Kihyun scurries about around their new apartment, making sure everything is in order for the housewarming party Changkyun insisted on them throwing.

“Everything to your satisfaction?” Hyungwon listlessly asks from the couch, smirking knowingly as he watches his hyung pace around the room. Kihyun ignores the almost sarcastic comment, rolling his eyes at the younger. Changkyun comes in, tossing his shoes haphazardly onto the shoe rack as he hurries to the kitchen to bowl the last few bags of chips he had just purchased.

“Changkyun-ah!” Kihyun snaps, moving to fix the mess he had just made.

“Sorry, hyung!” Changkyun calls back. “The store took longer than I thought it would!” He returns with  two more bowls of chips, and sets them on the coffee table. “You know, maybe this is too much food. Maybe we—”

“What’re you so nervous for?” Hyungwon asks suspiciously, quirking up an inquisitive brow. “Both of you have been acting weird today. Is there something going on that I don’t know about?”

“I don’t know, hyung,” Changkyun answers, puffing out an annoyed breath with inflated cheeks. He his lips, his eyes flashing up to the ceiling as he tries to figure out how best to word this. “It just… It feels like today is really important. It feels like something really great is going to happen… Don’t you feel it?”
 
“No,” Hyungwon answers, deadpanned. Changkyun pouts, turning to Kihyun for support.

“Don’t you feel it, Kihyunnie-hyung?” 

“I…” Kihyun says distractedly, doing his best not to wince in pain as his words flare up as soon as he opens his mouth. He clears his throat, forcing out a chuckle. “You’re so cute, Kyunnie.” He ruffles his dongsaeng’s hair, earning a yelp of protest as he runs to the bathroom to fix it. Kihyun shakes his head at the typical reaction, and goes to join Hyungwon on the couch. He sits down slowly, doing his best not to seem too obvious as he nurses his pain.

“Hyung,” Hyungwon says, the concern in his voice telling Kihyun he had absolutely failed in that respect, “are you okay?”

“Fine,” Kihyun answers, waving off his worry. “No need to worry about me, Hyungwon-ah. Everything’s under control.” Hyungwon frowns, snapping the book closed that he had been attempting to read all afternoon but failing at doing so. 

“Changkyunnie told me about him finding you looking sick the other day,” Hyungwon tells him. “If something were bothering you, you’d tell one of us, wouldn’t you?” Kihyun glances over, immediately regretting the action at seeing the younger’s intense, sincere gaze frozen on him. Kihyun pushes down the guilt he feels bubbling up and nods his response, trying for a bright smile.

“Of course, Wonnie.” Hyungwon doesn’t seem entirely convinced, but he lets the subject drop. The truth has a way to coming to the light, one way or another.  

People start arriving about five minutes after the set arrival time, Kihyun can't help but note. Obviously, they've moved into a building where it's better to not be the first ones doing anything than being courteous… Kihyun can mingle with the best of them, though, having a natural affinity for schmoozing pretty much anyone. A talent, Changkyun always says, is what got him such a good corporate job so soon out of school. Hyungwon even glides through the crowd in their apartment with relative ease, his good looks making it easy for him to flatter anyone there at the party into polite conversation. 

Changkyun, however, isn't so lucky. His offbeat sense of humor tends to throw people off during initial meetings, and since a joke is the only thing Changkyun can seem to say in situations that make in anxious—such as meeting a ton of new people at once—it doesn't exactly go well for him. He ends up following Kihyun around like a little lost pup by the time people are beginning to leave. A tendency that Kihyun never usually minds, granted, but Kihyun has had to hide himself in the kitchen on more than one occasion tonight just to try and get a handle on his pain. Luckily, Changkyun seems too busy with his own anxiety to take much notice of Kihyun's ailment. 

“We've been here for two hours, Minhyukkie,” Hoseok sighs, glancing around the apartment. The décor is really nice, compared to what some of his other neighbors have done with their places. But, he isn't one to judge. He takes a drink of beer as he adds, “I’m beat, my words are killing me… Could we just go home now?”

“No, hyung,” Minhyuk sighs with a smile. “Between your weird mood and Hyunwoo-hyung mysteriously drifting off in a different direction every ten minutes, I haven't had time to enjoy myself. Now relax, and mingle.” He then pats the older’s shoulder consolingly, adding, “Who knows? Your words have been bothering you a lot more today than usual. Maybe that means your soulmate could even be in this room?” He then winks almost conspiratorially at Hoseok, and then wanders off to chat with the neighbors.  

Hoseok rolls his eyes after the younger, shaking his head. That would be something, wouldn't it… However, Hoseok knows he can't be that lucky. He sighs, moving towards the kitchen. He might as well get another beer, seeing as how Minhyuk won't be wanting to leave anytime soon. He'd leave himself, but he'd worry too much about whatever trouble Minhyuk could get himself into without him there.

“I swear, if anyone out there owns those shoes haphazardly thrown around the shoe rack…” an annoyed voice slams into him as he enters the room. 

He gasps sharply, his words searing against his skin. He has to lean against the wall for support, breathing deeply as his head swims. His vision blurs, his breathing becoming labored and short. He's vaguely aware of a hand grabbing his arm, and guiding him away. He’s pushed gently down into a chair. He knows he should thank whoever this is helping him, figuring he probably looks like a drunken mess. His ears are ringing, nearly deafening him. He can't hear anything aside from the pumping of his own blood, he—

“You really shouldn't get so plastered in a stranger’s home, you know,” a nagging voice suddenly breaks through all the noise. 

Then, everything is gone. All the pain, all the raucous... His vision clears up, and his mouth drops open in shock. 

You, he realizes, taking in the appearance of the short male frowning at him. He's at a loss as to what to say. What should he say? What's on this guy’s body? What's he been waiting all his life to hear?

“I’m n-n-not p-plastered…”

Great, Hoseok thinks, inwardly groaning at his own blubbering. What a perfect first impression, Hoseok. Now he's gonna think I'm an idiot. 

The man before him in a sharp breath through his teeth, leaning against the table. His eyes widen, his mouth falling open slightly. Hoseok is unsure how long he stares at the stranger, taking in his beauty.

He’s gorgeous, he thinks, blatantly staring. Wow, I can't believe I get to see this angel for the rest of my life…