Chapter Text
Sangwon held the snack bag out again. Anxin hesitated, then accepted it with both hands, careful not to make noise as he pulled a piece free. “Thank you,” he whispered, almost automatically.
Sangwon nodded, watching him chew. The way Anxin’s eyes softened, the way his shoulders relaxed as if the tension had finally drained from him, it made something warm settle in Sangwon’s chest. He reached into the bag again, offering it once more when Anxin had barely finished the first bite.
“You can take more,” he said. “There’s a lot.”
I could give him all my food... Sangwon thought to himself.
Anxin blinked, then smiled. “My friends are going to be really happy tonight,” he said, glancing toward the shelves as if already planning. Sangwon followed his gaze. For a moment, he didn’t speak. Then he shifted, setting the snack bag aside and standing up quietly. “Wait here,” he murmured. He moved with surprising care, pulling down packets one by one, choosing them thoughtfully. The quieter ones first. The softer wrappers. He handed them to Anxin, who accepted them with growing disbelief.
“You’re… helping me?” Anxin asked, voice barely audible.
Sangwon shrugged, ears turning pink. “You looked like you wanted snacks for your friends.."
They worked side by side after that, the distance between them shrinking with every shared glance and hushed laugh. When Anxin struggled to hide a packet, Sangwon wordlessly lifted up Anxin's hoodie, stuffing the packets inside.
Somewhere in the building, a door closed.
Both of them froze.
Sangwon lifted a finger to his lips instinctively, eyes flicking toward the hallway. When the sound didn’t return, he exhaled slowly, shoulders loosening.
Anxin cautiously opened the snacks room door and they moved through the hallway together, with light footsteps careful not to draw attention. Sangwon walked a step behind Anxin, arms full of snack packets. The faint rustle of wrappers muted against Anxin's hoodie reached Sangwon's ears. It felt oddly domestic..Like this was something they’d done a hundred times before..like it was the most natural thing for him to follow Anxin with blind trust.
When they reached Li Zihao and Xue Suren’s room, Anxin knocked softly, twice.
The door opened just enough for Zihao’s face to peek through, eyes widening the moment he saw the two very pretty boys standing infront of him. He ushered them inside in a hurry, shutting the door behind them with a quiet click.
Anxin set the packets down on the bed, lifted up his hoodie grinning as it spilled out chips, cookies, candy bars, far more than he’d planned. Sangwon put down his share of snacks too, piling over Anxin's. Xue Suren stared at them in stunned silence before breaking into a delighted laugh. And then Zihao looked up.
His gaze flicked from the snacks… to Sangwon… then back to Anxin.
“Whoaaa,” he whispered-shouted, eyes shining. “Indeed our C-Planet center” he pointed at Anxin dramatically “You befriended THE Lee Sangwon????”
Sangwon froze, color blooming instantly across his cheeks. “I--” he started, then stopped, unsure what to do with his hands.
Anxin laughed softly, a little embarrassed, a little proud. “He helped,” he said smiling ear-to-ear, glancing at Sangwon with unmistakable fondness, his snaggletooth showing.
He leaned closer to Suren, stage-whispering, “It’s been one night and he’s already recruiting big shots of K-Planet.
Sangwon ducked his head, heart racing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The boys stood lined up on the raised platform, shoulders nearly brushing as they waited for the team sorting to begin. Anxin shifted his weight slightly, then turned to the person beside him.
“Annyeonghaseyo” he said softly, bowing with practiced politeness, a sweet smile curving his lips making his dimple appear.
Sangwon startled for just a second before returning the bow, a faint pink blooming across his cheeks. As he straightened, his eyes lingered on Anxin’s face, mischief was flickering in those beautiful feline eyes. His mind drifted back to the quiet snacks room, the crinkle of wrappers muffled by laughter, Anxin crouched beside him as they’d stuffed pockets, hoodie and arms with stolen treats. He’d helped without a second thought.
Passing bags, keeping watch, whispering warnings when footsteps echoed down the hall. It had felt reckless in the gentlest way. Later, Anxin had walked him to his room, eyes bright with gratitude leaving Sangwon smiling like a fool for a long time.
Now, standing side by side in full studio light, that memory pressed warmly against his chest. Sangwon swallowed, nodded once, and offered Anxin a shy smile in return.