(Daehyun's Perspective)

Daehyun observed the current dress he was wearing in the dressing room mirror, shimmying around a bit and watching the fabric sway. He knew the size wouldn't be right from the start. This was mostly just to test styles, after all. And he was indifferent about this one, like the few he tried on before it. He liked the skirt part, which was a plus, but the top was too low cut for his tastes.

His luck today was turning out to be the same as it had been for the last outing when they'd figured out the bridesmaid things. He'd hoped to find a dress at that store since dresses were overall cheaper there, but no such luck. At least he had his measurements from that trip, so he didn't have to go through the measurement process today.

He took a quick photo to add to the collection amassed on his phone from today's trip. Mainly for Youngjae. While Daehyun didn't want to show the dress he picked out until the day of the ceremony, he was more than happy to share the ones that didn't make the cut!

He flicked the strands from his wig back over his shoulders before opening the door and taking a few steps out to join his small entourage of Zelo and their umma. Since the trip for bridesmaid dresses had been successful, Hyosung and Jieun were under no obligation to come to this particular outing. Although, they probably would've if they could've managed to get the extra time off.

The employee who picked out the dress clasped her hands together. “So, what do you think?”

“I really like the bottom skirt part, but...” Daehyun felt the need to pull up the dress by the chest hem. “Do you have something like this that isn't as low cut?”

“A top with a higher neckline? I'll go look for that now!” With a bright smile, the lady scurried off.

Daehyun watched her leave with a sigh. This whole process was starting to feel endless, and he was getting tired. 'Should I just settle on one of the ones I've tried on today? Or should I take a trip to another store in the hopes that they'll have what I want? Maybe thinking so much about what type of dress I wanted is making this more difficult...'

Their umma stood up from her seat to stand in front of him. “Why the long face?” she wondered. She lightly pinched his cheek before releasing her hold. “We'll get your dress figured out, don't worry!”

He gave a half hearted smile. “I know...”

“Are you worried Jae hyung won't like what you pick?” Zelo guessed. “If so, I don't think you have to worry about that. He's whipped for you, .”

Daehyun chuckled with a little shake of his head. “That's not it. I'm just worried I'm being too picky. That's all.”

Zelo snorted and waved a hand dismissively. “It's your wedding. You have every ing right to be picky.”

Their umma pointed at Zelo, but kept her gaze on Daehyun. “Exactly! You won't be happy if you settle for something you're not completely satisfied with, so be as picky as you please!”

“It's not only my wedding, you know.” After all, he wasn't marrying himself. Daehyun shifted the dress back up on him. He should probably go ahead and get this one taken off in preparation for the next one... “But I understand what you're saying. I just feel bad for taking up people's time like this.”

“Spending time with you isn't a waste of time for us. It's not too often we get to be together like this! Other than family holidays, of course.”

“And if you're worried about taking up the time of the employees, they ing work here.” Zelo readjusted so he wasn't sprawled out so much in the chair he was in. Likely in preparation of getting up since he'd been helping Daehyun out of the various dresses he'd tried on today. “They put up with way ing worse than you kindly asking about a different dress. Haven't you ever seen those bridal shows?”

Daehyun's brow furrowed. “Aren't those shows scripted to be more dramatic?”

Zelo waved that away with the flick of his wrist. “All I'm saying is that it would only be a hassle if you were a bridezilla. And you're far from that, so you're all good!” With that, he heaved himself up. “Now let's get you out of that dress.”

They left Miss Choi to wait for the employee to return while the two of them went back into the changing area. Not that Daehyun actually needed help getting out of the dresses today. He didn't need help getting into them either, but Zelo had been insistent on helping out somehow. Letting him assist in this way did also mean he had help in getting the dress back properly stored, so at least there was that.

“I know we said picky was all well and good, but you do know not to be too picky, right?” Zelo wondered as he undid the back.

