A/N: Sigh. Nothing much I can say about this except... Brace yourself!

Despite not having had a drop of liquor, Woohyun felt like he was hungover. He had a persistent headache all day that wouldn’t go away, his eyes were unfocused, and his mind kept drifting to thoughts of his older boyfriend… the boyfriend he was supposed to show his love to but hurt instead…

“You look like , Woohyun,” said a familiar, irritating voice entering the break room where the other was currently nursing a mug of coffee.

Woohyun groaned. “Go away, Ken.”

His co-worker grabbed a mug of his own and settled on the table next to him.

“Trouble in paradise?” Ken mocked with a smirk.

Woohyun stared at him with hard, piercing eyes. He felt a wave of satisfaction when the other’s smirk disappeared and he suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“What?”

Woohyun tilted his head to the side. “Tell me the truth, right now, man-to-man. Is there something going on with you and Sunggyu?”

Ken raised an eyebrow, all hint of humor gone from his façade. “I can only dream,” he responded, before taking a sip of his coffee.

The simple answer made Woohyun’s heart soar and sigh in relief. He knew that when Ken looked serious like that, there was no room for lies. He may be a huge flirt and a jokester but when it came to things of importance, he could be serious too.

Like Sunggyu said… Ken was a… decent guy. Woohyun can admit that much.

“You seriously thought he would cheat on you?” Ken asked, with a raised brow and somewhat… judging. “Dude, I flirt non-stop with hyung, and he would just laugh and brush it off. I thought it was just because I’m not his type, but then again, look at me! But, then, he somehow always finds a way to bring you into a conversation and he gets this really cute goofy smile that I don’t think he even realizes he gets. He’s faithful to you.”

Woohyun was silent. He didn’t know how to answer to that. He felt shame wash over him again.

“Seriously, Woohyun, a year ago you wouldn’t shut up about your boyfriend,” his co-worker continued, his voice ladened with a little concern. “What happened? I’m starting to wonder if Sunggyu-hyung really did so something-.”

“No,” Woohyun interrupted, rather defensively. “He didn’t do anything. It… It was all me.”

He sighed and refused to continue, only sipping his coffee.

Ken continued to stare at him and the two sat in silence for the rest of their break, drinking their coffee. Woohyun wasn’t sure how long they sat there, but eventually, Ken got up and placed a hand on his shoulder, a friendly gesture.

“Let’s talk after work, okay?”

And with that, he left, leaving Woohyun to his own thoughts.

They later met up at a coffee shop near their office building. Both ordered cups of coffee and sat face-to-face across from each other.

Ken kept flashing him pointed looks as Woohyun fiddled with the rim of his coffee mug, not really feeling like drinking it. He had plenty back at the office already, but nothing else on the menu looked appetizing.

“So?” Ken began. “Talk.”

Woohyun took a deep breath. “I… I guess it started about seven months ago? Yeah, I think it’s seven, maybe eight?”

“Stop stalling.”

“Okay, okay.” He took a deep breath again. “My friend from Daegu, Kibum, came to Seoul to visit. He was here on business, but wanted to meet up. We agreed to go to this bar we used to go to back in college and, well, we talked about a lot of things.”

“And what exactly did you guys talk about?”

Woohyun remembered the conversation like it was yesterday…

+++

“It’s really great to see you, Hyun,” said Kibum, raising his glass of soju. “Shall we toast to that?”

Grinning, Woohyun clinked his glass with the other and they both downed their shots in one go. The burning in his throat and the warmth it spread throughout his body felt good and he told Kibum so.

His friend chuckled. “You act like you haven’t had soju in a while.”

Woohyun just shrugged as he poured another shot for them.

“Wait, so you’re saying you haven’t?” Kibum looked at him in disbelief. “Seriously?!”

“What? I just don’t have the time anymore. I have this thing called a job now, Kibum. You have one too.”

“Yeah, but don’t you guys ever go out after work? That’s like, a must!”

