yugyeom couldn't help but be a bit disappointed when he found out there was another kid his age in the fairly small school he was going to. it wasn't the most common thing for someone who wasn't even 16 yet to be in college so when his roommate mentioned that there was another kid who had just turned 16 there, it was a bit disheartening.

and not only did he go to the same school, he was friends with yugyeom's roommate. so that night when yugyeom got back from eating dinner, there was a kid, who yugyeom swore was 12, sitting on his roommate's lap as he ate.

yugyeom wanted to roll his eyes but he didn't. he didn't want to come across as rude despite his thoughts. he had no clue how the kid was in college and he was half sure there was no way he was 16.

"hey, yugyeom," yugyeom roommate jackson called to get his attention. "this is my friend bambam. he's 16 and a freshman, too."

"hi, i'm yugyeom." he didn't sound rude, but he did sound disinterested. he hadn't meant to come across that way but he couldn't be bothered to put effort in to sound nice.

"hello," bambam said, smiling at yugyeom once he swallowed the food he was chewing. he had a high pitched voice, chubby cheeks, and big eyes. and yugyeom had to ignore how cute he was in order to not be jealous.

he had never been the adorable kid. he grew very fast from a young age and had always been the tallest in his class. he was even tall compared to the rest of his family. he had gotten used to it and had no problem being tall but seeing bambam, it just reminded him that he never got to be like him. he couldn't sit on someone's lap like bambam was with jackson.

a phone started to ring and bambam picked it up, putting his spoon back in his bowl of food as he talked to whoever was on the other side of the call.

when he hug up the phone, he told jackson he had to quickly finish his food because mark was worried since he was out so late and wanted him back to the their shared dorm.

"i'll throw your trash away. be safe on your way back." jackson patted bambam's thigh before the younger stood up, making him smile.

"bye bye, jackie. it was nice to meet you, yugyeom." bambam waved at yugyeom who gave a small wave back before bambam left the dorm.

yugyeom realized bambam had a pretty heavy accent when he heard him speak more than one word. yugyeom's voice wasn't deep by any means, but it wasn't like bambam's. he thought bambam's voice made him seem even more like a child than he already looked.

the next day, jackson invited yugyeom to have lunch with him and his friends. yugyeom, who had no friends at the school, agreed and quickly got dressed so he could leave with jackson.

there were five guys at the resturant they met at, one of them being bambam. he was sitting close to a guy who seemed to be letting him drink his tea.

they had ordered jackson's and yugyeom's drinks that jackson texted them because he knew they would be a little late.

"guys, this is my roommate yugyeom," jackson told them as they sat down. bambam smiled as he gave the guy next to him his drink back. jackson introduced all of his friends expect for bambam to yugyeom.

the guy who bambam was sitting very close to was named jinyoung. their arms were linked together and bambam was leaning into his side. and yugyeom was a bit ashamed to say that he thought jinyoung was really attractive.

as he sat with all of jackson's friends, all he could think about was trying to figure out who bambam was dating, if he was even dating any of them.

"i have to go," jinyoung said, grabbing his phone and wallet to shove in his pocket. he put his face towards bambam and tapped his cheek. "kiss, bambam."

bambam happily pecked jinyoung's cheek before the elder got up and left, saying goodbye to the rest of his friends as he did.

"bammie, we should go, too. we have to finish unpacking your stuff." so mark and bambam left, leaving yugyeom with jackson, jaebum, and youngjae.

"are any of you dating him?" yugyeom blurted out as soon as they left. he hadn't meant to but he was very curious. but the other three at the table just started laughing.

"no, he just likes to be spoiled, so we do," jaebum explained. they had absolutely no problem spoiling bambam. his personality made it hard not to.

yugyeom decided subtly wasn't important and decided to straight out ask what he wanted to know. "is jinyoung dating anyone?"

"no. but you're 15, right? maybe wait a few months. i don't even think jinyoung would be into someone so young," youngjae told him honestly. despite the age of consent being 16, jinyoung preferred to date people closer to his own age of 20.

"you don't look 15 at all," jackson said as he really looked at yugyeom. "i'm surprised you're not 18 or 19, honestly."

"well, we can't all look 12 like bambam, can we?" yugyeom set down the water he had taken a drink of and stood up. "i have class."

jackson hummed and somehow, jaebum and youngjae knew exactly what it meant. by people his own age, bambam was much less liked. other 16 year olds thought he was immature, too sensitive, or annoying; but he had found a group of friends filled with people who wanted to take care of him.

jackson wanted to become friends with yugyeom but he didn't want yugyeom to dislike bambam. bambam was sensitive and jackson would feel like he was betraying him if he befriended yugyeom and he didn't like bambam.

all they could do was hope for the best.

//

i changed their ages. so bam and yug are 16 (well yug is almost 16) youngjae is 19, jinyoung and jackson are 20, jaebum is 21, and mark is 22