i know i probably shouldn't be doing this, but i got tired of waiting and since i made some edits, i wanted to share. just minor things, nothing too big.

enjoy reading! (or, if you've read it already, enjoy re-reading?)

 

---

 

Bright, almond-colored eyes. Straight hair that falls over shoulders. A pair of slender, long legs covered by leggings with faint, small snowflakes of a darker color. They’re almost invisible at a simple glance. A red dress that ends about three fingers above the knee, covered by a thick coat and with a black belt tied around the waist. Woohyun has seen the coat draped over the shoes at his apartment's entrance because it has fallen from the rake far too often. A Santa Claus hat. Eyebrows raised. An embarrassed smile.

 

Woohyun stares, then chokes on his own saliva as he says, “Sunggyu-hyung?”

 

The man wearing the ridiculous y Santa Claus get-up drops his smile and smacks him with the cardboard sign he’s holding.

 

—

 

Woohyun lives a pretty uninteresting life.

 

In fact, he considers his day-to-day full of routines. He wakes up, goes to school, gets home for enough time to nap and pretend to do his readings, and walks two blocks to get to his job at Dongwoo’s store of toys and novelty objects. Sometimes he has to sacrifice some sleep for homework, but even that synchronizes with the rest of his life with the precision of a well-adjusted clock. Nothing makes you keep track of time better than exams.

 

At least working at Dongwoo’s has some quirks, he supposes. There are days when a thing or two explode, but that usually happens at the back. Hoya offers to see what’s up with that. Woohyun is pretty okay with it; if anything, his place is at the counter.  His charming smile and handsome looks help the store raise their sales—or so the customers say.

 

Of course, there are fun times like when they receive new shipments of all the original merchandise his boss likes to collect and sell. The employees get to set aside some things for themselves in most cases. Like the neon-colored toy duck Sungyeol got that one time. Or the baby-sized nutcracker Woohyun has as a night lamp; it doesn’t sound like it, but it’s pretty cool.

 

Then there are nights, like right now, when he gets to see his co-worker and part-time best friend, Kim Sunggyu, standing outside of the store in a snowy Friday while wearing the most inappropriate Christmas costume.

 

For a person like him, at least.

 

“What the—” he manages to say after Sunggyu smacks him out of his trance. “Hyung, at least cover your chest! You’re going to catch a cold!”

 

Tugging off his scarf and shuddering after the cold December wind hits his neck, Woohyun wraps it around his friend. Because of the length of the piece of fabric, he ends up covering Sunggyu’s face all the way up to his nose.

 

Sunggyu pulls it down enough to breathe. “Thanks, but my shift is ending soon,” he says, the ghost of his breath leaving traces of white air for a few seconds before it dies down. Only until then does Woohyun notice he’s wearing red lipstick.

 

“Like that?” he questions, still staring.

 

Sunggyu notices and frowns, a hint of pink caressing his cheeks. Woohyun wants to believe it’s because of the weather. “What? Of course not. This wig is itchy and other men keep leering at me. If I didn’t have a job to keep, I’d have already kicked them in the nuts. And Dongwoo’s for this.”

 

“Did he force the dress on you?” Woohyun asks, glancing at the store. Dongwoo wouldn’t, but Hoya can.

 

“Kind of.” Sunggyu shrugs. “Let’s get inside, I’m freezing and done with this already.”

 

Once they’re in the store, Hoya welcomes them from the counter with a smile on his face and a phone on his hands. “Hey guys. Or… guy and,”—he makes an exaggerated reverence—“milady”

 

Sunggyu throws the sign at him, missing by about three meters. Woohyun wonders why they haven’t confiscated it on the account of their coworker using it as a weapon.

 

“Come on, that’s like the fifth picture you’ve taken today!” Sunggyu yelps, stomping his foot.

 

Unimpressed, Hoya whistles. “Wow, you’re even starting to throw tantrums like the spoiled princess you are. All of it recorded for the world to see.”