Woohyun chuckled. “I know my co-workers do, but I have better things to do.”

Kibum raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

The other grinned. “Like cuddling my boyfriend.”

Kibum wrinkled his nose. “Ugh... Are you two ever going to stop being sickeningly cute?”

“Never.”

His friend flashed him a judging look, but Woohyun didn’t mind. Kibum judged everything.

“So, you two are doing well then?” his friend asked.

“Mmhmm… actually, there’s something I’ve been thinking about.”

“What?” Kibum raised his glass to his lips.

Woohyun grinned, widely again. “I’ve been thinking about proposing to Sunggyu.”

Kibum began coughing up a lung, spraying bits of soju and spit in Woohyun’s direction.

“Dude!” he exclaimed with a glare.

“You’re going to propose to Sunggyu?!” the other managed to choke out.

Woohyun handed him a napkin. “I said I was just thinking about it… But, yeah… More or less, I’m really leaning towards ‘yes’. I mean, I love him and we’ve been together for a while. Why not make it official?”

His friend was silent, his head tilted to the side as he gazed at Woohyun with a contemplative look.

“That’s kind of why I’ve been a bit busy and working overtime lately,” Woohyun excitedly continued. “I’ve been looking at rings, and I think I found one that’s perfect.”

And with that, he took out his cellphone and scrolled through his gallery of food pictures, selcas, and candid shots of his handsome boyfriend before he found what he wanted and showed it to Kibum.

The ring was of a simple design, 2k white gold, with an Infinite symbol carved on the front, and a small diamond at the center of the symbol.

“It’s custom-made, but the jeweler said he has three more in stock and he would reserve the last for me until the end of the month,” explained Woohyun. “I think it’s perfect for Sunggyu, simple and not too gaudy, you know how he hates anything that glitters too much.”

“Woohyun… are you actually serious?” Kibum asked in a small voice.

The other took his phone back and nodded. “Yeah, of course. I love him and I can’t imagine being with anyone else but him.”

Kibum continued to stare at him.

“Why do you look so skeptical?”

 “It’s just that… wow… The Nam Woohyun… settling down… You really have changed.”

“Not like it’s a bad thing.”

“Right…”

“What?”

Kibum shrugged and poured himself another glass of soju. “It’s nothing.”

Now, Woohyun was curious. “Kibum, what?”

Kibum hesitated a little. “Well… it’s marriage. That’s huge, Hyun. A huge commitment. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

“Of course. If it’s with Sunggyu, why wouldn’t I be?”

Woohyun was feeling a little irritated now, but then again, Kibum was always a bit of a nag like Sunggyu… except Sunggyu was cute when he did t whereas he just wanted to ignore Kibum.

Key pursed his lips. “Well… remember my friend Jinki?”

“Medium-height, tofu-like, clumsy Jinki?”

“Yeah.”

“What about him?”

“Remember his ex-girlfriend? He was going to propose to her too.”

“O... kay?… What does that have to do with me?”

“Well… he thought the same as you. They were together for a while, practically joined at the hip like you and Sunggyu-hyung.”

“Okay?”

“But, when he asked her, she said no.”

“Oh…” Woohyun blinked, feeling rather sorry for Jinki. He wasn’t particularly close to the other since it was Kibum and Jinki who used to hang out a lot, but still, it was quite a sad thing to know about. “Why?”

“She told him it was because they spent so much time together that she felt suffocated by him.”

“Suffocated?” Woohyun furrowed his brows in confusion. “How? If she loved him, why would she feel suffocated?”

“Because, dear Woohyun, when a couple spends too much time together and barely see anyone else, the excitement eventually dies, things get boring, and the next thing you know, their face makes you sick. Thus, the feeling of suffocation.”

Woohyun scoffed. “I’ve been with Sunggyu for 3 years and lived with him for a year and I never felt that,” he retorted.

“And Jinki and his ex were together for 5 and never even lived together. Nevertheless, this chick said that she wanted some time off the relationship to do things for herself and discover herself or whatever it was. Personally, I just think whatever feelings she had for him faded and she used the proposal as an excuse to break up with him, but whatever helps her sleep at night.”

