A/N: prepare your barf bags, my friends, this one gets gross towards the end XD read the A/N as well ♥ (slightly betaed lol)

Jongdae woke up the next morning, feeling well-rested and alive - the best sleep he had in weeks, it seemed.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," he heard Chanyeol say, chuckling quietly.

"Mmm, morning," Jongdae replied, his voice slightly scratchy. He stretched his limbs out, cracking nearly every bone in his body before finally opening his eyes to the soft light that filled the room. He looked around and immediately did his eyes land on Chanyeol, who was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth and eyes smiling.

"What time is it?" Jongdae asked as he slowly sat up in bed, rolling his shoulders and yawning a couple times in the process.

"Around 10:30," Chanyeol replied from the bathroom, his deep voice resonating attractively throughout the room, "I woke up around 8am for a walk by the beach already, though. I made sure not to wake you up."

"I'll...I'll join you next time," the elder said, the words leaving his mouth before he could even think about them. Mentally facepalming, Jongdae inhaled deeply as Chanyeol laughed quietly.

"Are you sure about that?" he replied in an amused voice, walking out from the bathroom, "because yesterday, you were definitely not what I would call awake."

"Oh, shush," Jongdae replied with a soft snort, "that was, like, 6am. Doesn't count. No normal human should be as awake as you were at the time."

"Whatever you say, sleeping beauty," the younger replied, walking over to his suitcase, "I think Kyungsoo made breakfast already, so if you want any, there will likely be leftovers in the fridge."

"Thanks for the heads up," Jongdae said quietly as he slowly made his way out of bed, "I'm starving."

----

The two made their way to kitchen around 10 minutes later.

The room still smelled vaguely of cooked fish and seaweed, and there were still a few people scattered around the area. Sehun and Jongin were sitting on the couch, talking in quiet voices, Baekhyun was sitting alone at a table outside, talking on the phone to someone. Joonmyun and Minseok, according to Sehun, were out on a bike ride.

"And they didn't invite me?" Jongdae asked, frowning slightly. Jongin chuckled, looking at him from over the couch.

"They didn't invite anyone, hyung," he said kindly, shrugging his shoulders, "don't beat yourself up, I think they wanted to get away from the kids."

"What did-"

"You'll quickly come to find out just how much our dearest Chanyeol hyung can talk," Sehun interrupted casually, looking slightly apologetic, "best of luck."

"I swear that Joonmyun hyung will duct tape Chanyeol hyung's mouth closed one of these days," Jongin added, dodging a wadded up paper towel thrown at him, "hey! It's true!"

The lighthearted environment made Jongdae's heart swell, and after a few more minutes of conversation with the two youngest, he decided to grab some breakfast - his stomach was practically screaming at him. Kyungsoo had grilled some fish and put it over rice with roasted seaweed, and Jongdae quickly came to appreciate the younger's cooking abilities.

"The food is incredible," Jongdae said to Kyungsoo when the latter emerged from the bathroom after a shower, "really, it's very delicious. Thank you for cooking."

Kyungsoo looked at Jongdae with a raised eyebrow before looking at Chanyeol. "I like Jongdae hyung. You could learn a thing or two from him."

Jongdae laughed into his hand when he saw Chanyeol look unusually small under Kyungsoo's powerful gaze. "You're always out to get me..."

"You just make yourself an easy target," the smaller man replied casually, shrugging nonchalantly, "not my fault."

"Hmpf."

Jongdae actually had to turn his head to hide the idiotic smile he just couldn't hold back. He was pretty certain that Chanyeol wouldn't appreciate him cooing about how adorable he was after he had just been roasted. Just a thought.

----

The group had decided to go to the ocean today.

The weather was hot, the air was dry, and the water was clear and tempting. Kyungsoo, Jongin, and Sehun prepared a picnic to bring along as well, to eat after they grew too tired to swim anymore.

"It's...been forever since I've swam," Jongdae said quietly as he searched through his suitcase for him swim trunks, "never been a huge fan of open bodies of water."

"I'll make sure the sharks don't eat you," Chanyeol replied from the bathroom with an obnoxious chuckle. Jongdae sighed.

"My hero," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes fondly.

As Jongdae changed into his swim trunks and t-shirt, he realized just how much more comfortable he was becoming around Chanyeol. The way he spoke with him was much more casual and natural, with fewer stutters and less embarrassment. He felt mostly comfortable around the younger, which was saying a lot, and he felt...happy. Jongdae couldn't afford this little crush to ruin their friendship, though, so he decided to just up his feelings and go with the flow. It wasn't the ideal plan, but what was a helpless romantic to do?