 

Sunggyu’s “yah!” resembles a battlecry and Woohyun rolls his eyes. He’s heard enough of the bickering of his coworkers before clocking in. After mumbling, “There’s nothing wrong with spoiled princesses,” he leaves those two.

 

He finds Dongwoo in his office, says hi to him, and clocks in.

 

“Slow night?” he asks.

 

“Actually not that much,” his boss replies, stacking a couple of boxes together. “Sunggyu helped attract some customers despite the bad weather. It’s been calm just for a couple of minutes.”

 

Woohyun is about to reply when Sunggyu rushes inside the small storage room-slash-office. A bell rings, indicating someone has entered to the store.

 

“I’m done with this,” he tells Dongwoo, clocking out. “Where are my clothes?”

 

“I put them inside a locker in the back,” the boss replies. Woohyun thinks that’s the first time he’s heard of someone using the lockers.

 

The storage room isn’t that big, but it’s enough to hold the merchandise, a small desk Dongwoo likes to call ‘his office’ even though there’s no privacy, and a pair of lockers to hold more of their collectibles.

 

Despite being a local, family-owned business, Dongwoo’s place holds a reputation of the original toys they sell—most of which Dongwoo's sister designs and are produced on a decent-sized factory at the industrial region. Woohyun wonders if business will eventually bloom to the point they need a bigger storage room.

 

“I paid enough for my crimes,” Sunggyu mumbles, scurrying off. “And how do you take out the fake eyelashes anyway?”

 

Woohyun whistles once Sunggyu gets out of their sight. “You went all out with this, didn’t you?”

 

“He knew what he was getting into when we made that bet,” Dongwoo replies, sitting on his chair with his arms crossed behind his head. “And talking about going all out… How did that go?”

 

Woohyun scratches his head, glancing at the man currently changing at the back of the room. He can’t help but let his stare linger for a few seconds before he turns his eyes back to his boss. His face feels warm. “It… was just as I thought.” he shrugs, trying not to show how upset the events of that afternoon made him. “Is it okay if you give me more hours this month?”

 

Dongwoo leans forward to pat Woohyun in the arm, the same goofy smile as always playing on his lips. It’s in times like this when Woohyun truly appreciates his boss—his concern, his support. His almost omnipresent knowledge of things. “Of course that’s okay with me. Having someone experienced is actually better than hiring another part-timer for the season.”

 

Woohyun sighs. “Thanks, hyung.”

 

“Why are you working full-time this year?” Sunggyu—now with his usual clothes but still wearing make up—comes up to them. Exactly what Woohyun wanted to avoid. “Aren’t you going to visit your family? And Dongwoo—the lashes.”

 

Woohyun tenses for a bit before he remembers it's just Sunggyu, his friend, and Dongwoo is there too. There’s nothing to worry about.

“Oh come on, you look amazing with them on,” his boss chirps.

 

Woohyun nods. “Yeah, I agree.” And after Sunggyu frowns and punches him in the arm, “Ouch why? And some stuff came up and I don’t think my family wants me around for a while.”

 

“Wow, that ,” in his usual antagonizing fashion, Sunggyu blurts out. “Should we drink away our sorrows? Tomorrow, I mean. My head’s killing me right now and I want to go to bed.”

 

“And exactly what sorrows do you want to drink away?” Woohyun asks, putting on an apron.

 

“I just had to stand in front of the store dressed like a girl for like three hours. I received more unwanted attention than I ever thought I would, in my life. What other reason do I need?” Sunggyu crosses his arms over his chest. “And seriously Dongwoo, how do I take out these fake eyelashes without ripping the real ones off?”

 

Their boss, after observing their exchange while entertaining himself with a wind-up robot, leaves the toy aside and laughs that contagious laughter of his. “Just Google it, Gyu. Amy told me how to put them on but not how to take them out.”

 

“Yeah, and remember how that went?” he points a finger at Dongwoo. “He almost glued my eyelids together! I thought I was going blind for a second.”

