A/N: This, though, unlike the last two chapters is in the main timeframe.

 

 

 

“We’re going to be late,” Junhyung says sullenly, arms folded and sitting on the edge of the bed. His reflection behind Yoseob in the mirror is absolutely irritable and he’s been absolutely irritable since Yoseob informed him days ago that he let Doojoon take a break because of that injury (that Yoseob pointed out was partially both Yoseob and Junhyung’s faults anyway).

          Yoseob snorts as his head comes through another shirt. “It’s a party. Not a lecture.” He sticks his tongue out when he tries to pull his waistband lower and tuck half of his shirt in, but then it looks wrong and a corner of it looks wrinkled and his mind starts wandering back to maybe the blue one before the green one before this one because maybe—

          “Yeah, it’s a party,” Junhyung mumbles. “So why are you trying on your entire closet?”

          Yoseob shrugs, turning around and spreading his arms wide. “How about this one, hyung?”

          Junhyung blinks back at him glumly. “You know,” he says flatly, “it’s against the rules for a trainee and an instructor to be in a relationship.”

          The younger man smiles and shrugs again, wheeling back around to face the mirror. He strips off the shirt he’s wearing and slips on a completely new one—dark blue, collared and thin against his body. He leaves it unbuttoned and straightens the white wifebeater beneath it, tucking the edges into his waistband. “Trainees aren’t trainees forever,” Yoseob says casually. “Joonie-hyung was a trainee and Seungho-hyung was his instructor, remember?”

          He glances at Junhyung’s face in the mirror, and the older man’s expression is impassive, eyes simply brushing up and down Yoseob’s body thoughtfully. Yoseob faces him again and offers a lighter smile.  

          “How do I look?” Yoseob asks.

          Junhyung sighs and smiles again. “Hot as fuck.”

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, DJ—I’m asking you

 

 

 

 

 

          Dongwoon pulls his belt through the loops of his shorts, buckling it and meeting eyes with his reflection. He sees Dongha in the mirror, reflected as he stands in the doorway of Dongwoon’s room. His brother’s arms are folded over his chest and his expression is carefully put together as he watches Dongwoon finish dressing.

          Dongha is in loose basketball shorts and a t-shirt, resting up from the week’s grueling training tonight even though Dongwoon did ask him out to the party. “What’s with the face, hyung?” Dongwoon asks, as he tucks his cell phone into one of his back pockets and his keys into the other.

          “He has a boyfriend, Dongwoon-ah,” Dongha says quietly and Dongwoon thinks it’s mildly ridiculous (dangerous) that just those words spark something uncomfortable and prickly in Dongwoon’s chest (it’s as if he doesn’t like hearing that sentence spoken aloud).

         

 

 

 

 

Please play a song

 

 

 

 

 

          Kikwang laughs as Hyunseung tugs the younger man’s hips forward, right up against Hyunseung’s own. “Yah,” he says breathlessly because he catches sight of the clock on their nightstand and neither of them are dressed yet (or rather—they were both dressed but then a few events played out that resulted in both of them getting undressed).

          But Hyunseung’s lips are already over his own and Kikwang grins into the kiss, hand curling against the back of Hyunseung’s neck, reaching up and gripping Hyunseung’s hair. “I thought you wanted to be on time,” Hyunseung says playfully in the short moment when their lips draw apart for air.

          Kikwang digs his fingertips against the skin of Hyunseung’s bare side. “I do,” he says, keeping one hand slung around Hyunseung’s waist and the other reaching for his own pants. He also tosses Hyunseung’s clothes to the older man. Kikwang smiles as their mouths meet again for another kiss. “Maybe—if we get there early—we can start round two before Junhyung-hyung and Yoseobie gripe at us.”

 

 

 

 

 

So sweet that it makes me dizzy

 

 

 

 

 

          Yoseob thinks that clubs are overrated. There’s nothing particularly special about partying in a club no matter how high-tech, how modern, how well-designed a club might be. He might be biased, but he thinks that a building is a building, and it doesn’t matter what sort of colored lights you install in it, or what kind of sound system you put in, it still won’t compare to dancing beneath the universe’s lights—it still can’t compare to the sounds of the ocean rushing in for the late night tide.