The other raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you being a little too harsh? Maybe she just wasn’t ready to get married.”

Key’s large round eyes narrowed. “She told Jinki that she realized that she couldn’t see herself spending the rest of her life with him anymore. And Jinki was devastated! Why do you think he went away on that 3-month backpacking trip to Japan?”

“He said it was to discover himself?”

“And to heal his broken heart. Jinki and that girl and you and Sunggyu-hyung are similar. You spend too much time together and you’ve been together for a long time. And that can make one or both of you feel like you’re suffocating in the relationship. Like, when was the last time you did something without Sunggyu-hyung?”

“We don’t work together.”

“Aside from that, that’s practically a given. What else?”

“Sometimes, I go on errands by myself and he does too.”

His friend looked like he wanted to strangle him. “I meant think about something that you do for fun and leisure. Like, do you hang out with other people?”

“Yeah, we hang out with Dongwoo, Myungsoo, and Sungjong sometimes.”

“I meant without each other. Think about it.”

“Well, right now, obviously. He’s not here. Though I did invite him, but you know how he is. Bars aren’t really his favorite places.”

Kibum raised a sassy eyebrow. “And before right now?”

Woohyun opened his mouth, but then closed it immediately. He racked his brains for something, but nothing came to mind. He wasn’t sure of the answer, to be quite honest. He couldn’t really remember doing anything without his boyfriend. They went to the movies together, to cafes, to restaurants, parties, and even holidays were spent with each other’s families. And by the look on his face, Kibum figured it out as well.

“That’s what I’m talking about, Woohyun. You and Sunggyu-hyung are joined at the hip. It’s sweet, it really is… but don’t you think you’ll get tired of each other, eventually?”

“I’ll never get tired of Sunggyu!” Woohyun defended.

“Maybe not now, but how about ten years down the line? Twenty? I know you’re a pair, but don’t forget that you’re individuals too.”

For some odd reason, Kibum was making some sense. But, Woohyun was still skeptical, and it showed.

“Plus, you’re clingy. That’s never good.”

“Yah! Sunggyu doesn’t mind!”

“Are you sure?”

That made Woohyun pause. Yes, he knew he was clingy, and he knew that the older often acted annoyed with it, but it was exactly that… just acting… right?

The distress must have showed on his face since Kibum flashed him a sympathetic look and sighed.  “Fine, alright, maybe you and Sunggyu-hyung will be different from Jinki and that girl,” his friend said.

Damn right, they will!

However, Kibum wasn’t done.

“But, maybe, before you take a big step like marriage, you should think about whether this is really what you want. I mean, think about it. You’re going to be tied down to one person for the rest of your life! You can’t go clubbing or hang out in bars for fun as much as you used to because you have someone waiting at home. Not, that you’ve done that much, lately, but yeah. And Sunggyu-hyung too, he won’t be able to do things he finds fun as much when you’re married because he would have responsibilities to you. Doesn’t he like museums and libraries and all those boring places? And you hate those places, so it’s not like he would ever bring you.”

Well, he did one time. Sunggyu begged to go to a museum with an exhibit that he really wanted to see and so Woohyun went with him. The older was thrilled but Woohyun was bored the entire time and it showed. He remembered seeing Sunggyu’s face fall as Woohyun left him to sit on a bench instead of looking at the exhibit with him. That must be why Sunggyu had never again asked to go to a museum.

When Kibum put it in a Sunggyu context, it was obviously a cause of concern for Woohyun. Anything involving the older was his concern.

And that realization alone made him pause. Sunggyu filled his daily thoughts and he related everything to Sunggyu. And Woohyun was the same for Sunggyu.  

Woohyun stopped going to bars and clubs for Sunggyu, even though he sometimes longed to join his colleagues after work. And Sunggyu would only visit a library to borrow and return books or just order books online. Woohyun caught him staring longingly at an ad of an exhibit once.

