Hongbin jerked awake at the sound of banging on the door, the textbook lying on his chest dislodging and falling onto the floor. He pushed himself up groggily off the sofa, dimly wondering what time it was and when he’d fallen asleep – his body moved on autopilot to the door while his brain struggled to catch up.

He wasn’t prepared to come face to face with someone in a skeleton costume and partial skull makeup staring at him in the doorway and his heart violently skipped a beat, one hand flying up to press on his heart in his half-awake shock.

“Wonsik?” Hongbin gasped. “, you scared me-”

“Did you want to get rid of me that badly?”

Hongbin blinked quickly, completely at sea. “What?”

Wonsik brusquely pushed past Hongbin into the apartment, shoving the door closed behind him. He didn’t want to do this out in the corridor. Hongbin watched him in silence, confusion and apprehension growing.

“You and Jaehwan hyung. I keep going over and over it in my mind and the only conclusion I can come to is that you wanted to be rid of me so much that you made damn sure to drive me away and then do everything you could to keep me away.”

Hongbin felt a cold wave creeping over him slowly, leaving him utterly awake and sober; the pain in Wonsik’s face was too stark to miss.

“How did you know about Jaehwan?” Hongbin asked quietly, heart starting to pound.

“He told me,” Wonsik said, short and sharp.

“He came to me first,” Hongbin protested, as if somehow putting the blame for their – collaboration, for want of a better word – on Jaehwan would make it better. He had no idea how Jaehwan had framed it when he told Wonsik – why did the ing bastard even tell him in the first place? What sense did that make? “He told me he wanted to date you – and, and to promise I wouldn’t interfere-”

Wonsik snorted, the sound ugly, and Hongbin bit his lip in shame. “And then he asked me where to bring you, and what you would like, and-”

“Yeah, I know. You told him all that stuff because you want me to be happy,” Wonsik bit out sarcastically, eyes burning into Hongbin’s face. Hongbin looked away.

This was a mess – this was a terrible ing mess. Wonsik was standing there with his fists clenched staring at Hongbin even though Hongbin couldn’t bring himself to look back at him, and Hongbin had no idea what to do or say. He’d never seen Wonsik like this, angry and volatile and hurting so openly; Hongbin was lost.

“Are – are things not working out?” Hongbin asked before the silence began to stretch out too painfully, forcing himself to speak.

“What ing game are you playing?” Wonsik burst out, the force of his anger unconsciously carrying him a few steps closer to Hongbin. “I’ve had enough of you and your games, Hongbin, I’m sick of it. Why would you do what you did? Tell me. Why did you do that?”

Hongbin in a breath, intense frustration welling up within him with every frantic beat of his heart. “It’s true, I’m not lying, I want you to be happy with him, and he – he seems like he cares about you-”

“Yeah, he does. He really likes me,” Wonsik shot back, aiming to hurt.

“Then good!” Hongbin raised his voice, turning defensive. “I helped, didn’t I? I didn’t try to things up for the two of you, I stayed away. You had good dates? Thanks to me! What’s your ing problem?”

“You!” Wonsik raised his hands to his head like he was going to pull on his hair, clenching them into fists at the last moment and taking an abrupt step backwards in sheer aggravation. “You me then pretend I don’t exist, you spend the last few years making damn sure I follow after you like some ing dog, and now you want to turn around and give me away to some other guy and you want me to be thankful?”

In the ringing silence that followed Hongbin and Wonsik stared at each other, feeling like two points on either side of an ever-growing chasm.

“Do you care that little about me?” Wonsik asked, voice breaking.

I care too much about you, Hongbin thought, hating himself for how immature, how unhealthy it was. “I know I ed up,” he began slowly, trying hard to steel himself against the tears in Wonsik’s eyes. “And I know now it sounds untrue but I never wanted to hurt you. That’s why I stayed away. You’re better off without me in your life treating you like – like my dog, as you say. You’re right. You’re right about it all. I’m sorry.”

Wonsik pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, slightly smudging the makeup around them. “When did we get this ed up, Bin,” he breathed, tired and flat. “It’s over, right? For us.”

Wonsik let his hands fall away and looked up, and it was only when he reached over to brush away the tear that was running down Hongbin’s cheek did Hongbin realise he was crying too. “Why are you crying? You never cry.”

“For hurting you,” Hongbin managed to get out, and at least that was the truth.

Wonsik let himself sink into the sofa, hunching down and closing his eyes as he rested his head against the back, looking utterly exhausted.

