‘So-‘ Minwoo twirled a pen between his fingers as he leaned back in his chair but stopped when Eric shot him down with a glare. A clear warning to better keep quiet so with another sigh Minwoo returned to his paper, turning it around several more times without having read a single word. Whatever Eric’s problem was it couldn’t be worse than his.

***

Dongwan arrived looking flawless  The pants and the shirt didn’t quite match and the shoes could have been a different brand and a bit darker and the tie was completely out of place as everyone knew that the only exception for wearing a black tie was when going to a funeral but still- flawless in his eyes. Minwoo would take him straight to his bedroom if he agreed. They could match those pants with any other shirt or tie in his wardrobe and he wouldn’t even mind if Dongwan took all of that back home.

'Hey' his date smiled shyly and Minwoo knew that reserved attitude and subtle flirting was the right thing to do as Dongwan needed to be courted some more. The boy had him on his hook real good but tonight was the night.

‘So glad you agreed to lend me your company. I still cannot believe Eric stood me up just like this’ Minwoo purposely acted it up, his voice as fake as the excuse he had given his date, so that Dongwan would not hold to any last hopes that all of this was anything else but a show he'd put up just for him.

Dongwan had to realize this was all bullcrap if he had a functioning brain in that pretty head of his... which didn’t really matter. He was hot enough to live without a brain. The fact that he had agreed to a date with Minwoo was all the proof of his intelligence that anybody could possibly need.

'By the way, order whatever you want, it’s on Eric. It's his fault for not showing up'

Minwoo lit up when his comment made Dongwan chuckle. It was a nice sound and he could even get used to hearing it more often if he did such a thing as dating. But he didn't and he wasn't planning to now. Dongwan was just another conquer to add to his long list and he was eager to do it as soon as possible.

Maybe if they skipped the main course and move straight to the dessert?

‘Is the duck any good ?’ Dongwan asked, oblivious of what was happening inside of Minwoo's head and instead seriously into choosing his meal.

‘Everything's good here. Especially the duck, and my fine company’ with a wink Minwoo topped off his greasy flirting, grinning at the next chuckle he received.

As he sat there wallowing in his own confidence and oogling the man across the table, he realized that things were getting weird and if he ever wanted to move to the next base he had to order something for himself and get this over with. To speed up the whole process he asked for an additional bottle of wine to be added to his order.

'To an eventful evening’ they toasted when the whine arrived.

'Right' Dongwan muttered as he was trying to hide the blush forming on his cheeks.

So it was going to be an eventful evening, Minwoo smirked and downed his glass in one go.

They talked about everything and nothing in particular, even discussing something as boring as the recent election which Minwoo had become strangely interesting in. To be fair, anything coming out of the other’s mouth seemed charming and captivating and he felt himself being completely drawn in, enchanted almost.

'My car breaks need changing' Dongwan explained as he took a big bite out of the duck pate that arrived good twenty minutes later and Minwoo shook his head in agreement, not quite remembering when had they started a discussion about cars...and why.

Oh really? It’s broken?’ he grinned and offered to pour his date some more wine.

The evening was going great, they were having fun, he’d been all ears about anything and everything and yet he was going to be ditched just like that? Where had he gone wrong? Maybe this was just a misunderstanding.

‘What do you mean by arriving home drunk? We can take a taxi to my place so that’s not a problem.

Dongwan shook his head again, now flustered.

‘No really, I cannot. I promised I would come home early and sober’

Minwoo’s face grew even longer. What was this ? Promised to whom? Did he have a boyfriend at home? He didn’t care if he had one because cheating was no big deal to him, he even encouraged it if the object of his desire was in a stable relationship. But these mixed signals Dongwan was sending him were confusing.

‘I don’t understand’ his voice had grown serious despite him trying to play it off as a joke, ‘you have someone waiting for you at home? a boyfriend?...or girlfriend?’ it could happen. He only hoped it wasn’t a wife. The ones with wives were the worst. And Dongwan shouldn’t be married, he was way too hot for marriage.

A smirk appeared on his date's face and a teasing 'maybe' left those appealing lips, 'but why are you asking? It shouldn’t matter, right? I’m here just to fill in for Eric. I mean, aren’t you two also-?’

Minwoo sputtered ungracefully unable to hold a straight face. Dongwan had to be messing with him. Him and Eric, something going on, as if. If Dongwan wanted to play this way Minwoo was all for it. Minwoo loved games.

‘My and Eric's passionate love life shouldn’t matter, right babe? Having a good time with someone on the side is not a crime. To deny yourself the pleasure would be a sin' somehow Minwoo didn't really feel like leaving their conversation at that though so he added a quick explanation before Dongwan had the chance to .

'But no, honestly, me and Eric- really not. He’s my friend. Like, best friend, but I would never- not with him’

Dongwan nodded, thinking about something for a while before asking.

'And what about Andy? They guy you talked about when we went drinking? Is he Eric’s boyfriend?’

Minwoo scowled and felt an uneasiness settle in his chest. Why was Dongwan interested in Andy? He was  surprised he even remembered the name.

'Uh, no-’ he  tried his best to act natural ‘he’s just... a friend besides-’ he took the bottle and poured himself another glass, ‘weren’t we talking about the two of us?’

Dongwan seemed hesitant as if weighting all pros and cons of continuing his not so subtle questioning before he took his glass and motioned for Minwo to pour him some as well.

‘Eric, there’s something about him-’ Minwoo put down the paper and  looked at the tall man with a lost look on his face, ‘I think I really like him’.