A sudden wolf whistle brought Jongdae back to reality, and he jumped upon seeing Chanyeol smirking at him. "Lookin' good there, Jongdae, my man."

The aforementioned looked down at himself and realized that he had not put a t-shirt on yet. Yelping in surprise, Jongdae blurted out a series of nonsensical words.

"Chan- arggg, you need...tell me....xklfadjgiroj..."

Chanyeol simply stared with wide eyes as Jongdae scrambled around to put his t-shirt on as quickly as possible. Everything seemed fine, until-

"Um. Jongdae. I think your shirt... yeah...is backwards. And...inside out..."

Jongdae simply closed his eyes and counted to 10 in his head. Deep breaths. It's okay. It's just Chanyeol.

'That's my damn problem' Jongdae thought to himself, attempting push his anxiety away. It was just an accident.

"Let's go."

"But...your shirt...aren't you-"

"Nope. It's fine."

"Are you-"

"Chanyeol."

"O...kay."

----

The sea was beautiful, really. Jongdae managed to completely forget his embarrassing t-shirt incident earlier that day when he watched the sea with awe and admiration. Sure, he had seen the ocean before, but this was a whole new perspective. He had a new appreciation for nature and felt as though his connection to it had drastically strengthened.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Minseok's voice said suddenly, making Jongdae jump slightly. The elder chuckled as Jongdae grumbled under his breath. "Sorry, Jongdae."

"You're fine," the aforementioned replied, smiling slightly. Minseok looked up at the sky and moments later, looked back at the younger and asked. "so, how was your night last night?"

"Lovely," Jongdae replied, grinning when he felt his feet touch the sand of the beach, "our room is amazing. The view is just incredible."

"I'm sure it is," Minseok replied in a teasing voice, "especially when you wake up, am I right? Enough for a sweet good morning kiss and-"

"Hyung!"

Jongdae's face lit up like a fire as Minseok laughed quietly. "Your shirt is backwards...and inside out. Is there something I should know about-"

"I will murder you."

"Uh-huh."

Jongdae sighed and a few seconds later, he mumbled in reply. "We...just slept, okay? Nothing more, nothing less."

"Alright," the elder replied in a more genuine voice, "just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Jongdae nodded in reply, smiling at his friend reassuringly. "What about you? Getting all buddy-buddy with Joonmyun hyung?"

"He's actually a really interesting person," Minseok replied happily, "we drank some beer last night after getting to the room. On our little terrace or whatever. Talked about life, work, you know..."

"Heard you decided not to invite anyone on your little bike ride this morning," Jongdae replied, feigning a sniffle, "you know I love biking..."

"Not my call, Dae," the elder replied in a soft voice, ruffling Jongdae's hair playfully as the latter swatted his hand away. "Joonmyun hyung wanted to discuss a few private matters."

"With you."

"Yes."

The younger stared at Minseok incredulously before chuckling softly. "Alright."

The two then continued in a comfortable silence before catching up to the rest of the group.

Curious.

----

"Get back here, you damn dried up tuna fish!"

Jongdae was practically dying of laughter as he and the group watched as Kyungsoo and Jongin swam after Baekhyun and Sehun, who had just pulled them underwater by surprise. Not to maim, of course, but simply as a joke.

"Too slow, hoe!"

Baekhyun's voice was shrill and loud and hilarious to listen to as he tripped over himself and fell face first into the water. Minseok was laughing his off, a shocking action from someone so serious. He caught Jongdae's eye, and the two shared an amused knowing look before directing their attention back to the horseplay in the water.

"Best you watch yourself," Joonmyun mumbled to the pair with a nervous look in his eyes, "most of our idiot friends love to pull this and it--yaaaaaaaaaa-"

Joonmyun never finished his sentence - he screamed at quite a high pitch while Kyungsoo emerged from the water, grinning broadly and proudly.

"Gotcha, you sneaky bastard," he said, high-fiving Baekhyun and other numerous friends.

"Whaaaat?" Chanyeol exclaimed, eyes wide and grin large, "Kyungsoo is actually joking around? What has this world come to?"

"Continue like this and you're next," Kyungsoo replied in a suddenly serious voice, eyes piercing and gaze intimidating. Chanyeol must have been accustomed to such looks, since he simply laughed again and shrugged it off. "You can't scare me."