          Junhyung slides a drink in front of Yoseob after coming back from the bar. He nudges the younger man. “Seungho-hyung just texted me,” Junhyung says, waving his phone a little in Yoseob’s face. “Says that he and Joonie-hyung are coming tonight.”

          Yoseob glances at him, blinking. “Yeah—I know. So?”

          “I thought you wanted to hit on that trainee,” Junhyung says dryly. “Is having your ex and your future-boyfriend in the same place kind of—I don’t know—not-so-ideal?”

          Yoseob turns away, watching the dance floor with raised eyebrows. “Nah,” he grins. “Joonie-hyung’s hot. It’ll show Doojoon-shii who he’s dealing with.”

 

 

 

 

 

A song that’s so hot

 

 

 

 

 

          It’s not hard to find the party—the entire beach is dark and silent except for the small cluster of lights and sound all the way towards the west end of the resort. The whole span of the shore is teeming with groups of laughing and chatting lifeguards and trainees making their way towards the fenced-in area. Dongwoon can hear and feel the music all the way from the entryway of the tower.

          He wonders when it got like this—when it got to the point where he couldn’t stop thinking of Kikwang. In all honesty, he still barely knows the other man. Other than his name, his age, and that he’s a lifeguard who attends the nearby university, Dongwoon knows nothing about Kikwang. It’s terrible but, he has his fingers crossed on hoping that Kikwang is actually a jerk. That Dongwoon will chat with him tonight, possibly drink with him, get to know him a little more, and find out that Kikwang is a raging bastard who annoys the fuck out of Dongwoon.

          Dongwoon has his fingers crossed for that so tightly that he thinks his hand will start turning purple.

 

 

 

 

 

That it easily burns down my throat

 

 

 

 

 

          Kikwang laughs, turning his head to the side to muffle the laughter against Hyunseung’s shoulder when his eye catches something (someone) near the entrance of the party area.

           “He came,” he says to Hyunseung happily, gesturing towards the gates of the enclosed party area. His eyes easily catch Dongwoon, looking a little lost and searching through the dancing bodies, the drinking crowds, and the few tables interspersed all throughout.

          “With no brother,” Hyunseung says, blinking.

          “Dongha-shii’s probably resting,” Junhyung says from Kikwang’s other side, leaning heavily on the bar table and glaring towards the dance floor. “Like a good trainee.”

          Hyunseung and Kikwang exchange amused glances. “Wanna dance?” Kikwang says teasingly, as he raises his hand (the one not curled against Hyunseung’s arm) to signal for Dongwoon to come and find them.

          “No,” Junhyung snaps, and sips at his drink.

          Kikwang catches Hyunseung rolling his eyes and laughs into the older man’s slender shoulder. “C’mon, Cloudy,” Hyunseung says briskly, letting go of Kikwang and grabbing Junhyung’s elbow. “We’re dancing—maybe you’ll get lucky and you can trip Doojoon-shii into falling on his face or something.”

          “Have fun,” Kikwang says cheerily into Junhyung’s irate face as Hyunseung kisses Kikwang’s lips before dragging Junhyung away.

 

 

 

 

 

Why do you want to know my name?

 

 

 

 

 

          Joon is one of Yoseob’s better exes.

          He broke Yoseob’s heart, but even in Yoseob’s opinion, he broke it for a good reason—and he broke it fairly. And Joon has his hand in the back pocket of that good, fair reason as he waves Yoseob off the dance floor with a grin. Yoseob waves back and Seungho catches his eye, motioning with his head towards a nearby table where Yoseob sees the other lifeguards from the M Squad already standing at.

          Doojoon looks perplexed.

          “C’mon,” Yoseob says, grinning, and takes him by the hand. “I want you to meet some people.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you hear it, you’ll be shocked anyway

 

 

 

 

 

          There’s a black wifebeater wrapped around his body like a second skin, arms shining with just a hint of perspiration in the dim lights, jeans slung low and tight on his hips, a strip of waistband peeking above his belt because of how the cloth of his shirt is riding up as he leans down against the bar table, drink resting against his palm.