 

Woohyun snorts, imagining the scene, until Hoya yells, “I could really use some help here!” and he has to dash to the counter.

 

Later, among the wrapping of some presents and helping children figure out how some of the wind-up toys work, he watches Sunggyu (long lashes and all) tell him goodbye and mouth, “Text me” before hurrying away from the store.

 

He waves back and wonders what it takes to get to Sunggyu’s heart.

 

—

 

“So how did you end up with that tight dress in the middle of December?”

 

They’re at a small meat restaurant, Sunggyu and Woohyun. Their shifts ended early and despite the fact that there’s so much merchandise to organize, Dongwoo waved them off and told them, “Go out like you said yesterday, Hoya and I got this.” So now they’re at their third beer and a little too light-headed, a little too warm.

 

Sunggyu laughs, taking a sip from his can. “I lost a bet, I thought you heard it before.”

 

“Well yeah,” Woohyun explains, “but what were you betting on, how long it takes to unleash little Sungjong’s wrath? Not much, that I know.”

 

The oldest between them snorts, but looks away. “Yeah, I would know…but, uh, remember Myungsoo?”

 

Myungsoo, the boy with a cute smile and small dimples that decorate his cheeks. The photographer from a pretty important studio downtown. The boy who’s spoken maybe three or four words besides “hi, I’m Myungsoo,” to Woohyun.

 

Myungsoo, whose shoes Woohyun has found at the entrance of his friend’s apartment during a surprise visit even though all the lights were off and weird noises were coming from the bedroom. Sunggyu’s boyfriend. That guy.

 

Woohyun takes a sip from his can and wishes he had something a little bit stronger. “Yeah, what about him?”

 

“When we started dating Dongwoo got kind of weird, you know? Like, really serious,” Sunggyu pauses to clear his throat, “and you and I know he never gets serious unless it has to do with Amy or you know, business.” Woohyun nods. “So I asked him about it and we ended up getting into this little argument you don’t want to know about. We were drinking and stuff. I don’t know, he said that I wouldn’t last more than three months with Myungsoo, and I told him ‘want to bet’ but I didn't think he would take it seriously!”

 

Sunggyu cracks a smile, but Woohyun feels like all the blood in his body has frozen over because of those last words. “So you and Myungsoo…” he doesn’t dare to finish his sentence.

 

“Yeah,” Sunggyu looks down, shaking his now empty can. “I mean, we told each other it would be sort of a break, but it feels pretty final.”

 

“Hyung, I’m—”

 

“Sorry? Nah, don’t be.” Sunggyu pauses to order more beer and Woohyun stuffs himself with meat. “People date and then break up. Besides, we’re both adults who can handle it. And I think it’s for the best. A college dropout and a successful, on-the-rise photographer?”

 

Something, a little monster of anger, climbs up from Woohyun’s stomach to grip his throat. “Don’t say that,” he says, leaning over to get closer to Sunggyu. “Did he tell you that? Cause I swear—”

 

Sunggyu laughs, although Woohyun notices the tension on his shoulders. “Calm down, Myungsoo would never say something like that.” He swings the can, nonchalant, but Woohyun is not fulled. “That’s not even the reason. Our schedules were always off and we barely saw each other.” He opens the new can and drinks up. “What’s the point of a relationship if you don’t have time for your significant other? Or worse, if you don't feel like making time for it?”

 

Woohyun stares at Sunggyu, with pink ears and a nose a shade darker, laughing silently at his genius and wisdom, and mumbles, “I guess.”

 

They stay quiet for a while after that, with the meat grilling as the only sound filling the space between them, until Sunggyu breaks the silence. “So, now that we’re talking about depressing stuff, what’s up with you and Dongwoo yesterday?” he asks. “Not that I mean to pry or anything.”

 

Woohyun clears his throat. “Well, I… kind of came out to my parents through the phone the other day,” he explains. “I wanted to make sure before going all the way home to tell them in person and getting disowned on Christmas or something.”

 

Sunggyu nearly drops his beer, but tries to play it cool. “Wow.”