Needless to say, everything they did together was simple but meaningful, something they both always agreed on… They were safe.

Suddenly, Woohyun felt fearful. What if Kibum was right and ten years, twenty years down the line, Sunggyu would start to resent him? What if their relationship got boring because neither would do one thing without the other? What if they start feeling suffocated by their own love?

Should he do that then? Give them both space? Sunggyu could do whatever he wanted and he could too. Like Kibum said, if he was planning on being tied down to Sunggyu for the rest of his life, he could have a little fun beforehand... right?

“Anyway, what time do you have to be home?” Kibum’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Woohuyun blinked, taking a few seconds to comprehend what was said to him. “Oh… Um… I told Sunggyu I’d be back by 8 so we can watch a movie at home…”

He looked at his phone for the time: 7pm.

“Damn, that early?” Kibum pouted. “I’m rarely in Seoul, you know! Can’t you stay ‘til like 9?”

Woohyun hesitated. “I don’t know… I promised Sunggyu…”

Kibum’s nose wrinkled in disappointment and it made him feel bad. He looked down at his phone.

“I guess… he probably wouldn’t mind if I stayed longer…”

Kibum whoope-d in victory.

Woohyun texted Sunggyu that he would be late in coming home, an hour the most.

He ended up staying too long at the bar, drinking more than he had in a long while, and ended up passed out on the table.

The next morning, he woke up to Sunggyu patting at his face with a wet towel, teasingly chiding him for getting drunk and forcing Kibum to drag him home. His boyfriend was disappointed that they didn’t get to watch the movie like they planned, and Woohyun promised that they would do it that very night.

A few days later, he accepted an invitation from his co-workers to go out drinking after work. And what followed was a series of mistakes and wrong decisions.

+++

“So, you started this whole space thing because you thought spending too much time with Sunggyu-hyung will suffocate you both?”

Woohyun nodded.

"Did you ever get that ring?"

He sighed. "I forgot about it and by the time I remembered, it was past the end of the month and the jeweler had already sold the last one."

“You’re a bigger idiot than I thought.”

The other glared at him. “Hey, at the time, it made sense to do that!”

“And does hyung feel the same way?”

Woohyun hesitated. “Um… I didn’t really… tell him.”

Ken looked at him like he committed the biggest sin. In a way, maybe Woohyun did.

“I didn’t want him to worry about it,” he defended, lamely.

His colleague raised an eyebrow.

“Or maybe… I’m just an idiot who let his pride dictate his actions,” Woohyun finally admitted before dropping his face into his hands, groaning in misery. “I’m an .”

“Yeah, you are.”

“I need to apologize to Sunggyu.”

“Yes, you do.”

“But, how?!”

“Simple… go home, grab him by the shoulders, kiss the hell out of him, and say you’re sorry,” Ken said, matter-of-factly.

Woohyun raised his head, a pout on his lips. “I’m not good at saying sorry.”

“Well, you better start now.”

“I… I don’t know…”

“For goodness sake!” Ken exclaimed, his brows furrowed in anger. “Do you not realize yet how incredibly lucky you are?! You had a great relationship with a great guy and you messed it up! Yet, you can’t even say ‘sorry’?”

“It’s not that easy…”

“Of course, it’s not. If anything was easy in this world, we wouldn’t feel any satisfaction.” Ken sneered at him. “Or maybe you don’t really want to be with Sunggyu?”

The made Woohyun freeze.

Ken continued. “Maybe it’s true, that you’ve grown bored of him, tired of him.”

Woohyun’s hands began to shake as fury took over him, but the other didn’t stop there.

“Maybe you don’t even love him anymore,” he mocked. “Maybe I really should steal him from you, I bet I can love him better than-.”

Woohyun shot up from his chair and almost leaped across the table, grabbing Ken’s collar, anger and possessiveness taking over his body. All around them, the other patrons of the coffee shop stared, but Woohyun paid them no mind, all his attention on the infuriating man in front of him.

