Sungyeol is quickly becoming convinced that his entire existence is cursed. It is the only explanation he can come up with for his crappy luck. He thinks it's quite possible that at some point shortly after his birth some vengeful mythical creature hexed him and turned him into the most accident-prone person in the world. Or maybe he just doesn't want to take responsibility for his latest mishap.

Trying to be an adult, Sungyeol had decided to make himself a meal; it's not like he's never done it before— how hard could it be? He learns quickly and painfully that it is, in fact, very hard. And now he's in the emergency room with his right hand bundled up in a dish towel against his chest as he waits to be treated. When he gets to the front desk the nurse recognizes him far too easily for his liking, her eyes scanning him up and down. It's embarrassing enough that he's there for an easily avoidable reason, he doesn't need her judging him too.

Giving the woman a thin-lipped smile, Sungyeol takes the paperwork from her and turns to grab a seat. But he isn't paying much attention and nearly runs into someone. The first thing he sees is a pair of very familiar-looking eyebrows; with his height he's had a lot of experience with the top half of other people's faces, but this one seems to stand out from the rest. Sungyeol's gaze travels lower and his eyes go wide when he realizes who is standing in front of him. It's none other than Hoya— the EMT who injured and subsequently helped him.

"What are you doing here?"

Hoya looks equally shocked until he hears Sungyeol's question, a smile immediately tugging at his lips. "I work here."

"Oh." Taking a closer look, he notices the other man is indeed wearing a uniform. It's been weeks since their unusual encounter, he never expected to run into him again— least of all while he's on the job. Maybe this is a part of his cursed fate as well, running into cute boys while he looks and feels like crap. That would definitely explain a lot.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you're not just visiting," the paramedic notes, his eyes taking in the tall boy's poorly-wrapped hand. "Can I take a look?"

"You don't have to..." The words are barely out of his mouth before Hoya is reaching out to lift the towel. Sungyeol feels his breath hitch slightly either from the cool air against his blistered skin or the other's sudden close proximity; he had forgotten how much the shorter man's presence affected him. The impromptu examination is over soon enough and Sungyeol finally breathes again once Hoya moves a reasonable distance away.

"It doesn't look too bad. Does it hurt?"

"Not so much anymore." Although he's just doing his job, Sungyeol really does appreciate Hoya's genuine concern for his well-being. It's nice to know someone is worried about him.

Hoya doesn't seem to be buying it though, concern tugging at his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine— I mean, I will be," Sungyeol assures; he's sure the other man has more important things to do than watch over him. 

"If there's anything I can do to help, you can tell me." Hoya either doesn't hear him or chooses not to, Sungyeol can't tell.

He really doesn't want to bother him while he's working, but he's starting to think the paramedic won't leave until he helps him with something. Pressing his injured arm closer to him, he holds up the medical forms and says, "I guess, if you're not too busy maybe you could help me fill these out?"

The smile that breaks out on Hoya's face is quite possibly the most adorable thing Sungyeol has ever seen; he's never seen anyone look so excited to do something so simple. If it makes him this happy he figures he shouldn't feel too bad about asking. Before he knows it, he is being led toward a chair and then Hoya starts going through the questions. Sungyeol should probably be more embarrassed about revealing all of his personal information to a near stranger, but he's much too busy swooning over the way the paramedic mouths each word as he writes, eyebrows dipped in concentration. Once the paperwork is finished Hoya goes to hand it in, though Sungyeol tries halfheartedly to do it himself.

"I'm curious," Hoya begins when he returns, turning in his seat to face the injured boy. "How did that happen?"

"It's actually a pretty silly story; you wouldn't want to hear it." Sungyeol would rather not purposely embarrass himself if he can help it.

"I've heard a lot of ridiculous stories; I'm sure yours isn't that bad."

Sungyeol begs to differ, but when faced with the paramedic's kind eyebrows and even kinder smile, he finds himself giving in without much of a fight. "I just put my hand in a pot of boiling water."

"On purpose?"

"No. My phone fell in the pot and I tried to get it out." After saying it out loud, Sungyeol feels like even more of a fool. He's never tried acting cool around the other man, but he would sure like the chance. He does, however, succeed in making him laugh, which he supposes is the best he can do.

Almost immediately, Hoya apologizes for laughing at his misfortune, though he's still smiling all the while. "I'm sorry, it's just— I've seen a lot of crazy cooking accidents, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone accidentally boil their hand."

"Cooking is really hard," Sungyeol argues, feeling a strange need to defend himself.

"I believe you," Hoya says, his eyebrows rising with the volume of his voice. "I just can't believe you did something like that. What were you thinking?"

Sungyeol can't say he was— he was just reacting. Badly, but still... He can only shrug with nothing to say but the truth. "I don't really think before I act. It's part of my charm."