 

Deciding that focusing on the meat is more productive than meeting his friend’s eyes, Woohyun forces himself to keep talking. “Yeah, they took it just as I expected. Mom wasn’t really okay, but I think she’ll warm up to the idea, and Boohyun said he was cool with it. On the other side, dad…” he pauses, trying to mask the trembling of his voice with alcohol. “He said it’s better if I give him some time to think about this.”

 

“Woohyun—”

 

“I know, you’re sorry.”

 

“Nah, I wasn’t going to say that.” Sunggyu says. When Woohyun looks up, he finds his older friend with his mouth full. “I was going to say, it was about damn time you coward.”

 

Woohyun narrows his eyes, reaching over to hit his friend. Too bad that even drunk, Sunggyu is strong enough to smack his hand away. “You’re such an .”

 

“You love this .”

 

And that is something Woohyun has no arguments against.

 

—

 

Walking through the streets while it snows at night always proves to be almost an ethereal experience when the world is asleep. The silence. Light. Cold. Woohyun feels the tremors when the sneaky wind reaches his skin through the passageways of his clothes. But what he cherishes the most is looking at the postcard-like scene of the lonely street while Sunggyu leans on him.

 

He’s drunk enough to be falling asleep in the middle of their trek home, also known as Woohyun’s apartment, which doesn’t happen too often. The separation (or the alcohol?) must have hit him hard, Woohyun thinks, despite of what he's said. It’s not like Woohyun’s state is better, but at least he still remembers his address and how to get there. Practice makes perfect.

 

“You know what?” Sunggyu says once they’ve reached home and Woohyun throws him on the couch like one would with dirty laundry. Like an obedient child, he stays still while Woohyun takes off his shoes.

 

“What?” Woohyun mumbles rather than questions, too busy struggling with Sunggyu’s shoe laces.

 

“I lied,” Sunggyu says before he breaks into giggles. Woohyun pauses, raising his eyebrows. “I do feel sorry.”

 

“Ooh, really?” Woohyun asks while stumbling around the apartment to get a blanket and pump up the furnace.

 

“Yeeeeah.” Sunggyu sits up, looking for Woohyun as he speaks. "You're always so," he pauses, "nice. Like, genuinely. You deserve a happy family. But now that we're both out of the family pictures, I guess that puts us on the same level."

 

Woohyun smiles, throwing the folded blanket at him. "Sad, isn't it? That we're lumped in the same category."

 

"Hey, being in the same category as me is pretty great!" Sunggyu throws his arms in the air, missing the lamp next to the couch by millimeters. "We should totally get married and tell this story to our children."

 

If you ask him, Woohyun will deny he's blushing.

 

"'Gather around children, dad and dad are gonna tell you why you can't visit your grandparents.'" Woohyun makes air quotes. "Do you hear that? It's the sound of your ridiculous."

 

"My ridiculous? Oh shut up, you can’t even come up with another word for ‘dad’," Sunggyu mumbles while Woohyun tucks him in. “But you know what? I think your parents… You don’t need them. Look at me, I’m doing great without them! And you have Dooongwoo, Yeol and Jong, and even Hoya!”

 

Woohyun chuckles. It’s in times like these, when Sunggyu is unintentionally cute and truthful, when Woohyun thinks that he likes his friend the most. “And I have you.”

 

“Yes,” Sunggyu says, his eyes surprisingly focused. “You have me.”

 

—

 

In all seriousness, despite the kind of boring life he lives, Woohyun is thankful for what he has. His parents may not completely accept him, but at least it’s not like when Sunggyu told his own and they left him pretty much on the streets.

 

(Woohyun invited him to live together for a while, until he got back on his feet. A little bit after that, he started working for Dongwoo, who later met Woohyun and gave him a job as well.)

 

So there’s that. Woohyun may not be as strong, but he has the support of his friends and boss, his own—kind of small and cramped—apartment, and enough scholarships to be able to pay his tuition. He has his brother too, and maybe, in a near future, his mom to count on again. Like they discussed, he has Sunggyu, to whom he might confess one day, after the older has gotten over his break-up.