“Anyway, the saga continues,” Wonsik said, voice mocking, eyes still closed. “Jaehwan tonight kissed me again after telling me how much he likes me and all I could think of was you and the way you kissed me that night. And then he told me it was obvious from the start I never felt anything for him because it’s always been you, you, you. So, Mr Lee, if you don’t mind, I will remain your faithful dog a little longer. Until I figure out how to undo the last three years.”

“Stop calling yourself that,” Hongbin said through his tears and guilt, face turned away in his humiliation. “It makes no sense for you to still feel the same for me after everything I’ve done to you.”

“Hmm,” Wonsik agreed tiredly. “And yet.”

“So-” Hongbin sat down next to Wonsik on the sofa – what a pair the two of them made – pulling up his shirt to scrub frustratedly at his face and clean it of his tears. “The two of you – what does that mean now?”

“Pfffft,” Wonsik answered, waving a hand, like he was scattering smoke.

“I’m sorry,” Hongbin whispered.

“You know,” Wonsik started, almost conversational. Things felt almost normal, here at the end of all things. “Because of you I don’t even know whether I’m gay or bi or if it’s just you. I assumed I liked guys because you’re a guy but I have no real idea. Maybe you’ve just ed me for life.”

“Not for life,” Hongbin answered, looking down at their hands centimetres apart on the sofa cushion. “You should know how nobody gets stuck on me for long. Now this has happened you’ll probably be over me in a month or so.”

Wonsik didn’t answer immediately, looking at Hongbin out of the corner of his eye. “You push them away, they don’t have a choice. Even if they want to stay.”

Hongbin nodded aimlessly, staring ahead.

“Like me.”

Hongbin blinked and looked away, willing the waterworks not to start again, and he heard Wonsik inhale deeply and breathe it all out in a weary rush.

“Why did you me, Bin? What was that about? I need to know.”

Hongbin looked around at him and Wonsik’s eyes were closed again, now pillowed against the arm of the sofa. He looked like he could fall asleep at any moment. Hongbin wondered if it was actually because he couldn’t stand to look at Hongbin.

“Were you just drunk and , or did you want to prove a point because of Jaehwan kissing me during the game, or I was just convenient?”

When Hongbin didn’t answer Wonsik cracked open one eye. “Come on. You don’t have to worry about hurting my feelings. It’s too late for that.”

Maybe it was because Wonsik’s words stung; or because Hongbin had been trying so hard to ignore the ticking clock of the crumbling walls of their relationship breaking down around them as they talked, as civil as it appeared, but it was suddenly too much. Hongbin got up and turned blindly for the door, knowing it was ridiculous to just leave Wonsik there but he needed to be alone with his hurt before it swallowed him. But Wonsik was there immediately, impatiently grabbing Hongbin before he could reach for the door and pulling him around to face Wonsik.

“Answer me,” Wonsik demanded, pain in his face. “Enough avoiding.”

“Let me go,” Hongbin struggled, hating that Wonsik had a few inches on him and feeling small in Wonsik’s grasp. “For ’s sake, Wonsik-”

“I’m so ing tired of this, Hongbin. Why can’t you answer me?”

Hongbin let out a sharp sob, the surge of his frustration and intense longing for Wonsik balling up in his chest and making him hurt. He was losing Wonsik for good now, but that was what he wanted, wasn’t it? At once completely randomly a song he’d never heard for years started blaring in his head, lyrics that went you can’t lose what you never had. He couldn’t lose Wonsik if he never had him. They would never break up, Wonsik would never get tired of Hongbin, they would never fight, lose one another – it was better this way, Hongbin was sure of it –

“Tell me,” Wonsik pleaded, cupping Hongbin’s face to force Hongbin to look at him, and Hongbin broke.

“I love you,” Hongbin forced himself to say before the sobs took him, and once he started he couldn’t stop. He could feel Wonsik go very still as he cried against Wonsik’s shoulder, heart beating hard in the panic he was feeling because he had no idea what Wonsik’s stillness meant but also too humiliated to look up at him as long as the tears still flowed – Hongbin didn’t know why the he was crying so hard and he felt like the worst idiot for it. It was like a dam had been shattered and even though he kept trying to take deep breaths to calm himself the tears had their own plans; so he rode it out, standing awkwardly against Wonsik, both waiting for and dreading when he finally stopped crying. Wonsik had still not moved a muscle, hands still cupping Hongbin’s face.