Dongwoon feels like he should pinch himself at least every other minute when he stands next to Kikwang—it’s that sort of surreal feeling you have to make sure that you’re actually alive because there’s no way in your actual reality you could end up talking to someone this attractive without combusting.

“Hey,” Kikwang says, smiling. He holds up his glass towards Dongwoon—as if in a toast. “Thirsty?”

And yet—

No matter how perfect—flawless (too attractive) Kikwang always is, the moment the lifeguard opens his mouth and Dongwoon hears his voice, it’s like Kikwang is pocketing his halo and wings just so he can talk to Dongwoon. It makes it easier—it makes it as natural as breathing in and breathing out.

Dongwoon grins back. “Buy me a drink, then.”

 

 

 

 

 

Just for one day

 

 

 

 

 

          Kikwang buys Dongwoon more than a drink—he buys Dongwoon lots of drinks and Dongwoon buys him lots of drinks.

          It’s not something intentional. It’s not like their intention, their goal for the night, is to get smashed. It’s just something that sort of happens because they talk a lot. For some reason, even though Kikwang loves to dance—especially loves to dance at these parties (loves to dance with Hyunseung)—the thought of bringing Dongwoon to the dance floor or joining Hyunseung on the dance floor doesn’t occur to him tonight.

          They just talk.

          Dongwoon talks about Dongha, about how his brother worked so hard to be able to be let in to this program, about how Dongwoon isn’t really interested in it himself but he can see why some people would be, about how Dongwoon is having a little trouble with the term papers that he’s been assigned but he’s getting through them all right, about how he hopes that Dongha will make it through the training period.

          Kikwang talks about being in this program, about how it’s hard at first but someone like Dongha will definitely make it—he talks about his photography major, about how he wants to show Dongwoon some of the projects he’s been working on, about how maybe Dongwoon would be interested in being a subject too—he talks a little bit about Hyunseung, about how they’ve been together for a while and he actually met Hyunseung all the way back in high school.

          He asks if Dongwoon’s dating anyone.

          “Me?” Dongwoon grins, a little shaky on his feet now (but then again, so is Kikwang), “No one, hyung.”

          Kikwang’s mind is so fuzzy that all the laugh just blurts itself out—he doesn’t even realize when it went from Kikwang-shii to Kikwangie-hyung (in the course of rounds upon rounds of drinks).

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t ask me things like that

 

 

 

 

 

          Okay.

          Okay—so Yoseob feels a little mean, but mostly not because it’s not like he’s doing this on purpose and it’s not like he initiated this. Joon always kisses him first whenever they see each other unless it’s Yoseob who sees Joon first in whatever place they might be. It’s something they’ve always done, because their kisses are special even though they might not even be romantic anymore. It’s something that they’ve always done to the point where Seungho doesn’t even blink an eye at it.

          The only one blinking (rather rapidly, and confusedly, and possibly even disappointedly) is Doojoon.

          It’s barely a second, just lips upon lips before Joon draws away and squeezes Yoseob in a bone-crushing hug. The older man slings his arm around Yoseob’s shoulders as Sanghyun elbows Cheolyong for another drink. “Having fun with the summer trainees?” Byunghee grins at Yoseob from across the table.

          “Fuck you, hyung,” Yoseob laughs—but he reaches over and pulls Doojoon closer (because Doojoon has been watching all of this from the sidelines, warily and unsure). “He’s going to join our squad when he makes it,” Yoseob declares playfully, slipping away from Joon and standing beside Doojoon.

          “You’re drunk,” Seungho laughs, as Joon slides his arm around Seungho’s waist.

          Yoseob shakes his head, and smiles at Doojoon’s inquiring eyes. The older man is blinking, almost disbelievingly, but Yoseob just widens his smile. “What?” Yoseob says to Seungho even though he’s looking straight at Doojoon. “’M perfectly sober, hyung.”

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, can I get some Brandy please?

 

 

 

 

 

          Pretty—

          And lush and soft and full.

