Hakyeon couldn’t help but smile slightly as the music ended and the cheering started. Glancing up from the drink he was mixing, he caught sight of the stripper who’d finished performing making his way off the stage. The young man didn’t notice Hakyeon’s gaze, but that was to be expected thanks to the bright stage lights cutting the man’s ability to see off stage down to just the tables standing right around the stage.

“Hey,” the other bartender snapped, “pay attention.”

“Sorry,” Hakyeon winced before turning back to his job.

A few hours later found Hakyeon off work and cuddled up beside the stripper from his work in their shared apartment.

“You were great tonight,” Hakyeon whispered in his boyfriend’s ear.

“How do you know?” the young man, Sanghyuk, teased, “you weren’t watching.”

“And you know this…..how?” Hakyeon asked, “You can’t see the bar from on stage.”

“True,” Sanghyuk nodded, “but you never watch. Not since you realized that you couldn’t see those men throwing money at me and not want to punch them.”

“Alright,” Hakyeon sighed, admitting defeat, “So I didn’t watch. But if those cheers are anything to go by, then you did great.”

Sanghyuk just smiled before moving to kiss Hakyeon.

The couple had met several years prior. Hakyeon had just been a college grad looking for anything that would pay enough to cover his rent and college debt, Sanghyuk was a dropout who’d been working at the strip club since he turned legal. While Hakyeon was trying not to be picky, he’d put his foot down when the club owner asked if he’d be interested in getting on stage. He was behind the bar and behind the bar only.

Sanghyuk had rolled his eyes when he’d heard about that little exchange, he figured that Hakyeon looked down on what he and the others performers did at the club. They’d had people like that come through the club, people who thought stripping for a living was a dirty thing and that those who did it were trash. None lasted for very long. Sanghyuk had hoped Hakyeon would be gone just as quickly.

Hakyeon’s first impression of Sanghyuk had been much different. He’d caught site of Sanghyuk on his first night and been head over heels ever since. There was just something about the other that drew Hakyeon in like a moth to a flame. So the bartender tried to get closer to Sanghyuk who wanted nothing to do with him for the longest time.

Then came the night when a customer tried to force himself on Sanghyuk.

Sanghyuk was taking a breather and getting something to drink when the obviously drunk man made a move. Like the pro he was, Sanghyuk brushed the man off and returned his attention to his drink. Sadly the man just got angry and grabbed Sanghyuk’s arm hard enough to leave a mark, yanking him to his feet before pushing him to the ground as hard as he could. Taekwoon, the bodyguard for the night, was quick to make his way over, but Hakyeon was faster.

Before Taekwoon could do anything, Hakyeon was between Sanghyuk and the drunk. Hakyeon grabbed the man’s arm and glared darkly at him before pushing him into Taekwoon’s waiting arms. The bodyguard removed the man before he could understand what was happening and Hakyeon turned his attention to Sanghyuk who was a little shocked at how quickly the man had turned violent. Normally, it took a couple more brush offs before people resorted to that.

Hakyeon had helped Sanghyuk to his feet and made sure he was alright. That night, Hakyeon walked Sanghyuk home and the pair talked the whole way. From there, their friendship had developed and grown quickly into something much more. If wasn’t long after they started dating that Hakyeon decided that he just couldn’t watch Sanghyuk on stage. He couldn’t stand to see men throwing money and him and calling out horribly crude things.

Sanghyuk was the love of his life and deserved to be treated so much better. He wasn’t an object like those men at the club seemed to think he was. Sanghyuk understood, but made it very clear that he wasn’t going to quit for anyone, let alone Hakyeon. Hakyeon understood and promised that he would never ask that of Sanghyuk. And if Sanghyuk ever did quit, then it would because he wanted to do it.

“Get some sleep,” Sanghyuk told Hakyeon, “we’ve got to go grocery shopping when we get up, laundry needs to get done too.”

“Alright,” Hakyeon nodded, “night, love.”

“Love you too,” Sanghyuk smiled, pressing a kiss to Hakyeon’s forehead, “goodnight.”

A/N: I honestly forgot about this one. I got it, like, half done a week ago and then totally forgot about it. I found it today and was like “well, I know what I’m doing today.”