Ryo were still practicing a part of the choreo they couldn't get right.
They were both dancing sharp, but focused on getting the right vibe to the dance. Sakuya watched his step carefully, but Ryo had his shoelaces untied and on one wrong move, he tripped to the side. He let out a yelp as he put his hands in front of him to avoid crashing directly with the floor — he had his eyes closed when he suddenly felt two hands on his waist, he opened his eyes and they met with Sakuya's. They were too close, they have been close a lot of times, but right now Sakuya looked incredibly handsome. Ryo was blushing.
"Did you get nervous?" Sakuya asked with that teasing, deep voice of his that made Ryo blush even more.
Ryo heard the members laughing at that, but Ryo didn't get what was so funny — he could feel the younger's hands almost entirely around his waist, just a few centimeters prevented it. He didn't know why that made him blush.
"What are you talking about?" Ryo said, his voice cracking just a little, he hoped no one noticed, but Sakuya did, he always did.
Ryo hit him at the shoulder, it didn't hurt, Ryo wasn't strong enough. So Sakuya let him free, just giving him a grin — everything went back to normal, Sion clapped once and told everyone that they needed to practice again so they could go to some dinner place, probably that one restaurant where the meat is good and really pricey. The one that Sakuya bought steak from just for their 3rd year friendship anniversary.
Everyone got back to the usual dance practice, trying to get everything right so they could go as soon as possible. Everyone seemed to forget what happened earlier, even tho nothing really happened, it was just a normal joke between friends. But Ryo couldn't focus for the rest of the night.
They went for a group dinner, went back to the dorms all together, where now the six of them lived together again, Ryo felt always so happy about that, they have been begging the company and having fan calls of their 5 month old comeback so the company would give to them what they wanted — the sacrifice really payed off, Ryo thought.
He was still thinking about what happened today. Not really about what happened, but about what he was feeling.
The problem is, he shares room with Sakuya, and he couldn't really focus on his feelings with other member in the room, so he just decided to sleep, he had a schedule really early in the morning afterall.
The next days seemed really normal, the usual. But something definitely shifted inside of Ryo, but he didn't know it yet, or he didn't want to name it — the members definitely noticed, Ryo was less affectionate towards Sakuya, which was impossible in their heads. They noticed when they were in the dorms, Ryo climbed by Daeyoung's side.
"Did you and Sakuya fight?" Asked Sion.
Sakuya didn't look at them since he was too concentrated playing Minecraft with Yushi.
"Why do you ask?" Said Ryo, his ears turning slightly red.
"You're not clinging at him like always, the only reason could be that you fought"
Ryo panicked and just hugged Daeyoung more tightly, "You're crazy hyung, what's for dinner I'm super hungry haha" he tried to change the topic — thankfully he lived with men who are always hungry, so Riku and Daeyoung started to give Sion options for food.
Later, in his bed, Ryo stared at the ceiling, questioning himself why was he not clinging to Sakuya like always, so he saw him on his bed watching tiktok and decided to hug him, nothing weird, he always does this, he thought.
He slowly climbed to the younger's bed and hugged him, the other didn't protest, he just said.
"Are you really mad at me?" with the tired voice of a boy that practiced too much for today.
Ryo really hoped that he couldn't feel his heart pounding fast, he was blushing. He looked up and immediately looked back down, resting his head on the other's chest, was Sakuya always this handsome?but also... why is his heart also pounding as fast as his own?
"W-why would i be mad at you?" he responded softly, barely above a whisper.
"Then why are you avoiding me?"
"I'm not, I'm literally hugging you right now" Ryo said, trying to convince himself.
"Ok" he simply responded.
Ryo felt too weird, his heart pounding like crazy, he felt his face and ears hot, his stomach did something weird and funny, what was it?
"We should sleep, it's getting too late and we have schedule in the morning" Ryo said getting off top of Sakuya and going to his own bed.
"Yeah" he heard the other say.
But Ryo stared at the wall for about an hour, he couldn't understand what was happening to him, but it's probably normal to feel like that towards your best friend... right?
Another week passed, he tried to be clingy like always, but he just couldn't, his heart pounded fast and hard and his stomach felt like it had... those things called butterflies, but that was what you felt with your lover, and Sakuya was his best friend.
They were taking a break after dancing, and Ryo flopped to the floor, panting tired, he felt a hand on his shoulder, making him sit on the floor and handing him a bottle of water, it was Sakuya, why did he look so good after dancing for hours?
"Oh, yeah t-thanks saku ha" Ryo felt his ears burning hot again.
"Why are you blushing ryo ~ " He heard Riku teasing him from the couch.
He just laughed awkwardly and saw Sakuya... blushing? It was probably his imagination, maybe Sakuya was red from dancing.
He avoided Sakuya for three days after that.
Ryo was reheating something in the kitchen, he felt hands on his waist and a chin on his head.