          Kikwang’s lips—they’re pretty and lush and soft and full. They’ve been that way from the moment Dongwoon bumped into him in the hallway and they’re like that right now and Dongwoon can’t stop watching him while he sips more and more alcohol even though it’s fuzzy everything’s blurry and Dongwoon thinks that Kikwang should probably stop drinking more and more alcohol but it doesn’t matter because Kikwang’s lips are pretty and lush and soft and full.

          Dongwoon wants to kiss them—like—he wants to kiss them and never stop and can they be his? Oh—they’re—they’re not but they should be he can kiss them and kiss them and not stop ever can’t he? The ground is unsteady beneath him and it’s probably the waves it must be the ocean (maybe an earthquake) because it’s like he can’t walk straight and he has to grip the table but it doesn’t even matter because Kikwang is steadying him—

          Leading him away off and off and Dongwoon just has to hold onto Kikwang’s hips (mouth-to-mouth) and follow because they can’t be seen Kikwang’s not his but Kikwang should be his so Dongwoon follows and those lips belong to Dongwoon and no one else and—oh—

 

 

 

 

 

I want to keep this music

 

 

 

 

 

          There’s this little thing in the back of Kikwang’s mind.

          It’s annoying and whiny and it keeps poking him and it doesn’t matter how many times Kikwang tells it to go away or tells it that he’ll talk to it later, some other time, just not right now (not now, while Dongwoon’s tongue is running up Kikwang’s thighs—not now, while Kikwang is slamming the door shut and locking it and trying to unbuckle Dongwoon’s belt except his hands aren’t cooperating maybe it was the alcohol maybe not but oh—)

          He doesn’t even understand what this thing wants but it’s just so irritating and it keeps begging and begging that Kikwang at least pay attention to it but everything is already blurry and spinning as it is Dongwoon’s mouth is wet and too hot and smoldering and perfect over his dragging down Kikwang’s throat and Kikwang gasps when Dongwoon hoists him up on something (a table? A countertop? Kikwang doesn’t even know what room they’re in something behind the stage somewhere behind the stereos or the bar or somewhere)

         

 

 

 

 

So my entire body will tremble

 

 

 

 

 

          “Mind telling me how many boyfriends you actually have?” Doojoon asks wryly as he and Yoseob walk down the beach—out of the party area, away from the music and the alcohol with only the scent of salt and sand surrounding them.

          Yoseob looks upward at the dark sky (a part of him wonders what Doojoon would think if he knew how many boyfriends Yoseob had—and what kind of relationship Yoseob’s having right now). He grins at the trainee. “Zero,” he says, because Doojoon is only asking in the present tense anyway. “Joonie-hyung’s an ex, and—I mean—you can think whatever you want, but we’re just friends.”

          “Friends kiss each other?” Doojoon says, raising his eyebrows (his voice doesn’t sound judgmental—merely curious).

          Yoseob laughs a little. “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “Joonie-hyung’s just—I guess—Joonie-hyung. He does whatever he wants, but it doesn’t even bother Seungho-hyung so—yeah. It’s just always been like that for us.”

          Doojoon grins suddenly, nudging Yoseob. “So basically, you have an ex who’s your best friend and kisses you every time he sees you, and a best friend who defends your honor whenever someone tries to hit on you.”

          Yoseob meets the trainee’s eyes and he doesn’t understand why the smile that slips onto his own mouth is sheepish (doesn’t understand why his ears feel warm because Yang Yoseob is always the one who makes others turn red). “Pretty much, yeah,” he smiles back, and Doojoon rolls his eyes playfully.

 

 

 

 

 

Why do you want to call more people?

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not fair—Dongwoon doesn’t think it’s fair that all of this isn’t his and he’s angry and Kikwang’s lips are around his cock and they’re pretty and full and lush and Dongwoon loves seeing them stretched like that and Dongwoon hates that this isn’t his that all of this is someone else’s and it’s like Dongwoon can only borrow it for one night and it irritates him but right now he’ll just pretend that it’s his and his hands gripping angular hipbones and drifting over planes of taut muscle and smooth skin—

Faster, Dongwoon-ah

Because it’s not fair it’s not fair Dongwoon thinks it’s not fair because he knows how to make Kikwang moan and scream and sigh and gasp he doesn’t understand why Kikwang isn’t Dongwoon’s and why does Dongwoon only get to borrow Kikwang for one night and everything is blurry and spinning but Dongwoon can still see Kikwang’s face burned into the backs of his eyelids as bright as day even though everything else is dark as fuck (Dongwoon doesn’t even know where they are where are they?)