Hoya opens his mouth to speak, whether to bolster or refute his claim Sungyeol may never know, because just then a nurse calls his name. Sending the other man an apologetic look, Sungyeol reluctantly stands up; he'd kind of forgotten the original (and most important) reason he came to the hospital.

"I could come with you... if you want?"

As tempting as it is to say yes, Sungyeol doesn't want to take up any more of the paramedic's time. He has lives to save, anyway. "You can stay here. Or not. You probably have a lot of work to do, but thanks for waiting with me."

Sungyeol leaves with one last little wave before he can change his mind. It might be wishful thinking, but he has a very strong feeling Hoya isn't going anywhere.

 

~*~

 

Hoya has no idea what he's doing. He's never been very good at flirting and it seems he's even worse at it when Sungyeol is involved. With all the time he's spent thinking about the tall male over the past few weeks he really should've thought about what to say; it wasn't as bad as the last time, but it could've been better. He just hopes he didn't scare him off for good this time. He can be pretty intense when he's in EMT mode, constantly checking to make sure the patient is stable and safe. It surely must have made Sungyeol uncomfortable; the other man couldn't get out of there fast enough when the nurse called his name.

But Hoya still finds himself sitting waiting for him— he's always been too optimistic for his own good. Fiddling with his fingers, the paramedic contemplates whether he should stay or go. Technically, he should still be working right now, but he wouldn't feel right if he left without making sure Sungyeol is okay. Even if he's being burdensome he wants to see this through.

Resting his elbows on his knees, Hoya drops his head in his hands; he really doesn't know why he cares so much. Well, he does— he just won't admit it. He's staring at a spot on the floor when a pair of scuffed high-top sneakers step into view. Lifting his head, his eyes travel past impossibly long legs and an endless torso and stop on a ridiculously bright grin.

"No need to pull your hair out, I'm all better now." Sungyeol raises his hand, showing off the fresh bandages.

Hoya springs to his feet, his hands reaching for Sungyeol's without really thinking. He was a lot more concerned than he thought, he realizes as he gently runs his fingers over the clean white bandages. He cranes his neck up to find Sungyeol staring back at him, looking understandably surprised. Letting go of his hand, Hoya clears his throat awkwardly, his gaze quickly returning to the floor. "That's great. I’m glad you’re all better."

"Yeah." Sungyeol had forgotten how easily Hoya got embarrassed, but he does remember how cute he is when he does. His insides are dancing in a familiar frenzy and he has no idea what to do about it. Their time together seems to be coming to an end, though he wishes he could find a way to draw it out. "Well, thanks for all the help and everything. I should probably head home now."

He hasn't even taken his first step when the paramedic pulls him back. "Wait. Uh, I figured since you hurt yourself you might not have gotten a chance to eat anything. So, I thought maybe you might want to grab something now— with me. You know, since we didn't get to last time."

When they first met, Hoya had wanted to buy Sungyeol a meal as an apology for knocking him over the head— and maybe as a subtle way of asking the tall boy out. But luck wasn't on his side and before they got anywhere that even resembled a restaurant the paramedic got called out on an emergency. It was unavoidable but regrettable all the same. Even more so, when Hoya realized he never got Sungyeol's number. In any event, he has another chance now and he's fairly certain it will work out.

Following a similar train of thought, Sungyeol easily accepts, not wanting to let the opportunity slip away. It feels worth it to see the way Hoya lights up as he pulls him along toward the hospital's cafeteria.

The two of them seem to garner a great deal of attention as they walk through the hallways, although not necessarily for the same reasons. While Hoya is greeted with simple "hellos" and "how are you’s" from various doctors and nurses, Sungyeol's presence elicits a more unique reaction. The questions range from "what did you break this time?" to "do you ever go home?" and everything in between— all of which only serve to push Sungyeol deeper and deeper into the hole of humiliation he started digging the moment he set foot in the hospital. Normally, he would play along with the jokes, but with Hoya standing next to him he finds it hard just to laugh. He is moments away from dying of embarrassment when they finally reach the cafeteria and he breathes a sigh of relief; he can only hope they won't run into anyone else who knows him.

"You seem to be pretty popular around here," Hoya notes, a teasing smirk on his lips. He was vaguely aware of how often the tall boy came here, but by the way everyone seemed to flock to him, one would think he was some kind of celebrity.

Sungyeol, on the other hand, couldn't be more embarrassed. Although he could admit he was fairly well-known throughout the building, he wouldn't go as far as calling himself popular. "I don't know if that's the exact word I would use. Really, I think I come here way too often."