When the tears finally slowed Wonsik’s hands slowly fell to rest on Hongbin’s shoulders, and Hongbin didn’t dare to look up at Wonsik’s face. He’d just made a huge fool of himself – his stomach had sunk down to his toes during the absurd crying fit he’d just had – Wonsik knew what he was talking about when he said Hongbin didn’t cry. Hongbin didn’t cry, but recently it seemed all his tears had Wonsik’s name on them.

Wonsik gently moved Hongbin backwards so he could look down at Hongbin, but Hongbin turned his face away.

“You love me?”

Hongbin closed his eyes in mortification and Wonsik shook him. “Don’t start this nonsense again, Lee Hongbin, you’re twenty-two years old. Talk to me.”

“Can we – can we sit-” Hongbin said weakly, trying to buy time to sort himself out so he didn’t feel so much like a wrung-out dishrag inside.

Wonsik pulled Hongbin over to the sofa and faced him, looking serious. “Spill it, Bin. And don’t you dare try anything funny.”

Hongbin gave him a resentful look before snagging one of Taekwoon’s shirts draped over the back of the sofa to dry his face and wipe his nose with for the second time that night. , he really hated crying.

“Ugh,” Hongbin said, voice stuffy.

“I will ing ‘ugh’ you if you don’t start talking,” Wonsik threatened.

“This is fantastic,” Hongbin muttered, slinging Taekwoon’s shirt back over the sofa. “Yes, I love you. How wonderful. Hooray.”

Wonsik was staring at Hongbin like he was looking at an extremely difficult puzzle.

“What is wrong with you?” Wonsik finally demanded incredulously, and Hongbin helplessly shrugged.

“Where do I start?”

*

Taekwoon was having a very difficult evening.

He could have explained away everything else before this – he was merely rather fond of Sanghyuk because Sanghyuk was funny and lively and liked his music and wanted to learn the piano from him. Even though Sanghyuk sometimes without mercy and could be a real brat when he wanted to he was fun to be with and Taekwoon liked the talks they had. That was all. However, the way his body had reacted with Sanghyuk pressed up against him just now had been undeniable. He was guilty as charged. No escape, no way out, do not pass go, go straight to jail and stay there.

He was currently trying very hard not to look at Sanghyuk as they all lounged around their table together, Hakyeon and Jaehwan taking in-character selfies one after the other and him, Sanghyuk, Sungjae and Joy ostensibly talking about serious things like career prospects post-college. However, at one point during the conversation he’d noticed that Sanghyuk had a little mole above his right hipbone, and ever since then it had been calling out to him. Taekwoon, Taekwoon. He steadfastly averted his eyes, trying not think about how that little mole would taste like under his tongue.

He had other more pressing things to worry about, after all – apparently Sanghyuk played for both teams, but he had categorically told Taekwoon that he wasn’t into guys – what did that mean?

Wonsik had been missing for some time – Taekwoon assumed that he was doing some backstage event stuff, though he had clearly seen Wonsik and Jaehwan duck out for some air earlier, but only Jaehwan had returned. It made Taekwoon think about Hongbin at home alone again; what a mess that was. That love triangle was a mess, and here he was a mess too – stressing out (hopefully) lowkey about the boy next to him who wasn’t wearing nearly enough clothes to aid Taekwoon’s sanity. He was so stupid, honestly – it wasn’t like this was his first crush. What was he, twelve? God, Hakyeon had been right from the start, as much as it galled Taekwoon to admit it.

He gave himself a little break and let his eyes rove over Sanghyuk’s face as Sanghyuk talked. Sanghyuk really had an unnecessarily gorgeous mouth.

Oh, this was so inconvenient.

Apart from the mystery of Sanghyuk’s uality, he was five years younger than Taekwoon – that wasn’t an insignificant . And he knew Sanghyuk liked him enough to want to spend time with him, but how much of that was Sanghyuk’s natural friendliness and logical fondness for a hyung who made him food whenever he wanted it and generally let him get away with everything? Plus, it wasn’t like they could just hook up – if Sanghyuk was attracted to him in the same way – now that Sanghyuk was friends with all of Taekwoon’s friends too. Sooner or later the others would find out and things would get weird –

“Hyung?”

Taekwoon blinked, horrified that he’d been caught staring and spacing out.

Sanghyuk grinned at him. “Are you that drunk already?”

The others laughed as Taekwoon pretended to hit Sanghyuk, willing himself not to blush.