 

And he has quiet, calm days at his job when he can just stare through the window at the snowy picture outside.

 

…But not this one, no, because just as he’s musing about all the above, the last person he wants to see right now enters through the door.  A camera strap hangs around his neck and one of those fancy leather coats covers him. No other than Myungsoo pushes the door open and dust off the snow clinging to his clothes.

 

“Good afternoon,” Woohyun mumbles, trying not to seem too awkward. “What can I do for you?”

 

“Um, I was hoping Sunggyu was here,” Myungsoo replies. “You’re his friend, right? Wooyoung?”

 

Woohyun purses his lips. “Woohyun, yeah. And I don’t know, I think his shift starts in thirty minutes.” Not that he has memorized Sunggyu’s schedule or anything. No. Not at all.

 

“Oh, Woohyun—sorry.” Myungsoo shifts on his feet, obviously uncomfortable.

 

“Yeah, well. Come back soon!” he says, trying to make it sound like he actually cares for a non-customer.

 

However, just as he’s about to turn around, Woohyun hears the clear of throat and Myungsoo’s steps coming closer to the counter. “Uh… excuse me?”

 

Fighting to keep a polite smile on his face, Woohyun looks at the man. “Yeah?”

 

“Can I wait for him here? I have some stuff to give to him and since it's snowing outside and my car’s parked a bit far from here…” He finishes off with a shrug. The face he makes—sort of pursing his lips until they become a thin line, a dimple showing through—resembles that of a cat. Or a weird Muppet. It makes sense why Sunggyu liked him.

 

Woohyun pouts, wondering what Myungsoo has for Sunggyu. A reconciliation gift, perhaps? But Sunggyu said they were done for good. Or maybe it’s a misunderstanding? Maybe Myungsoo wants to win him back?

 

The same ugly monster from before settles on his stomach, but he tries not to pay too much attention to it. “I guess you could, I’m not stopping you.”

 

Myungsoo looks a bit taken aback by his response, but tries to shrug it off. His face goes back to its original, handsome one. “Alright.”

 

The next twenty minutes or so are, if anything, pretty damn awkward.

 

Myungsoo walks around the aisles, walks back to the front again, stares through the glass for a bit, and he’s back roaming around the store. Woohyun watches over him by the corner of his eye while scribbling down some notes and counting receipts, trying not to mind.

 

Dongwoo comes from his office for a bit to look for something on the last aisle, says hi to Myungsoo and then sends Woohyun a questioning glance. When the photographer is not looking, Woohyun scribbles down he’s here to win Sunggyu back on a piece of paper with a frowny face drawn next to it. Dongwoo laughs anyway and pats Woohyun in the back before jogging back to the storage room. Woohyun promptly tears the paper into pieces and discards them.

 

Eventually the tension becomes unbearable; it takes him back to when Sunggyu started dating Myungsoo. Will this time be the same as when he confessed? With Myungsoo coming into the store carrying a plethora of flowers for Sunggyu and expensive gifts wrapped in paper with handmade decorations. It was undeniable Myungsoo had a knack for details and while Sunggyu didn't, he had confessed Woohyun that receiving those kind of gifts had been a pleasant first.

 

If he had known sooner, Woohyun would’ve looked up every single cheesy DIY craft for lovers just to see Sunggyu’s reaction, to tell the truth.

 

But at that time Woohyun felt the desperation to confess, to tell him no, choose me instead. But he was too scared to do it. Too scared of the consequences. Besides, Sunggyu had looked so happy about the gifts and the cute smile in Myungsoo's face. So Woohyun had mentioned something to Dongwoo, but otherwise swallowed his words and let them rot at the bottom of his chest.

 

Right now, though, he has the chance to do what he should’ve done ages ago.. Or at least Woohyun thinks he does. And even if he doesn’t, there's no way he can prolong it anymore.