Hoya barks out a laugh, baring his sharp canines, before directing the injured boy to a table close by while he goes to get their meals. Despite his spotty track record, Sungyeol isn't as fragile as he looks and he tries— really, he does— to get Hoya to see that. However, the paramedic isn't willing to take his word for it, insisting he stay put and not move a muscle if he can help it.

Sungyeol huffs and puffs about wanting to do more than sit around, but secretly he revels in the attention. He is absolutely certain now that Hoya is at least somewhat interested in him and every minute he spends with the other man only makes him more sure. He may not know much about romance, but he is smart enough to recognize flirting when he sees it. He just wishes he knew how to flirt back.

He gets his chance a few minutes later when Hoya returns, two food-laden trays in hand. Taking in the mouthwatering sights and smells, Sungyeol smiles gratefully at the man sitting in front of him. "Thank you, Hoya. Seriously— you're the best."

"Don't mention it." The paramedic tries and fails miserably to hide his shy grin and opts for bowing his head as he attempts to control his face.

With one last quick thanks Sungyeol reaches for his chopsticks, anxious to finally start eating. In his haste he momentarily forgets about his injury until he feels a sharp pain when he bends his fingers. The suddenness of it makes him wince, though he tries not to let it show.

Hoya notices anyway, concern rising in his voice and his eyebrows. "Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." That seems to be his motto lately. There is still a bit of pain, but it isn't anything he's not used to so it's mostly true. "I just got a little too excited."

"Are you sure?"

And it seems Hoya has a motto of his own as well; he always has a hard time believing Sungyeol when he says he's fine. Not that the other boy really minds. He's grown quite fond of his attentiveness. Attempting to appease the paramedic, Sungyeol picks up his spoon and slurps a spoonful of soup before sending an expectant smile across the table when he's done.

"See? I’m all good, I promise."

Hoya can't find a happy medium: he gets overly-concerned when Sungyeol looks even the slightest bit hurt, but then the tall boy smiles and his stomach starts jumping like it's at a rave. Kind of like what it's doing right now and he almost wishes it would stop. Or maybe he's just hungry. Hoya sure hopes that's what it is as he grabs his chopsticks and digs into his own meal. Eating isn't much of a distraction when he keeps meeting Sungyeol's gaze and he has to take extra care not to choke on his food. This isn't at all how he imagined this going.

But despite his disappointment, Hoya still notices the way Sungyeol seems to only be drinking the soup. He figures it has a lot to do with the fact that he only has one capable hand at the moment— and it isn't even his dominant hand. Ever the caretaker, Hoya can't help the frown that darkens his features; Sungyeol can't expect to recover faster if he doesn't take better care of himself. Reaching forward, he takes a small portion of one of the side dishes on the other boy's tray and places it on top of his untouched rice.

"Don't just fill up on soup. You need to eat a lot if you want to get better."

Somewhere between confused and flattered, Sungyeol wordlessly follows the paramedic's orders, taking a heaping scoop of rice. It does the trick of cheering the other up and Sungyeol wonders if he is always so easily pleased. It suddenly occurs to him that he doesn't really know Hoya at all, but he doesn't want it to stay that way.

"I've been thinking," Sungyeol starts, leaning back and crossing his arms. Or, at least, he tries— it's kind of hard with his hand all wrapped up. "You know a lot about me, but I don't really know anything about you."

Caught off guard for a moment, Hoya just stares, his mind slowly processing what has just been said. He was under the impression the other boy has only been tolerating him, but it looks like he might actually be interested in him. Wanting to play it cool, Hoya schools his face into a passive expression; he's sure he looks calmer than he feels. "What do you want to know?"

Sungyeol bites back the 'everything' that nearly spills out, his lips stretching into a thin line as he tries to think of something to say that is less creepy. Bringing his uninjured hand up to cup his chin, he looks to the ceiling for answers, biting his finger in concentration. Sungyeol finally figures out what to do and reverts his attention back to the man in front of him.

"Let's start from the top: name?"

"Lee Howon." Hoya is finding it harder and harder to remain composed; it's a miracle he managed to squeeze out an answer despite the giant lump in his throat. Between the finger-biting and all that smiling, he can't tell whether or not Sungyeol is trying to drive him crazy. But strangely enough, he is absolutely willing to find out.

"Wait," Sungyeol pipes up, his voice breaking the paramedic from his thoughts. "Then why do you go by Hoya?"

Crap. He should've expected that. It isn't a story tells very often (more like never) and he would like to keep it that way. "There isn't really a reason—"

"I don't believe that." Sungyeol immediately calls his bluff, looking completely convinced. He hasn't known the other boy for very long, but he can tell there is more to this than he is letting on.

"It's kind of embarrassing," Hoya admits quietly, his gaze falling to the table.

"I'm sure it's not that bad. Besides, I embarrassed myself earlier, so it's only fair that you should too."