"Is that so? Says the person who jumped after someone announced they were letting off fireworks and-"

"I wasn't paying attention!"

"As usual."

"But..."

Jongdae chuckled and caught the eyes of Joonmyun, Baekhyun, Sehun, Jongin, and Minseok before nodding to Chanyeol and making a few motions with his hands that indicated a surprise attack. Baekhyun nodded subtly and winked before turning his attention back to Chanyeol's and Kyungsoo's bickering. Jongdae bit his lip and smiled to himself before dipping his head under the water and sneakily swimming over to the general area where Chanyeol was. He emerged for air once before diving back under and swimming to where the younger was floating before quickly making his way up to the surface. The moment he hit air, he latched onto Chanyeol's back and yelled, "shark!"

Chanyeol shrieked loudly before losing his balance and tumbling into the water with the elder still on his back. They tussled in the water for a moment before making it to the surface. Chanyeol took several dramatic deep breaths and shook the wet hair out of his eyes before fighting Jongdae off his back.

"You conniving panini head!" he exclaimed, staring at Jongdae incredulously while the elder laughed. "Okay, Gordon Ramsay, I-"

"I could have died!"

"Stop being dramatic, Yeol," Baekhyun snickered, avoiding the water that was splashed at him. "You deserved it anyway!"

Chanyeol shot Baekhyun a dirty look before looking back at Jongdae with a kicked puppy look. "You betrayed me!"

"Shame," Jongdae replied casually, sighing for the effect. A few of the others hollered and laughed while Chanyeol sulked. "Some friend you are..."

"Ah, c'mon hyung!" Sehun exclaimed with a small smile, "we're all here for fun and games, right? You love to torture us anyway, so it's nice to see you get your pranked for-"

"Whatever, you bean pole."

Chanyeol's tone was dismissive, but the rapidly growing grin on his face showed his true lighthearted and forgiving nature. Soon, the group was back to splashing around and playing in the water, with only laughter in the air. (With the occasional swear, of course).

Thus, the group swam for another hour or so before the boys began to feel exhausted. Jongdae was no different, of course. He supported himself on Minseok as they made their way out of the ocean, the feeling of the rough sand almost foreign to them.

"I'm starving," Jongdae mumbled as they made their way to a set of picnic tables near the beach, "haven't eaten anything since this morning..."

"Kyungsoo makes some amazing food, doesn't he?" Minseok replied, dragging his roommate along by the arm, "especially his kimchi dishes. They are to die for."

"Amen to that."

With that, the rest of the group caught up with them, and Jongdae began another conversation with Baekhyun and Joonmyun about ideas for group activities. Some suggestions were Cards Against Humanity, Jackbox,  What Do You Meme?, and the classic game of poker.

They agreed on Cards Against Humanity, and the group played well into the night, only going to bed when they felt their eyelids droop and energy finally begin to tank.

It was their last evening on Jeju Island, and the group decided to sit around a campfire with snacks and alcohol while playing games and telling stories and reminiscing on the past few days of their weeklong getaway. Jongdae, not much of a heavy drinker himself, sipped on a glass of plum wine, the alcohol warming his insides comfortably. After a week of being on Jeju, he felt much more comfortable with Chanyeol's friends - he felt as though they had become his own friends as well. He had become close with Joonmyun and Baekhyun in particular, and the latter liked to tell secrets about Chanyeol that made Jongdae chuckle.

"Chanyeol cries so easily during like every movie," Baekhyun said as they two ate lunch together out on the terrace, "and I'm not talking like, 'Miracle in Cell No. 7', I'm talking, like, 'Crazy Rich Asians'."

"You're kidding," Jongdae replied with raised eyebrows, "but that movie isn't sa-"

"Exactly."

When Jongdae confronted Chanyeol about his strong emotions, the younger didn't seem to care. He was more grumpy about the fact that Baekhyun had exposed him. However, the two spent the evening watching the historical drama, Dong Yi, and Chanyeol did, as Baekhyun said, cry like a big baby. (Jongdae had to admit, he teared up a couple times, but Chanyeol doesn't have to know that).

Everyone, however, was very welcoming and easy to get along with. Just like with Chanyeol, Jongdae felt his anxiety slowly die down each time he spoke with the others. He felt safe, comfortable, and normal around them - they were always kind and welcoming. Now, on their last night on Jeju Island, Jongdae felt like family. Yeah, it was only a week together, but he felt like it had already been an entire lifetime. And that feeling was so foreign, yet so, so liberating.