"Did i do something wrong?" It was Sakuya.
Ryo dropped the fork he was holding, now holding the hands on his waist, but he wasn't putting them away.
"W-what?" He said, blushing.
"You've been avoiding me for three days now, that means you're mad at me"
"I'm not, don't say such dumb things"
"Then what is it?" Sakuya said, there was no madness in his voice, just pure wonder.
"It's nothing, let go. I need to eat " Ryo said a little frustrated.
Sakuya didn't say a word, he just let him go, leaving the kitchen.
Ryo was just standing there, his breath fast, as if he just ran a marathon.
Sion stood next to Ryo, grabbing a cup, he just looked at Ryo not saying a single word.
They looked at each other for about five seconds, and then his hyung left.
At dinner, Sakuya wasn't there, Ryo didn't ask anything, but Jaehee looked at him and told him that Sakuya said he wasn't hungry.
Dinner went normal.
Ryo left the bathroom and he came across Yushi, he just looked at him and said.
"Do you like Sakuya?"
"EEH?" Ryo literally screamed, covering his mouth immediately, it was like 2am.
"Do you?"
"eeh? you're crazy Yushi hyung, saku is my best friend" Yushi just left to his room.
But Ryo wondered why did that question made him flustered.
He went to his room but Sakuya wasn't there, weird, he never left, even when they fought.
Ryo couldn't sleep, so he went to the kitchen to get some water.
"Ryo, can we talk?" It was Sion, he asked in that leader voice he had when he felt like a member did something they needed to change.
"Uh? Yeah hyung"
The sat on the couch, Ryo was shaking slightly for some reason.
"Sakuya is in my room, he asked me if he could sleep with me tonight."
Ryo stared at him.
"Ryo, i need you to be totally honest with this... do you like Sakuya?" His voice didn't sound mad or accusatory, just soft.
"W-what- no hyung, why would you..." There was a pause.
"I don't know" He said sincerely.
"Why don't you know?"
"He's my best friend"
"Friends can fall in love too" He just said.
"But- i searched about how does it feel to like someone, i... know i like him, but we can't, we are idols, we are roomates, we're on the same group, we're not allowed" Ryo said, feeling his eyes watering with every word he said.
"Do you think idols don't date? it's obvious they do... you just have to be.. careful about it"
"I'm scared hyung, i don't know why i feel like this" Ryo started to cry.
Sion hugged him.
"It's okay Ryo, hyung's here, I'll handle everything, okay?"
Ryo cried for about half an hour, and slept on the couch.
In the morning, Riku and Jaehee woke him up, saying that it was too late and he needed to hurry up.
He tried not to avoid Sakuya, but both of them ended up avoiding each other.
At night after dinner ended, he told Sakuya to go to their room. So he did.
They stood there, just looking at each other.
"What is it?" Asked Sakuya.
Ryo stepped forward, their hands brushing slightly, barely a touch.
Both were breathing fast, just looking at each other.
Ryo lifted his hand and cupped Sakuya's cheek, he suddenly kissed him.
Sakuya froze.
The kiss was barely there, their lips touching just a little — Ryo deepened the kiss and Sakuya responded by kissing him back. Sakuya kissed him like he was unsure about something, he grabbed Ryo by his waist and parted from the kiss.
"We shouldn't be doing this"
Ryo kissed him again, and Sakuya just let him. He grabbed his waist tightly, and kissed him like Ryo was about to dissappear at any moment. Ryo laughed at that, and Sakuya took advantage of the laugh to stick his tongue in, kissing him deeply.
They heard the door.
"Saku, have seen my- oh my god- I'm so sorry" It was Daeyoung.
They parted from the kiss, both panting and flustered. They couldn't even talk when the door shut closed, still hearing Daeyoung apologizing.
They looked at each other and laughed, this time Sakuya started the kiss.
Sakuya walked backwards and he sat softly on the bed, pulling Ryo into his lap — the kiss got hot very fast, Sakuya grabbing the older's waist inside of his shirt, caressing his soft skin.
Ryo started to move his hips, sighing into the kiss.
Sakuya moaned at the movement and grabbed his hips trying to stop him, parting from the kiss.
Ryo looked at him, his hair a little messy, his lips red and swollen.
"when did you get hot?" he asked, pulling Sakuya again, the younger smiled while he kissed him.
"Ryo, you're so pretty" he whispered to the kiss.
"Saku, i love you" parting from the kiss, now making his way to the younger's neck.
Sakuya moved his head to the side, giving Ryo more space.
"I like you" he murmured into his skin, Sakuya could feel his hot breath.
"Aah, I like you too Ryo, i like you so much" Sakuya replied, sighing softly.
They stayed like that all night, because it felt right, because they belonged to each other — the cameras, their idol lifes didn't matter right now, because they had each other, and that is enough.