Hongbin is a rule breaker.

 

No, wait. Hongbin doesn't like that title. He prefers the phrase 'doesn't follow the rules'. Rule breaker sounds like Hongbin knows the rules and makes a conscious effort to break them. Hongbin likes 'doesn't follow the rules' because it sounds less cruel. He doesn't always know the rules, so when he finds out he isn't following them he does feel bad about it. Although he still chooses to not follow them.

 

When Hongbin first started driving his truck he was all too excited about using the two-way radio. He was told by his manager that he should pick a nickname rather than use his real name over the radio and even with their clients. Something about privacy laws. But the first time Hongbin pulled out of his docking station and tuned into channel 6 he couldn't contain himself.

 

“Hello! My name is Hongbin and this is my first drive, please take care of me!”

 

Just like that. Right in the open. Stopped the conversation and everything.

 

“I hope that's not your real name.” He heard a voice come through.

 

“And what if it is?” Hongbin was surprised the 'rules' were followed so closely by the truckers.

 

He heard the voice laugh. The owner of said voice made the effort to hold down his two-way just to let Hongbin know he was laughing at him. How nice.

 

Then, the conversation resumed as if Hongbin never spoke up to begin with.

 

This didn't faze Hongbin. He listened to the rest of the conversation with a smile. From the beginning he could easily pick out the personalities each voice had.

 

There was a motherly tone; inviting, but still strong enough to get the whole channel's attention when needed.

 

A soft, whisper-like tone; which oddly enough seems to gain the attention to all voices as well without the need to speak over the other voices.

 

There's a tone that only spews nonsense and cute things; making Hongbin feel like he were in a tree house holding walkie talkies with all the other neighborhood boys rather than driving a truck.

 

A deep, sleepy voice; surprisingly, this is the voice Hongbin hears well past normal driving hours.

 

And the last voice. The voice with the laugh. The voice to quickly put Hongbin in his trucker world place. The tone is sharp, but still young. Hongbin guesses he's younger than the other voices think.

 

That was the first time Hongbin didn't follow the rules. The next came halfway through his drive. The voices all chiming in left and right, arguing about who would win in a fight; a tiger or an alligator.

 

“Hongbin-ah, what about you?”

 

Hongbin was listening, but in all honesty he couldn't care less. When would a tiger ever come across an alligator looking for a fight?

 

All he was worried about was making it to his location in time.

 

“Ah, well, I'm almost halfway to my delivery and I'm nervous because it's on highway 56 and I've never taken exit--”

 

“WOAH WOAH WOAH!”

 

Hongbin hears two or three voices cut him off.

 

“Hongbin, you're not supposed to disclose your location.” Motherly voice chimes in.

 

He should have figured, but why did it matter so much?

 

“Well how the am I supposed to get any help with directions if I can't tell you where I'm at!?”

 

Silence.

 

“...you're also not supposed to curse.” Whisper-like voice adds.

 

“SERIOUSLY?”

 

“Eh, yeah. Some rules are a little silly, and the cursing isn't so bad. Just if someone dials in and get offended by the language they hear... they can report you.” Sleepy voice explains.

 

“And disclosing your location is like asking for some crazy to come and find you.” Nonsense and cute voice also adds.

 

“Well, I mean are any of you offended by my language?”

 

Silence.

 

“Are any of you crazies coming to get me?”

 

“What exit are you taking again?” The sharp voice speaks up.

 

“Exit 4.”

 

Groans

 

“Are you even old enough to be driving?” Asks sharp voice.

 

“I should say the same to you, you sound like you're still in grade school.” Okay, this sharp voice was starting to piss Hongbin off. All he was trying to do was be friendly.

 

“I guess they don't test maturity levels when they test for driving skills.” Sharp voice ignores Hongbin's jab.

 

“ off.”

 

Sharp voice laughs again. “You're lucky I don't report you.”