 

“You know,” Woohyun ends up mumbling eventually, getting the courage to say something stupid who knows from where. “I don’t think it’s going to work.”

 

After photographing a decorative piece, Myungsoo looks at him with his eyebrows raised. “Excuse me?”

 

“I mean…” Woohyun his lips. Just get over and done with this. “If you’re planning to get back with Sunggyu, I don’t think there are enough expensive clothes to win him over again.”

 

Myungsoo’s mouth falls open, but he recomposes himself quickly enough. “Um, I think that's between us."

 

Woohyun shrugs. "I'm just saying."

 

"And you are...?”

 

“I’m,” Woohyun pauses, the next words feeling too hard to say, “just a friend.”

 

“Oh, I see.” and that’s all Myungsoo says, which is probably because Woohyun has left him too stunned for words, but Woohyun doesn’t think of it that way.

 

He places both hands on the counter with a thundering sound, which makes Sunggyu’s ex jump, but he still tries to keep a smile on his face not to scare the guy away. (Which in reality makes him look even more intimidating… although probably the aluminum counter helped to the intimidation factor.)

 

“Aren’t you going to say something else? What’s your business waiting for Sunggyu here? You two are supposed to be over.”

 

“But we are getting—”

 

The bell at the top of the main entrance chirps, indicating a new customer. Behind him, Sunggyu enters while shaking off the white specks of snow off his coat.

 

“Oh hey, Myung,” he says, not sparing Woohyun a glance. It’s okay, he tells himself.  He tries to focus on the customer rambling on about a present for his niece. A knot on his stomach. The urge to jump over the counter to get Sunggyu and apologize for not minding his own business.

 

“We are getting...” what, married? Getting back together?

 

And like that, they’re both out from the store, leaving Woohyun with questions aching to come out and an overdue confession rotting inside his throat.

 

—

 

Woohyun should have kept his mouth shut.

 

It would have been more beneficial for everyone, really. Even if Myungsoo planned to make it up and get back with Sunggyu, Woohyun shouldn’t have said what he did. Maybe his intromission even plays in Myungsoo’s favor and now they’re happily back together, laughing at Woohyun’s random act of gross possesivity.

 

Those kinds of thoughts are what Woohyun entertains himself with during his only day off before Christmas Eve, the busiest night of the year. Lying on his bed, with junk food by his side, he devotes himself to the idea of Sunggyu and his again-boyfriend mocking him.

 

God, why is he in such a dramatic mood?

 

To make matters worse, Sunggyu hasn’t even texted him. Although they’ve seen each other during shifts, they haven’t really talked… Unless you count the banal conversation topics one can find in a bizarre toy store as worthy conversation.

 

There’s also the fact that he hasn’t heard from his family either, but it’s probably better that way. He doesn’t want to pressure them, and neither wants he to hear of their disapproving words. He’s woken up from a couple of dreams where he decides to go home for the holidays and all he comes across are the narrowed eyes, the pointing fingers, of his whole family. Not just mom, dad, and Boohyun. No, even his second cousin once removed has a disapproving look on his face—which is kind of a strange thing to dream about, considering Woohyun saw the guy one time on a blurry picture like ten years ago.

 

This winter break , he thinks, burying his face on the pillow next to him.

 

However, just as he’s about to fall asleep, he gets a text from the same person he’s both wanted to hear from and at the same time, avoid.

 

I’m outside reads Sunggyu's text.

 

And he is, in fact, carrying a pizza box and more junk food along with some drinks. You can guess which kind. Woohyun opens his door with a bemused expression on his face.

 

“Hello to you too,” Sunggyu says, shoving the chips onto Woohyun’s arms to take off his shoes. “I heard you’re working the late shift tomorrow.”

 

“I’m starting since lunchtime, but I’ll manage,” he replies, letting his friend in. Sunggyu whistles.

 

“Well, we have a bit over twelve hours, pizza and your ty cable to gather energy for that.” The older man makes his way in and slumps on the couch as gracefully as only he knows. “Where’s the remote?”