“Shut up! Sunggyu is mine and I love him and I’ll be damned if I let him go to anyone else, especially you!” he practically growled at the other.

Ken smirked. “Then do something about it. Swallow your pride.”

It took Woohyun a moment to realize that the other had played him, manipulated him, and infuriated him on purpose… because it worked.

It felt like someone had doused him in water of clarity because his vision became clearer. He had been too proud, too immersed in his own feelings of inadequacy and fear to see the most simple solution of all.

Why was he such a fool?!

“I have to go,” he stated, releasing Ken’s collar and throwing some money on the table for his coffee.

Before he left, he turned to his smirking and satisfied-looking co-worker.

“Um… Thanks,” he said, sheepishly. “Sunggyu was right… you’re a… great… guy… But, if you tell anyone else, I’ll deny it,” he added quickly.”

Ken laughed. “Whatever hyung sees in you, I’ll never understand it. But, you’re one lucky guy, Nam Woohyun.” He sighed a bit. “Some of us wish we could have what you have.”

Woohyun tilted his head to the side, realizing one more thing. “You really like Sunggyu, huh?”

For the first time, Ken smiled a genuine and fond smile. “I do. He’s a special one.”

Woohyun nodded. “Yeah, he is.”

“But, I guess it’s not meant to be. Hyung only has eyes for you.”

Woohyun pursed his lips. “I’m sure you’ll find someone, Ken.”

The other waved a hand nonchalantly. “Sure, sure. Now, get out of here and get your man!”

At the thought of his boyfriend, Woohyun broke into a large smile. Bidding Ken goodbye one more time, he left the coffee shop, a skip in his step and a new burst of hope in his heart.

He was going to fix this.

All the way home, Woohyun tried to call his boyfriend, but the latter’s phone must be on silent or something, because he wouldn’t answer. Nonetheless, Woohyun left him messages, pleading with him to please come home early so they could talk.

He bought Thai takeout again and a bouquet of flowers and hoped that with these simple gestures, he could start fixing the cracks.

The apartment was quiet and empty when he arrived, so Woohyun assumed that Sunggyu was still out with Dongwoo or Myungsoo.

He left the food in the kitchen and the flowers on the coffee table as he went to their bedroom to change. As soon as he stepped into the room, Woohyun was suddenly overcome by feelings of unease and dread. Something felt different… but, what, he could not point out.

That was when he noticed their dresser. He and Sunggyu had three frames of photos of the two of them on top of it. But, one of them was missing. And the dresser drawers were partly open as well…

Eyes wide at the sudden realization, Woohyun ran to the closet and pulled the door open. Half of the closet was clear. One of the suitcases above was also missing.

“N-No,” Woohyun stammered, staring disbelievingly at the half-empty closet. “Nonononono…”

He reached into his pocket for his cellphone, scrolling through his contacts as he fought the sting of tears on his eyes.

This couldn’t be happening! He was about to fix their relationship! He couldn’t be gone!

The line rang three times before it went directly to voicemail. Cursing to himself, Woohyun dialed again… and again… and again… until he was sent directly to voicemail, indicating that the phone was turned off.

“S-Sunggyu…” he sobbed into the phone, his heart breaking into several pieces. “S-Sunggyu… please… come home… I… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it…” His weak legs could no longer hold him as he sunk onto the floor, heaving as the tears fell down his cheeks. “Please… Let’s talk about this… G-Gyu… Babe… I love you… Please… Don’t leave me…”

But, it was too late. Woohyun had waited too long.

Sunggyu had left him.

A/N: Sigh... Oh, Woohyun...

The museum date I mentioned is inspired by a real date I had gone on. It was really disappointing and gives you a heavy feeling when you're so excited to do something with your significant other, but they show no interest. Even if they may not feel that way, you feel that you've forced them. 

And it's kind of true, in a way. When a couple spends way too much of their time together, they start being a pair and forgetting that they are individuals too. And that can break a relationship, sometimes.