 

Since then Hongbin has talked about his truck, the company he works for, and even the product he tows on a regular basis. Each time receiving the same reprimanding from whoever is dialed in at the time. Especially from sharp voice.

 

He should have assumed these types of things were off-limits to talk about, but he was hoping for a little more than drawn out conversations that lead nowhere. Well, as much as he doesn't like to admit, he has learned a lot about his fellow channel 6 truckers.

 

N is the oldest. He can tell from the way he checks in with the other truckers. He is confident in almost everything he does and will let arguments go so far until he intervenes.

 

Leo sings more than he talks.

 

Ken makes friends everywhere he goes. Whether it be with a little kid at a diner he stopped at for lunch or the waitress at dinner.

 

Ravi talks in circles. The only person that can decipher the meaning is N.

 

Hyuk is a little .

 

There are some rules that Hongbin knows and tries his hardest to follow. Especially those that deal with his clients.

 

Never arrive more than 30 minutes before or past the expected delivery time. No matter how much they might yell or be an to you, do not take it personally. Always thank them for their business and make sure the product is safely stored where the clients want it.

 

Above all, when you've made contact with your client, you officially work for them. If they tell you they need help moving their product up three flights of stairs, then you carry that product up three flights of stairs. If they ask you to take all the product from your truck and promptly smash everything with a hammer you tell your client you carry two types of hammers, which one should you use?

 

It's taken him a full year to get the hang of all the rules (that he chooses to follow), but for the most part, Hongbin is still glad he chose trucking as a profession. He's only had a few slip ups here and there. He still talks about his routes, what product he carries, and still curses regularly on the channel, but he tries to keep his best behavior when dealing with the client.

 

So when he pulls into his client's docking station and is greeted with a less than happy client, Hongbin brushes off the attitude he receives and smiles in return. When he's told to back is truck into station 5, however, Hongbin is less than thrilled. Whatever truck is docked at station 6 is parked a little too close for Hongbin's comfort to station 5.

 

Hongbin opts for station 4.

 

He figures he'll be in an out before anyone will realize Hongbin is docked at the wrong station. And if confronted about it, he'll feign ignorance.

 

He even takes the time to carry the product over to station 5. So when he does leave it will look as if he'd been at station 5 the whole time. Box after box, Hongbin focuses all of his attention on moving the product so he can leave with his empty truck.

 

Once all product is finally removed Hongbin closes the back of his truck and starts to make his way towards the front of his truck when he notices something is in his way of escape.

 

Something very large.

 

“The ?” Hongbin says under his breath as he approaches the truck parked in front of his own.

 

“I ought to report you. You shouldn't curse while on the job.”

 

Hongbin freezes at the voice coming from the boy jumping out of the truck.

 

That sharp voice.

 

Okay, so Hyuk doesn't really look like a boy, but Hongbin is still convinced he's got him by a few years. Even if the boy is taller than Hongbin by a few centimeters. Even if the boy's shoulders are a little broader than Hongbins. Even if the boy's jaw line looks like it's been chiseled by the hands of god himself.

 

“Hyuk. Move your truck.”

 

Hongbin feels Hyuk's eyes on him. For the first time in over a year, Hongbin is self-conscious of his looks. His shirt he left ed, his boots are even untied (more rules Hongbin doesn't like to follow).

 

Hyuk is wearing his uniform like a glove. Shirt buttoned and tucked in. Black belt instead of brown. Steel-toed boots laced all the way up. His shirt even has his nickname embroidered on it with black string. Since Hongbin never turned in a nickname he's never been able to have his name embroidered on his shirts. According to his shirt he has no name.

 

“You see, Hongbin, if that is your real name,” Hyuk adds, pointing to Hongbin's shirt, “I can't. I was told to park and unload at station 4, which you are in.”

 

“I know, move so I can move and you can have station 4.”

 

“I can't do that. Where would my truck go? I have to follow the client's rules.”

 

“You can't do that if I'm in your way.”