“Looks like the old man is sleepy already,” Sanghyuk announced, patting Taekwoon’s shoulder. “Old man, shall we go home?”

Honestly. When had Sanghyuk gotten this comfortable with him? It wasn’t that Taekwoon didn’t secretly like it, this easy closeness, but calling him ‘old man’ in front of everybody –

“Hey, Taekwoon is not old,” same-age friend Hakyeon butted in, pointing an accusing finger at Sanghyuk. Sungjae grabbed it, excitedly pointing out Hakyeon’s hot pink manicure and thankfully distracting Hakyeon.

“We can go if you’re tired, hyung,” Sanghyuk repeated, softer this time and only to Taekwoon, Sungjae and Joy having turned to Hakyeon and Jaehwan to discuss Hakyeon’s chances of winning best costume. Taekwoon’s brain snagged on the ‘we’ – Sanghyuk didn’t have to leave with him, Sungjae was here if Sanghyuk wasn’t that comfortable staying with Jaehwan and Hakyeon, but Sanghyuk talked like him and Taekwoon were a unit.

“I’m not tired, I was just – worrying about Hongbin, just now,” Taekwoon lied, the first thing that sprung to mind.

“You really do care about him a lot,” Sanghyuk said slowly, studying his bottle of beer.

“Yes,” Taekwoon answered, wondering what Sanghyuk’s tone meant. “You like him too, don’t you?”

“Sure,” Sanghyuk put his beer down after taking one last swig and raising an eyebrow. “But so far you’re my favourite hyung. For now. If you keep up the good work.”

“What good work,” Taekwoon laughed, flustered and enormously pleased.

“Cooking for me. Giving in to me. Helping me with my assignments. Buying me food. What else is there?”

“You just want a servant,” Taekwoon grumbled and Sanghyuk laughed delightedly.

“Exactly! My servant hyung. I like that.”

Taekwoon rolled his eyes, trying to look stern and disapproving instead of the happy mush he was dissolving into on the inside. Honestly, Jung Taekwoon. “Let’s go before they announce best costume, then. If Hakyeon wins he’s going to be insufferable and if he loses he’ll be even more insufferable. Pass him his shoes, here,” Taekwoon handed Sanghyuk Hakyeon’s heels as he stood, Sanghyuk instead begging him to stay to watch the prizegiving and scolding him for being so mean to Hakyeon.

The best costume prizegiving started with a discordant drumroll and clash of cymbals, two dance crew members hopping up onto the small stage where the photobooth had been set up to begin calling up the top ten individuals or couples that had been shortlisted throughout the night. Hakyeon and Jaehwan were the first ones called, more dance crew members filtering through the crowd to help collect the contestants and bring them up to the stage. Hakyeon sashayed all the way there, waving to his fans.

More were called – a girl with an impressive zombie costume, then two guys that had come in an homemade gundam outfit, a couple who were Leon and Natalie from Leon the Professional, and then suddenly Taekwoon and Sanghyuk were being pulled to their feet by dance crew members.

“Haru and Rin from Free!” The announcers were saying, and to Taekwoon’s complete and utter horror he was being ushered slowly but determinedly towards the stage where Hakyeon looked completely overjoyed.

“Kiss!” some girl shouted from the back of the crowd once him and Sanghyuk had been pushed up onto the tiny stage, the girl – Taekwoon squinted, and it was the same group of girls dressed in maid outfits from earlier – started chanting ‘Harurin’ amidst raucous laughter. Taekwoon plotted murder.

“What the hell does kissing have to do with this?” He hissed at Sanghyuk, who’d turned pink. Hakyeon behind them began chanting ‘kiss’ too until Taekwoon whipped round and glared death at him.

After a few more shortlisted people had been called up, they all had to do a pose to help the judges choose the winner – Taekwoon refused to do anything but stand there and look stonefaced, which was apparently all he needed to do anyway. He felt a grudging connection to this character, whoever he was. Sanghyuk embarrassedly posed with him, Taekwoon hearing the screams from the crowd – mostly girls – as the pose showed off Sanghyuk’s body; at the back of his mind he hoped Sungjae was taking photos.

More posing from the rest – judges deliberating forever – Hakyeon and Jaehwan won, predictably – Taekwoon all but ran off the stage, dragging Sanghyuk with him to the edge of the crowd.

“Oh, god,” Taekwoon pressed his hands to his cheeks, feeling them flaming. Sanghyuk helpfully fanned Taekwoon’s face with his own hands as they both watched Hakyeon and Jaehwan do their victory walk around the stage, smug as anything and hamming it up.