Too much alcohol—too much? Is that why it’s so hard for Dongwoon to rip open the thin, package because his hands are fumbling and Kikwang’s sighs are right next to his ear and everything is fuzzy and blurred and out of focus and Dongwoon swears that something is wrong with the ground because he swears that it’s spinning and it can’t just be one too many (far too many) drinks (Kikwang isn’t his why isn’t Kikwang his)

 

 

 

 

 

It’s already enough with me alone

 

 

 

 

 

          It’s too good.

          It’s far, far too good Kikwang’s eyes are wet when was the last time he cried because it felt so good not because it hurt not because it’s his first time but because it’s so good that he doesn’t even know how to explain it because it’s not even like Dongwoon is a mastermind Casanova in bed or anything all of their movements are clumsy and fumbling and stumbling but it’s so good and he doesn’t understand why all he can do is grip onto Dongwoon for dear life and that thing in Kikwang’s mind has finally left him alone has finally gone away thank God because it was so fucking annoying that

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s hurry and enjoy this before morning comes

 

 

 

 

 

          When they get back to the party, Yoseob sees Junhyung talking to Seungho and Hyunseung checking his phone with a frown. Doojoon meets the lifeguard’s eyes, blinking with mild surprise. “Wow,” the trainee says, puzzled. “Your friends kind of—like—disappeared.”

          Yoseob blinks as well, as he takes Doojoon’s hand again and they make their way through the crowd of dancing and grinding lifeguards and trainees. Joon catches sight of them first and grins at Doojoon (who, surprisingly, grins back with ease). Yoseob watches as Joon pulls Doojoon into a conversation (a game) with Byunghee.

          “Where’s Kikwangie?” Yoseob asks Junhyung.

          Junhyung shrugs. “Fuck me if I know.” He glances at Hyunseung. “Still no response?”

          Hyunseung frowns deeper. “Nope. Are you sure you guys haven’t seen him?”

          Yoseob shakes his head. “The last time I saw him, he was still with you.”

 

 

 

 

 

Before you ask if I have a boyfriend

 

 

 

 

 

          Dongwoon catches Kikwang’s scream against his own lips.

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t think it and just feel this

 

 

 

 

 

          Everything is still blurry, but Kikwang falls back against Dongwoon’s warmth (it never seems too warm with Dongwoon even though they are both slicked and drenched with perspiration and they’re on a beach and it’s summer and sweltering but it doesn’t matter).

          He wonders what that little thing was all about—it’s gone now, but he wonders why it was so persistent (he feels his eyelids drooping but he doesn’t want to fall asleep in some abandoned backstage room).

 

 

 

 

 

Honey, wrap your arms around my waist

 

 

 

 

 

          “Where’d you go anyway?” Junhyung whispers into Yoseob’s ear, the older man’s eyebrows furrowing.

          Yoseob grins, rolling his eyes. “I was just talking with him, okay?” he says. “We didn’t fuck in the sand or anything—don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, hyung.”

          Junhyung doesn’t even look five-percent convinced as he glares (unnecessarily, Yoseob thinks) at how Doojoon is laughing at something Joon said and Byunghee even has his arm around Doojoon’s shoulders now.

          As Cheolyong leans in to add something, Doojoon’s head turns slightly and his eyes catch Yoseob’s. Yoseob smiles tentatively across the table, uncertain at why he’s just even done this—but Doojoon’s returning smile (wide enough to be a grin, really) suddenly sets off something warm and smoldering inside of Yoseob’s chest that has nothing to do with the alcohol.

 

 

 

 

 

Honey, impress me to the point of awe

 

 

 

 

 

          Dongwoon thinks he might have spent the entire night completely unconscious in an abandoned backstage room if it weren’t for the constant (highly insistent) ringing of a cell phone. It’s a high and unfamiliar tone and Dongwoon is pretty sure that it’s not his (although he has no clue where his is, since his pants are probably five meters away from him), but he looks around blearily (fuck, his head hurts) regardless.