He does have a point. After convincing Sungyeol to recount the awkward tale of his injury, Hoya can agree that it wouldn't be right if he didn't do the same with his nickname. Chuckling at the irony of the situation, he lifts his eyes to meet Sungyeol's and finds only reassurance. He's never been so easily persuaded before. "Well, when I was younger I had a hard time pronouncing my name. It was just a silly family nickname, but then my friends heard it and they said it sounded cool so I just went with it."

Ok, that's actually pretty damn cute, Sungyeol thinks, a warm smile on his lips. He had expected something dramatic like witness protection, but this is downright adorable. He tells him just as much and gets the pleasure of watching the paramedic's ears turn bright red. As much as he enjoys seeing him so flustered, Sungyeol supposes he should change the subject before Hoya overheats.

He continues with less embarrassing questions and he soon learns that the two of them don't really share very much in common. Instead of being disheartened, Sungyeol finds it rather refreshing. They may argue a bit over random things like acceptable pizza toppings, but that just makes the conversation more interesting.

Sometime later, when they have nearly run out of things to talk about, a question pops into Sungyeol's head that he has been meaning to ask for the longest time. Although he is somewhat sure of the answer, there is still an overwhelming amount of doubt that has yet to go away. Taking a deep breath, he ventures, "Can I ask you a question?"

"You've asked a lot already; I don't think you really need permission." Hoya smirks, amused by the other boy's unexpectedly polite behavior.

"Why do you care so much?" Sungyeol didn't mean to blurt it out, but now that he's started he can't seem to stop. "I mean— you're always so nice to me. You bought me food and you always make sure I'm not hurt. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it kind of seems like you might like me and I just don’t get it. You're a really great guy and I'm... a mess."

Hoya is still smiling at him, less playfully with a fondness that softens his features. "That's part of your charm. And there is a reason I'm always so nice to you even though I don't really know you. It's because I—"

Whatever he is about to say is interrupted by a sudden shrill beeping. The pair stare at each other in shock for a few seconds before Hoya realizes the sound is coming from him. Specifically, the pager attached to his belt has gone off, signaling an emergency. He had forgotten he is technically still supposed to be working; in all honesty he would much rather keep talking to Sungyeol, but he takes his job way too seriously to ignore a call for help. Hoping the other boy can tell how torn he feels, Hoya sends him an apologetic smile as he rises from his seat.

"I have to go; I'm really sorry."

"No, it's fine. They need you." Standing as well, Sungyeol tries not to let his disappointment show too much. Although he is grateful for the time they've spent together, he still wishes for more. Especially since he is completely positive the paramedic was just about to make a confession.

Hoya knows he should leave already (actually, he should've left the moment the alarm went off), but he doesn't want to go until he's sure Sungyeol is absolutely fine. "I feel like a bit of a jerk for leaving like this again. I swear I'm not doing this on purpose."

"There's nothing to feel bad about— I totally understand," Sungyeol assures, shifting closer to the other side of the table. Even if the ending was the same, this was still much better than the last time they tried to share a meal. Hoya doesn't seem to be seeing it quite so optimistically, if the downward slant of his eyebrows are any indication. That is entirely unacceptable in Sungyeol's opinion and he tries to cheer him up with a joke. "You know, if you keep running off on me like this it's only going to convince me more that you really are a superhero."

Though he tries to fight it, Hoya can't stop the smile that pulls at the corners of his mouth. There may have even been a giggle or two. Sungyeol has this weird habit of saying the most absurd things that somehow manage to make the other boy laugh; he really doesn’t know how he does it. Aside from the amusement, there is another stranger feeling that swims from the depths of his stomach and threatens to burst forth. Hoya can't tell if it's the cheeky grin on Sungyeol's face as he speaks or the words themselves, but he gets a sudden urge (a need, really) to kiss him. Even though he would love to give in to that urge, he can't be certain the other boy would appreciate it.

But his body seems to be turning against him because he loses this fight as well. Without any consultation to his brain, Hoya finds himself stretching up to press his lips against Sungyeol's cheek. He pulls back a few seconds later, his heart thumping with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. He enjoyed making such a bold move, but the other's lack of a response makes him wonder if he's gone too far. Now he really, really needs to get out of there.

"T-take care of your hand," Hoya stammers before rushing out of the cafeteria. If he stays any longer, he has no idea what he'll do.

Still frozen in his spot, Sungyeol stares after the paramedic's retreating figure; he had kind of lost his ability to think when he felt Hoya's lips on his skin. There is no doubt in his mind now that the other boy likes him. He reaches up with his uninjured hand to run his fingers over the spot where Hoya kissed him, his face flushing at the memory. His mind finally starts working again and he realizes he still didn't get his number. At least he knows where to find him now.