Daehyun held the dress up so it wouldn't immediately fall to the ground once it was undone. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is- It's alright to step out now by the way-” Daehyun gently let go of the dress and did as he was told. Zelo began to get the dress fixed back on the hanger before speaking again. “What I mean is all those ing gowns have looked great on you. There isn't just one dress that'll take the cake, you know?”

Daehyun winced a bit. “So you do think I'm being too picky.”

“Kind of, but like... not as ing picky as I'd be in your shoes. I'm a picky , after all,” Zelo admitted. He threw a glance Daehyun's way. “But we don't wear only one outfit because it's the thing that looks the best on us, do we? We wear all sorts of ing things because we feel good wearing them. And that's what's important, oppa-hyung. You can look like a ing princess out of a storybook and feel miserable. So it's better to feel good in what dress you're wearing rather than worry about how you look in it!”

Daehyun hummed his understanding. That would certainly be something to keep in mind for the future. On the off chance that Zelo set aside his inhibitions towards marriage, Daehyun could remind him of these words when he was being picky about how his dress looked. “That's all well and good, and I do agree, but I haven't felt quite right in the dresses I've tried so far, either.”

“Care to describe that for me, or...?”

Daehyun pouted, watching Zelo fiddle around with the dress through the mirror. “I don't know. It's like... After I put the dress on, I look at myself in the mirror and I just... I don't see myself wearing it. Even when I pick out the things I like about it.”

There was, at first, only the noise Zelo made to indicate he'd heard. Then he asked, “Are you sure you even want to wear a dress, Daehyun?”

“Absolutely.” There was no doubt in his mind about that! Something about dresses and skirts were just so freeing, in more than a physical sense. When he'd worn a tuxedo as a guest at Yongguk's wedding, Daehyun had felt all sorts of weird, despite the compliments he'd received.

Zelo chuckled. “Just making sure. Now let's get back to it, yeah?”

The next two dresses weren't what he was looking for, but on the third one presented, he felt it. Daehyun put it on as best he could without another set of hands, looked himself over in the mirror, and knew he'd succeeded in finding a dress! It wasn't too much like the type of dress he'd thought up in his head or verbally expressed to others, but that was okay. He liked how he felt and looked in it!

He didn't bother to take a picture before opening the door and declaring, “I want this one.”

--

Daehyun ended up eating dinner with his umma and Zelo, and a bit after that, he made it home. It was instinctive at this point to announce his presence. “I'm home, sweetheart,” he called.

Like clockwork, Youngjae appeared while Daehyun was taking off his shoes and cardigan. “Welcome home, my love.” Their lips met in a brief, chaste kiss. “I take it you want to shower?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Another quick kiss. “I've already showered, so I'll be down here.”

Not too much longer and Daehyun's wig was properly put away, he was freshly showered, and back downstairs on the couch with Youngjae. Daehyun had some light crochet work with him while Youngjae had Daehyun's phone in hand, swiping through the pictures from today. “You tried a lot of different types today, huh?”

Daehyun's fingers were on autopilot as he crocheted. “I wanted to see what the different types looked like on me.” Admittedly, that was because he was having troubles in finding what he felt best wearing with the ideas he had going into it, so he'd hoped branching out into different things would help.

Once Youngjae was done scrolling through the pictures, he set Daehyun's phone onto the coffee table. “And you didn't get a picture of the one you chose, right?”

“Right.” Well, his umma had. She insisted on a picture for scrapbooking purposes, and he wasn't going to deny her that. Once the dress came in, it was also going to be stored at her house so Youngjae wouldn't happen across it. “You'll just have to wait until wedding day to see it, sweetheart.”

“I'm sure whatever you chose looks absolutely stunning on you.”

Daehyun chuckled, delighted to hear those words despite the fact he knew they were coming. For the next little bit, the only sound was from a cooking show that Youngjae always tried to tune into whenever it was on. Daehyun focused on the movements of his hands for what he was crocheting, the beginnings of something Zelo asked to have made for him during dinner this evening. No time limit, but may as well start while it was on his mind!