“He really does make a gorgeous girl,” Sanghyuk said, smiling as he watched. “He has the right build and everything. It’s pretty hot.”

“Not my type,” Taekwoon said disagreeably, grumpy as hell about his impromptu stage time.

“What is your type, then, hyung?” Sanghyuk asked, eyes twinkling.

“Quiet. Demure. Humble. Non-demanding. Polite to his elders,” Taekwoon answered pointedly, though apparently his type was loud with violent tendencies and with no concept of how the maknae of a group should act. Also really cute with an adorable laugh and a really luscious mouth and a bangin' body – Taekwoon slapped himself mentally. Hard.

“So you do swing that way, hyung,” Sanghyuk murmured slyly, nudging him in the arm. “You refused to answer me when I asked you all those weeks ago. You said ‘his’.”

“Apparently so do you,” Taekwoon countered, trying not to get too flustered over this. “And as I recall, someone lied outright.”

Sanghyuk’s eyes widened, suddenly stuttering. “How – I didn’t-”

“If it was a secret then you should have told Sungjae to be more careful with it,” Taekwoon said drily, heart rate picking up at the possibility that Sanghyuk hadn’t wanted to tell him because he hadn’t wanted Taekwoon to get the wrong idea about having a chance with Sanghyuk.

Sanghyuk shook his head. “I swear to god, he is so useless!”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Taekwoon said, deciding he didn’t need to know. He didn’t want to know. If Sanghyuk felt like he needed to draw that line with Taekwoon, then fine. It made things simpler.

“I didn’t mean to lie,” Sanghyuk continued hurriedly. “To you, I mean. It’s just that – you remember? You were going on and on about me liking Kong hyung and whether Kong hyung had seduced me into the basketball team or something and I really didn’t want you to think that. But at the time I didn’t know whether you were straight or whatever so I decided to just play it safe. You should know how it is, hyung, if you’re not straight either.”

Taekwoon hummed his understanding as they began to walk directionlessly as they talked. “But the way Sungjae said it made it sound recent, though. Like you only just figured it out.”

“Not that recent. Early this year. But I made the mistake of telling someone I shouldn’t have, and that kinda blew up in my face. So I’ve been more careful since then.”

“A boy you liked?”

“No,” Sanghyuk sighed, making a wry face at Taekwoon. “A friend. Who is no longer a friend.”

“I’m sorry,” Taekwoon said, and he meant it. “I’ve always wondered how Hongbin dares be so open about the guys he’s with sometimes. And when he flirts with – used to flirt with – Wonsik outside; I mean it’s not like he doesn’t get weird stares or gossiped about. But he doesn’t seem to care. I can’t do that.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Sanghyuk turned to him. “Is that why your friends are all – I mean, I’ve never met so many bi or gay people together in one place in my life. Is it deliberate?”

“Flocking together for protection?” Taekwoon said, laughing softly. “I guess so. I mean, rooming with Hongbin was a fluke, but I don’t know, it all seemed to work out like that. It’s not like we don’t have any straight friends, of course, but it does make it easier when you don’t have to pretend at all around the people you’re with most of the time. You’re lucky that Sungjae is okay with you being bi, too.”

“Yeah, he’s been really good about it,” Sanghyuk said, and then looked around and laughed to find that they’d walked themselves out of the canteen and into the corridor leading to the outside. “Looks like we’re going home?”

“We can stay,” Taekwoon offered hastily.

“Nah,” Sanghyuk said, zipping up his jacket. “Let’s go back to your place and you can make me ramyun, hyung.”

“Does my servant shift start now?” Taekwoon asked sarcastically, though his heart had swelled so large within his chest it felt like it was taking over his entire body. Sanghyuk would rather spend time with him than stay at the party. Taekwoon was almost pathetically happy as he broke into a jog to keep up with Sanghyuk who was already running, noisily cursing the cold. Look at you, Jung Taekwoon.

*

Wonsik was about two seconds away from murdering Hongbin right there on his own couch.

“Wonsik, it’ll never work,” Hongbin was explaining patiently. “I know you love me, and now you know I feel the same way, but you have seen how colossal a -up I am with relationships. Look at all the I’ve done to you for the past three years. Look at the past month. Do you honestly want to subject yourself to that for the foreseeable future?”

Wonsik took a deep breath to calm himself. “Lee Hongbin.”

“Yes, Kim Wonsik.”

“Are you telling me you’re not even going to try?”