          He sees something bright and trembling in the distance and when he squints, he convinces himself that that’s probably the cell phone keeping him (since Kikwang is utterly passed out on the ground) from sleeping (he’s too tired to care that he’s sitting naked on suspicious-looking sand).

 

 

 

 

 

I’m so bad tonight

 

 

 

 

 

          Something cold and hard is nudging him in the stomach, forcing him to open his eyes (why are his eyelids so heavy?). It’s still dark around him and he can still feel and hear the thumping bass which means that he must have blacked out (not uncommon for him if the orgasm was too much—too intense) and fallen asleep right away. He opens his eyes and barely makes out the faint outline of Dongwoon’s face staring at him and looking equally sleepy.

          “Your phone’s ringing,” he whispers.

          Kikwang frowns unfocusedly. He heavily brings himself into a sitting position and winces at the feeling of sand against his bare skin (sensitive from too much licking and biting and sucking). He takes it from Dongwoon without looking at who’s calling and picks up the call. “Hello?” he says, and restrains himself from yawning.

 

 

 

 

 

What do I do about myself?

 

 

 

 

 

          Doojoon pulls Yoseob over to him (Junhyung seems to be attempting to restrain glaring again by focusing his attention on the call Hyunseung’s making to Kikwang). Yoseob blinks up at the older man. “What?”

          The trainee shrugs, an odd little smile playing against his mouth as his arm hesitantly finds place around Yoseob’s neck. “I can’t have my sunbaenim next to me?” he asks lightly and Yoseob almost grabs his glass again in an attempt to maybe slow down his heartbeat by dousing it with alcohol (even though that sort of logic makes no sense—Yoseob needs to try something).

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t be so trusting

 

 

 

 

 

          Dongwoon’s head hurts too much for him to even have a chance at formulating what to do right now. It takes every bit of soberness he has left (which is somewhere near the negative thousands) to get dressed without tripping over his own feet every time he tries to pull them through his boxers and then his shorts.

          He just feels like he needs to do something or say something because Kikwang is literally having a nervous breakdown. The lifeguard has already gotten dressed (it took at least seven attempts for each article of clothing) and is pacing back and forth with a hand over his eyes, finally stopping against an old, musty countertop put up near a short wall.

          Dongwoon picks up his own phone from where it fell in the sand and tucks it into his pocket as he walks forward, reaching out to touch Kikwang’s shoulder—

 

 

 

 

 

I might not remember—that might happen

 

 

 

 

 

          “Don’t,” Kikwang whispers—he backs away even though doing so makes his heart feel like it’s being rolled over with a mace (which doesn’t make sense—that’s bad—that’s terrible because Dongwoon is a stranger—is a one night stand that shouldn’t have happened—Kikwang doesn’t care about him—doesn’t). “You’ve already done more than enough.”

          Kikwang’s already done more than enough (it’s not Dongwoon’s fault).

 

 

 

 

 

At this rate, something might happen today

 

 

 

 

 

          Doojoon laughs into Yoseob’s shoulder, nearly spilling his own drink against Yoseob’s arm—but Yoseob is just as bad, laughing full out with his head tipped backward as Cheolyong whistles and Byunghee rolls his eyes at Joon tugging Seungho away into the crowd, kissing so fiercely that they both almost stumble. Yoseob is about to drink from Doojoon’s glass because his own is getting empty, when Junhyung nudges him. “Kikwangie’s back,” he says and tips his head towards the direction Hyunseung is looking in.

          Yoseob doesn’t even get a chance to introduce Kikwang to Doojoon (even though they already lightly know each other from training, of course) because Kikwang crushes his mouth against Hyunseung’s the moment he reaches the table—to which Cheolyong now directs his whistling too and Sanghyun bursts out laughing all over Doojoon (their drinks actually do spill—but fortunately onto the sand).

          “And here I thought he was off having some secret love affair or something,” Byunghee says playfully, taking another drink from Cheolyong.

          Yoseob laughs.

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t know if I’ll ever return to being like this or not