Then the television volume was being turned down. “Daehyun, can I ask your opinion on something?”

“Of course.” Daehyun finished up the stitch he was on before setting yarn and hook into the basket on the coffee table. For easy delivering up to his craft room when it came time for bed. He turned his full attention onto Youngjae. “What is it?”

“I've been thinking about meeting with Youngwon this weekend.” Youngjae shifted as he spoke, moving to settle in the space between Daehyun's arm and body. Daehyun lifted his arm to accommodate the space for him properly, and Youngjae leaned his head onto Daehyun's shoulder once his arm was back down and loosely wrapped around him. “Should I?”

Ever since they'd revealed the truth to Youngjae's family, they hadn't heard a peep from his parents, but Youngjae and his brother had been in loose contact. Messages here and there mostly, with the occasional quick phone call in the evening. A meet up was bound to happen sooner or later. 'Of course I think he should. Having his brother in his life again would do him good, especially since his parents seem to have given up on him. But if that's not what he wants...'

“Well, do you want to see him?” Daehyun questioned. He felt a nod against his shoulder. “Then it's a matter of where you'd feel most comfortable doing that. Here, at his place, or somewhere in the middle.”

Youngjae hummed in thought. “I'm always most comfortable in my turf, you know? So I'd probably feel best if I just invited him out here.” A little sigh left him. “But... I'm nervous about it. Should it wait until later? Or would it be better to do things now? If I wait, what if I wait too long and things drift back to how they were? Or what if he decides after we meet up that we're better off not talking to each other and then we're back to how we've been since he graduated and left? What do you think I should do, love?”

With each question, Youngjae clung on just a bit tighter. To the point that Daehyun had to readjust to breathe better. It was always strange for Daehyun when Youngjae got into this type of mood. Not because it was hard to handle, but more because he was accustomed to being the questioner and Youngjae the support. For things to be switched up every so often was a testament to their trust in each other.

Daehyun mulled it over for a bit, a quiet hum sounding in his throat. 'If this were me, then... I guess it depends on what phase of my life I was in on what I would do. If I was who I was back two years ago, then I'd just add it on to the other regrets I had. But if it were now...' With that thought, he reached his conclusion. “I think you should meet up with him,” he decided. “Invite him out here and get on the same page with how you two have been over the years.”

Youngjae looked up at him. “Even if things don't go over well?”

“If things end up drifting apart due to distance, then you'll always wonder if there wasn't more you could've done to prevent it,” Daehyun explained. “But if you invite him out here and talk things through, then at least you can say you tried. It'll hurt if things don't go the way you want them to, but isn't that type of pain better than just... living with regret?”

Youngjae was silent for a few beats, then a small smile pulled up his lips. “I see what you're saying.” He brought a hand up to fiddle with the collar of Daehyun's sleep shirt and focused his eyes on that. “I'd rather try than have regrets.”

“Also, when I was talking to Hyunmi that day, she said Youngwon had wanted to see you again, too,” he recalled quietly. “So I don't think things will go poorly, at least. It might be awkward at first, but... I think you two can work through it.”

Youngjae chuckled. “That is a reassuring thought that I'll try to keep in mind. Besides, if he also wasn't willing to try, then he wouldn't have agreed to keep in touch with me. Those things don't stop the nervousness about it, though. I guess that just leaves...” His fingers stilled briefly as he his lips. Then he glanced back up at Daehyun. “Is it alright if I invite him over here?”

Daehyun smiled softly. “That's alright with me. Just let me know when so I can be mentally prepared.”

Youngjae nodded. “Of course.” Then he pressed a small kiss to Daehyun's lips. “Now, how about we head upstairs for the night? It's close to bedtime and we both have work tomorrow.”

--

A/N:

Only a handful left to go...