"Yo, yo, Jongdae!"

Jongdae pulled himself from his thoughts and looked up at the group. "Huh?"

"What was your favorite memory from this trip?" Jongin repeated.

Jongdae thought. A number of memories instantly popped into his head, a number of them being of just him and Chanyeol. However, to spare his pride, he replied with a more inclusive memory.

"I really enjoyed hiking the Gwangchigi Olle," he replied genuinely, "the views were absolutely incredible, and it...it felt almost like a dream, especially in the denser areas..."

It was true - the trail was incredible to walk on, and the walk took them a good 5 hours or so, and the group made a couple interesting connections with the fellow walkers, who were mostly older than them by a couple decades, at least.

"That was my favorite, too!" Joonmyun replied enthusiastically, taking a swig of beer before continuing, "especially when we visited the Honinji pond, a very interesting part of folklore and-"

"Alright, you nerd," Kyungsoo interrupted, chuckling, "Sehun, what about you?"

Jongdae continued to listen to his friends, but he couldn't help but let his mind wander every once in a while. He could hardly believe that this whole week even happened. Just a couple months ago, he was a sad and anxious restaurant employee whose only happiness was cuddling with his stuffed animals at night. Now, here he was, reminiscing on memories on Jeju Island, of all places, with a group of five new genuine, amazing friends who loved and accepted him for who he was. At first, Jongdae thought that everything seemed almost too good to be true. However, as the days went by, he slowly began to ignore the toxic voice in his head, and would rather focus on the good in life.

A few more minutes passed, and the group of guys grew more and more rowdy as more and more alcohol was consumed. Jongdae's eyes met Chanyeol's, and the latter sent a look that asked, "do you want to go inside?" Jongdae simply shook his head and sent him a small smile. Chanyeol inhaled deeply but simply nodded and shifted his attention back to the group. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were singing obnoxiously to Red Velvet's Power Up, while Joonmyun and Minseok, in their drunken states, danced their hearts out to the song. Jongin and Sehun cheered them on, the latter recording the ridiculous moment on his phone. Jongdae laughed along, mouthing the familiar words of his favorite girl group. Everything seemed fine and dandy until-

"Yo, Jongdae, join us!"

Jongdae's heart stopped and his mind blanked. He looked at Baekhyun, who had made the offer, with a blank look. Baekhyun, too drunk to notice the tension, simply continued. "C'mon, Jongdae, join us! You look like you have a in' voice, dude!"

"Yeah, Jongdae, c'mon!"

"Jongdae! Jongdae!"

The energy was completely overwhelming, and the guys were too intoxicated to notice. Or care. Jongdae sent a pleading look to Minseok, who, despite being tipsy as well, sent him back a worried glance before trying to calm the group down.

"G-guys, let's sing another song, how about Girl's Gener-"

"Come on, Jongdae, just one? I'm sure Chanyeol would-"

Jongdae couldn't handle it anymore. He couldn't handle the noise, the group...He held his head in frustration while willing back tears. The chanting continued for a few more seconds before Jongdae sprang out of his seat and yelled, "s-stop!"

The entire group went silent. The only sound was another Red Velvet song playing on Sehun's phone. Baekhyun and Joonmyun stared at him with wide, concerned eyes. Jongin and Sehun stared at each other before looking nervously at their older friend. Kyungsoo looked at Minseok, whose eyes were shut in sadness and guilt. Chanyeol's eyes were wide with shock, fear, and concern. However, Jongdae didn't want to talk to anyone. To see anyone. To even think of anyone.

So he bolted.

Unbeknownst to Jongdae, Minseok simply stood from his own seat with a scowl on his face.

"What did I tell you?" he asked the group, anger and sadness evident in his voice. He shook his head and simply demanded, "fix this," before turning and walking towards the house without even a glance back.

A tense silence filled the air, and the once uplifting and cheerful mood turned sour and heavy.

---

Jongdae fought back the tears in his eyes as he ran away from the group, completely and utterly humiliated. He didn't even sing for the group and still felt like a complete loser. How could he possibly face them again? How could he possibly face Chanyeol again? Lost in a sea of negative thoughts, he found a rather large tree to hide under, away from the campfire, but not so far so he couldn't hear them. He may have been agitated, but he wasn't reckless.

Jongdae plopped down rather pathetically and allowed the tears to fall from his eyes and down his cheeks, letting little sniffles out every once in a while.