“Wonsik, I’m serious. Don’t you get why I hid this for so long?”

“Because you’re ing stupid?”

“Don’t push it,” Hongbin warned.

“Look,” Wonsik sighed again, and then stopped and stood, turning around and gesturing impatiently for Hongbin to the back of his costume. This conversation was too taxing to be had while pretending to be a skeleton.

Hongbin ped and Wonsik stripped off and stepped out of the full-body suit, feeling much more comfortable in only the shorts and tshirt he was wearing underneath.

“High school gym shirt,” Hongbin observed, pleased for some reason.

“Yeah,” Wonsik answered and sat down again. “Okay, look. I know you have this insecurity thing about relationships. But it’s driving me crazy that you don’t even want to give this a shot. I’ve been in love with you for years, idiot. I’ve seen you at your worst. Even this past month didn’t do anything to change the way I feel about you. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“That’s probably very unhealthy,” Hongbin observed. “I honestly haven’t been very good to you.”

“Tell me about it,” Wonsik retorted. “My point is – it’s going to take a lot to get rid of me.”

“Wonsik,” Hongbin let himself fall back against the sofa. “I can’t lose you.”

“You’re not going to lose me,” Wonsik stressed, repressing the urge to kick Hongbin. “I’m pretty sure you’re It, for me.”

“You’ve never even dated anyone else, how would you know!”

“It’s not like I never had any offers,” Wonsik shot back. “I just never wanted to. It was you or nothing.”

Hongbin closed his eyes, dragging his hands down his face. “Wonsik, I’m going to ruin your life.”

“Newsflash, genius!” Wonsik cried out. “What do you think you’ve been doing for the past month? And I’m still here!”

Hongbin opened his eyes, contemplating Wonsik from his corner of the couch. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

“No,” Wonsik said firmly. “For once things are going to go the way I want them to.”

Hongbin didn’t reply as he looked at Wonsik and after a minute Wonsik leaned over to take Hongbin’s hand. Hongbin had never been more aware of the electric touch of someone as Wonsik’s fingers tangled with his and finally held tight, both their gazes drawn to their hands.

“I love you,” Hongbin said, so soft it was almost a whisper. “Please promise me this will work.”

“We’ll both make it work,” Wonsik answered, and Hongbin hoped he was as sure as he sounded.  “Later I’m going to beat you up for keeping this from me for so long, but after that we’ll make it work.”

Hongbin had to smile at that, and Wonsik gently poked one of his fingers into a deep dimple.

“Hakyeon hyung is going to flip his ,” he said excitedly as the thought occurred to him, and Hongbin broke into a helpless laugh.

“Oh god, Wonsik, he hates me so much,” Hongbin moaned.

“You deserve it,” Wonsik shifted on the sofa and pulled Hongbin into a hug, the sheer joy beginning to bubble up inside of him unbelievable in its contrast to just barely an hour ago. “You’re awful.”

Hongbin settled into the hug, Wonsik’s arms tight around him and Hongbin holding on for dear life. “I’m sorry for being awful.”

“It’s okay. You’re lucky you’re so handsome or I wouldn’t let you off so easy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Hongbin pulled back a little and when he looked at Wonsik he found Wonsik was beaming just as wide as he was.

“Are you going to cry again, Bin?”

“ off.”

“I’d rather you.”

Hongbin’s smile stuttered, blushing almost instantly at the words – him, blushing like a – and Wonsik laughed outright at the look on his face.

“Someone’s happy,” Hongbin griped, trying hard to get a hold of himself.

“I am,” Wonsik said, and the sincerity in his voice made Hongbin stop and look up. “I’m really, really happy, Bin.”

Hongbin watched him for a few seconds, slow answering smile spreading across his face. Hongbin leaned in close – he could do that now, right? – and kissed Wonsik, Wonsik meeting him halfway. The kiss was unhurried and sweet, the two of them taking their time to get used to the feel of their mouths on each other’s, the slow slide of lips and tongue thrilling despite the chastity of the kiss. Wonsik’s heart was pounding by the time they broke apart – this was nothing like the kiss with Jaehwan, which had been good but not great like this, not earthshattering and mindblowing and boneshaking like this. Hongbin’s lips were soft like he remembered, but now with the both of them sober and hyper-aware of each other the sheer heat between them was unmistakeable.

“Meant to be,” Wonsik whispered into Hongbin’s mouth, pressing another kiss with his whole heart gifted inside it to Hongbin’s lips.

*