Eric’s head shot up as if he had just misheard the other confessing to cannibalism.

‘You what?’

‘I like him. Seriously. You know how I usually lose interest once I sleep with them?’ Eric nodded. Minwoo was famous for that. ‘Well, I haven’t. I mean, haven’t lost interest, also, haven't slept with him. Do you think I will lose interest once I do? I don’t know-‘ Minwoo rambled on without Eric getting a word in.

‘I think I enjoy the feeling of the chase too much. Like a hunt. I wonder if the thrill will be gone once we ?’

Eric gave him a disapproving scowl which indicated that that was way too much information and that he didn’t need to know about this. That did not stop Minwoo from further rambling.

‘I cannot just stop thinking about it, Eric. There’s something off about him’

Giving up Eric shoved his papers away, leaning over the table and putting a hand on the other’s forehead as if checking for his temperature. Annoyed, Minwoo pushed his away.

‘No, I am not sick. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just want to see him again- and I worry. Do you think he and Hyesung have a thing going on? Because I don't want to-’ he sighed dramatically and let that thought go. Compete. That's what he had wanted to say. Compete. But what for? Dongwan was making him feel weird, and melancholic, and he didn't like that.

‘I never dared to think I would await this day’

Eric sat back in his seat with a smirk, resting his head in his hand 

‘You actually like someone’

***

Eric woke up from a loud beeping. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the man sleeping in the bed next to his. He looked peaceful now but he had cursed like an old timely sailor just hours earlier. For no reason.

Ok, maybe they had gotten lost in the woods when trying to locate the fishing hut. He hadn’t been there since the death of his mother so the map from the attic was outdated by ten years and therefore, maybe, slightly inaccurate. They had walked in the woods for hours and arrived at the cottage way past midnight and that had not been the original plan. Hyesung had announced going to the bed almost immediately after arriving all while complaining about how this place was a mess. Maybe it was.

Beep beep beep, it went on and on and on.

His phone's battery was dead so the beeping couldn't be his fault. But he couldn't sleep like this either.

When he looked around the dark room he noticed Hyesung’s backpack lighting up. He should probably wake him up, maybe it was something urgent, but he really did not want to be yelled at. Not more than he had already been. He should just ignore it then.

With that decided he the other side and pulled the covers over his head.

Beep beep beep.

Beep. Beep. BEEP.

That was the moment Eric realized the beeping would not stop before him losing his mind so he dragged himself out of the bed and to where the other had thrown his backpack down. He would quickly turn it off and that's it. Hyesung wouldn’t even notice.

There was a feeling of guilt somewhere in his heart when he dug through the other's things but he tried to suppress it and do what had to be done.  Just- as stealthy and careful as possible. In the middle of his search the device fell silent and he cursed as now he really looked like a creepy stalker going through the other's things. 

Only when the phone started beeping again did he finally find it.

Despite the promise (just to himself and a very quiet one) that he would not look at whoever the caller was, his eyes unconsciously (or consciously) fell upon the screen with the name Dongwan appearing on it. 

Why would Dongwan call him during the night? Eric stared at the screen, his mind drifting.

Shouldn’t Dongwan be with Minwoo right about now? Had that plan fallen through?

Hyesung stirred and Eric shot up, the phone falling out of his hands. It hit the floor with a sickening crack and slid along the floor right underneath the bed. Wide eyed with trembling hands Eric stared at the tossing man who mumbled something before drifting back to sleep.

He exhaled, feeling like his heart was on trial for a murder, before getting on all fours and crawling to the bed where he quietly reached under it, feeling for the phone it in the dark. He had just been trying to sleep. Why was his life this difficult. It had to be Minwoo's fault. He hoped a rat wouldn’t get his finger which was a high possibility considering the house was so dusty and godforsaken. One thing Hyesung had been quite right about.

The moment his hand touched the device Eric's heart skipped a beat. He could feel the crack on the screen before he even looked at it, which meant he could not escape from this crime unpunished. The plan to place it back as if nothing had happened was destroyed. Hyesung would figure out everything and he would murder him. And maybe he could offer to pay for it but then he would have to explain that he went through the other's things without permission and he would rather die.

While wondering how to avoid his certain death, the phone let out a different sound of annoying and that made Hyesung turn and grumble something in his sleep. He had not woken up from all this ruckus but such a little thing was going to wake him up?

In his state of panic Eric jumped in his bed and quickly removed the battery. Hyesung tossed and turned some more and mumbled something about the wind and the rats and bears before he  shot up in a sitting position, two eyes scanning the room like radars searching for the enemy. Eric didn't dare as much as breath as that would betray that he was still alive and if he was still alive he could be found guilty. He would think of something tomorrow. Or the day after. Or never. Or he could replace the screen and somehow give the phone back. He would think of a way but right now the feeling of a bloodhound sniffing out his prey was settling in his heart. He could practically feel Hyesung’s eyes on him, staring knowingly in the dark.

Finally, finally  after what seemed like hours but were  mere minutes did Hyesung yawn and go back to sleep, leaving Eric with the phone clutched to his chest.

tbc

A/N: I like RicMin. Like, a lot. Their friendship is beautiful. This was obviously from their pov- the best pov to write. Also, Minwoo learns that no is an actual answer and Eric confirms that Hyesung is scary. And with that we've gotten approximately in the middle of this whole thing. I'm so done right now. But hey, thank you to everyone who keeps reading and commenting.