 

“Ah, still breaking rules I see. I mean literally, I see.” Hyuk motions to Hongbin's uniform.

 

This kid makes Hongbin's blood boil.

 

“Hongbin, if that is your real name,” Hyuk points to the empty name patch, “do you even know what the truck driver's manual looks like?”

 

“I do.” Hongbin says through clenched teeth. Hongbin is sure it's against the rules to punch another trucker. Especially on a job.

 

“What color is it.”

 

“Does it matter? Can't you just move your damn--”

 

“Hongbin, if that is your real name, I'm almost offended by your language. You better watch it.”

 

3.

 

“And Hongbin, if that is your real name, if you took the time to read the manual you'd know what to do when there is a conflict at a docking station.”

 

2.

 

“Hongbin, if that is your real name. If you pull out your manual, it's red by the way, if you pull out your manual and turn to section 7, sub point 4 then you'll know what we need to do.”

 

1.

 

“Your manual should be in your glove box, Hongbin, if that is your--”

 

“That's my real ing name for Christ sake. Shut up shut up shut up. You know that's my real name and you know I haven't read the manual and you know I don't have a copy in my glove box goddammit!”

 

Hyuk laughs. Why is he always laughing!?

 

“You're even cuter in person when you get mad.”

 

“Just please move your truck.” Hongbin pleads. He's tired and for some reason Hongbin needs to be alone...

 

“Aw come on. You're always so cheery when you talk on channel 6, even when those dirty curse words come out of that pretty mouth.”

 

“Just.. just how old are you!?”

 

“Old enough.”

 

“I-I'm sorry!?” Hongbin really needs to be alone.

 

“Old enough to drive. Remember when you first came on the channel and said I sounded like a grade school student. I'm old enough to be driving.”

 

“I can see that.” Is it getting hot out?

 

“Help me back into station 5 and we'll call it even. I'll bend the rules a little for you.” Hyuk throws over his shoulder as he climbs back in his truck.

 

Hongbin guides him in between his truck and sloppy truck at station 6. He even helps Hyuk unload his product and move it to station 4 to save both of their asses.

 

He's a very hard worker, Hongbin notices. Hyuk makes sure all product is stacked neatly once he's finished and walks with Hongbin to get signatures for their delivery receipts. It isn't until the walk back to their trucks that Hongbin takes his chance.

 

“So what's your real name, then?”

 

“That's still against the rules.” Hyuk points out.

 

“You just parked at the wrong docking station and I'm pretty sure hitting on another trucker is against the rules, too.”

 

He's got him, now. It's Hyuk's turn to squirm.

 

“You're right. You must be rubbing off on me.”

 

“Me?! I just met you.”

 

“I feel like I've known you for forever. What with that big mouth of yours. Good to know your mouth is as big physically as it is figuratively.”

 

That's it. Hongbin doesn't need this. This kid is really grating on him. Why is it so hot outside? It's almost fall...

 

“I like your big mouth. Both physically and figuratively.”

 

“I could report you.”

 

Hyuk's eyebrows raise, but only for an instant. “You're more clever than I gave you credit for. My name is Sanghyuk.”

 

“So... let me get this straight.” Hongbin walks over to Sanghyuk's truck, “your nickname is literally a shortened version of your real name.”

 

“Isn't that what a nickname is?”

 

So many insults Hongbin could throw. So many witty comebacks he could use, but instead he reaches out and ruffles the boy's hair.

 

“You want to grab a bite to eat?”

 

“Sure, I would say we could get to know each other a little better, but something tells me I've heard all there is to know over the channel.” Such nerve, this kid.

 

It's Hongbin's turn to laugh. “I'm sure there are other ways we could get to know each other better.”

 

 

 

A/N: Second time writing these pairings and I thought it'd be easier.. I'd like to write different pairings to get a better feel (I have a few out there), if you all have any ideas please let me know! Thanks for reading this silly little story.