 

“What do you want it for? There’s never anything to watch,” Woohyun says, sitting next to Sunggyu and dropping the cans between them. He opens one before speaking again. “You working as well?”

 

“Only from six to twelve,” Sunggyu says. Then, after opening his own, he mumbles, “I might have to wear the stupid dress again.”

 

Woohyun nearly spits his own drink on Sunggyu’s face. “Really?” he asks, trying hard to hold in his laughter. His friend is not amused by his efforts. “What did you bet this time? And most importantly, why do you keep making bets with Dongwoo?”

 

“He and Hoya hit my pride too easily,” Sunggyu says. Then, he takes a bite of the pizza slice on his hands and lets some of the melted cheese hang around the corner of his lips. Woohyun tries not to stare.

 

“What, like it’s hard?” Sunggyu punches him on the ribs, and Woohyun winces. “Have I told you you know how to throw a mean punch? Ouch”

 

“I can’t tell you what we betted on.”

 

“What, why? First you hit me and now you tempt my curiosity?” Woohyun asks. “I wanna know what’s gonna make you, well, make a fool of yourself tomorrow night.”

Sunggyu pushes the bags of chips aside, and the light from the TV reflecting on the shiny surface of it distracts Woohyun for a while. He looks up to see Sunggyu’s profile. The faint glow changes with each scene, giving the man a surreal look for a few seconds. Sunggyu is kind of like that, hues that switch too fast for his comprehension and yet it works. It fits who he is.

“It’s like trapping myself in a paradox," Sunggyu says, shaking Woohyun out of his musings. "If I tell you, I’m sure I won’t have to use that stupid dress. But if I don’t use the dress it means that what I’m expecting to happen today...just... won’t happen.”

“Wow,” Woohyun mumbles. “You can use the word ‘paradox’ in a sentence.”

This time Sunggyu does make him drop his drink because he throws himself at Woohyun with something between a yah! And a battle cry. Then, the hardest and deadliest of all tickle fights begins.

“Your mom’s a paradox!” Sunggyu screeches, tickling Woohyun in places he didn’t know could be tickled. Despite the fact that he might die from the lack of oxygen, Woohyun lets his friend do as he pleases.

At least, until it’s time for vengeance.

Sunggyu almost punches him in the face once or twice when Woohyun tickles him on the ribs. Still, at the end, when they’re lying kind on top of each other while watching The Night Before Christmas, it’s all worth it. Sunggyu lets out a breathy laugh and Woohyun, despite trying to recover his breath, imitates him. But he doesn’t mean to ruin the moment, he really doesn’t, but there’s a thought eating up his mind and Woohyun needs to give in to his curiosity.

“So… does the bet have to do with Myungsoo again?” he asks, trying not to tense, since from his position on top of him, Sunggyu can probably feel every movement of his body. “Or, you know, your super interesting love life worthy of a romcom?”

He braces himself for another of Sunggyu’s punches, but instead, the older man replies, “Well, kind of?”

Woohyun tries to relax, hoping Sunggyu doesn't hear his heart hammering inside his chest. “Oh, so are you two, you know, back together?”

Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump.

“No, no. Definitely not.” Sunggyu shakes his head—his whole body, actually, which shakes Woohyun as well. Not the kind of movement he imagined to make with Sunggyu on the couch, but whatever. Woohyun doesn’t even try to cover up the satisfied sigh that escapes from his lips, although Sunggyu’s next words make him wish he had. “He actually talked about you the other day, you know?

It takes Woohyun a couple of seconds to get himself from the metaphoric hole he threw himself into. “O-oh really? And what… did he say?”

“Well, his exact words were, ‘your new boyfriend is kind of possessive’ and then laughed like a maniac. You know, typical Myungsoo,” Sunggyu responds. Woohyun cringes. “Don’t worry, I told him we’re just friends.”

And Woohyun isn’t even sure why he feels so disappointed. “That’s good, I guess.”

Sunggyu sighs, his shoulders arching, and climbs over Woohyun’s body, straddling his hips but without sitting down. They’re face to face, their noses touching, and if Woohyun wasn’t such a coward he could just lean forward and—

“Because that’s all we are, right?”

Glancing for a second at Sunggyu’s lips (big mistake, Nam, big mistake) Woohyun feels the same rush of courage as that one time at the store and blurts out, “If that’s what you want us to be…?”

Sunggyu stares into his eyes like he knows all the secrets Woohyun is holding, like he can reach up to the sky in Woohyun’s mind and collect all the stars in there, one by one. And Woohyun doesn’t know what to do with that look, he really doesn’t, so he tries the only thing he can come up with—wraps his arms around Sunggyu’s waist and presses his lips against the older man’s.

For a second or so, he’s the only one moving his mouth, but before Woohyun decides the humiliation of unrequited love is enough and pulls away, Sunggyu kisses him back like he wants to swallow every one of Woohyun’s unspoken confessions. (And there are many, honestly. Each look, each touch, each proof of affection, like wrapping a scarf around his friend's neck and covering a shift and letting him crash on the couch whenever he needs.)

Sunggyu kisses him back like he means to take away his breath, fingers curling around the dark roots on Woohyun’s dirty blond hair, and never give it back.

“We’re both so stupid,” Sunggyu mumbles when they pull away before diving in for another kiss. Woohyun’s grip around his waist tightens, his calloused hands running around the soft patch of skin freed by the rise of Sunggyu’s shirt when he stretched forward. And Woohyun has never touched silk in his life, but he’s sure it can't be softer than Sunggyu’s skin.

Later, breathless, Woohyun rolls them both around so that they’re lying on their sides but still looking at each other—barely fitting on the small couch, but who cares—and says, “we are.”

Sunggyu gives him the kind of smile that makes his eyes close; the smile Woohyun would work seventy-two extra shifts for, before his expression changes into one of panic.

“Oh no,” he says. “Now I definitely have to wear the dress.”

 

—

 

"To be fair," Woohyun says, shivering, "I don't think this is that bad."

Sunggyu punches him on the arm, and Woohyun is well past the point where he won't admit it hurts. GoddamnitSunggyuwhy.

"Say that in a couple of hours," the older man retaliates. "My legs are gonna freeze."

Woohyun sighs, a white cloud forming with his breath. He tugs at the pencil skirt that is definitely too short. "Wanna bet that my fingers are going to fall out first?"

They're standing next to each other in front of Dongwoo's store, shivering with the cold wind on Christmas night. Beside them, people walk in and out of the place, with an occasional line forming when Hoya and/or Dongwoo take a little too long. Woohyun wishes he could help them—not because he wants to wrap long-minute Christmas gifts, actually, but because standing in the cold with a tight dress in the middle of December . big time.

Sunggyu snorts. "I'm going to stop this betting business for a long time."

"Good idea," Woohyun replies. "But hey, at least losing the bet means you’ve got a new, supportive boyfriend next to you."

Sunggyu buries his nose on the scarf he's wearing, ears going pink with the cold (and something else, Woohyun's sure). "True," he mumbles, the sound muffled. "Though I wonder how Dongwoo managed to get another dress with your size."

"In such a short time, too." Woohyun offers a polite smile to a potential customer, hiding behind the long hair of his wig. "But he's Dongwoo, so…"

Sunggyu breaks into giggles, and Woohyun lets go of the sign to hold Sunggyu's hand. "Yeah, I guess."

That night, after changing into his usual clothes, Woohyun learns four important things:

One. The day Myungsoo went to visit Sunggyu at the store was actually to give him all the stuff the older man had left at his apartment. “We are getting some of my stuff from his apartment.” A way of closure, of farewell.

Two. You can remove fake eyelashes with a bit of lotion and olive oil.

Three. Being Sunggyu's boyfriend is pretty damn great.

And lastly, four. Sunggyu looks beautiful with and without makeup.