For as long as they've known each other, Hyungwon and Hoseok have always blurred the line between friends and lovers and it was no secret to the people around them. Ever since they first met, they were practically inseparable. Not to say that they were always together, that definitely wasn't the case. They did both have their own lives and people to hang out with thaat were separate from their core group of friends. But even when they weren't next to each other, their bond was always there.
    It was definitely a surprise to both of them how quickly they became friends back in high school considering how Hyungwon was more on the introverted side and Hoseok was never the type to start conversations with people he didn't know. But there was something about their demeanors that were comforting to each other and a few quick jokes and common interests later, they became two of the closest friends within their group.

    Now they were both in college and each of them had their fair share of hardships and romances. Hyungwon's relationships never lasted long. Although he liked the people he dated, the vibe was never right after awhile and eventually he would end them for the benefit of both parties. Hoseok was no more lucky then Hyungwon at finding love. In fact, he was probably less lucky at times when he would think back on how unhelthy his only two relationships were. Unlike Hyungwon who was a little more logical and therefore had a better grasp on his emotions, Hoseok had a tendency to be a little overly emotional. Combine that with his hopeless romantic personality and you get a person who's very determined to make things work, even if it's obvious to everyone around him that it won't. No one could ever say he didn't try, though, one could argue that the ways in which he tried weren't always the greatest. He would be the first to admit that he probably left just as many scars on his past lovers as he had recieved himself. He learned from them though.

    One relationship never went sour though, and that was his friendship with Hyungwon. Hoseok considered it the most fulfilling relationship in his life to date, not including his other best friend Hyunwoo who, although he was still very much close to and grateful for, he still didn't have the same bond with. Don't get him wrong, that didn't make the friendship any lesser than the one between him and Hyungwon. It was just different. 

    In actuality, it did change a bit as any relationship, platonic or otherwise, is bound to. But it only ever changed for the better as they continued to learn more about each other and discovered the ways in which to communicate that worked for them. They became closer after graduating high school and had even discussed it on multiple ocassions. They agreed that their relationship was very similar to that of a quasiplatonic one, a word that Hyungwon, despite being a master of words, wasn't really aware of until Hoseok brought it up during one of their late night conversations. He was explaining how some of his past experiences finally made sense after coming to terms with his auality and how that style of relationship appealed to him on some level. They never actually tacked the label onto their relationship though, just accepted it as it was, despite a part of Hoseok that wanted to put a name to what they were. He opted to stay silent, preferring to keep his thoughts to himself rather than risk messing with their dynamic.

    However, that didn't stop him from asking in a half joking manner if they could add platonic affection to the mix. They already had a habit of holding hands whenever they felt like it and going on what they called platonic dates and making future plans to live with each other, even going so far as to joke about getting married if they don't end up with anyone else. But Hoseok was the type of person who craved intimacy, and with Hyungwon especially. He asked if they could start doing things like kissing each other on the forehead and cheek for no other reason than just because. To anyone else, it might not seem like a big deal and something friends can do already without having to ask, but to the two of them, there's a level of trust required to become that physically close to someone else. Still, he wasn't entirely surprised to hear Hyungwon give the go ahead, but that didn't change the fact that he still felt a wave of relief wash over him. 

    It was a Sunday morning when it came time for them to have another date after not seeing each other for a few months and Hoseok would be lying if he said he wasn't anticipating it all week. He was the one to initiate it this time but he was more than ecstatic when Hyungwon had suggested going to a beach that he recently went to with his family. It wasn't any more special than their others, in fact, considering how they sometimes got dressed up for dinner, it was actually quite casual in comparison but he didn't mind at all. He loved how they could just be comfortable around each other regardless of the setting or attire. 

    Depite the drowsiness that came with waking up, he made sure to wake up early and give himself enough time to shower and eat breakfast. He was never a fan of rushing around last minute if it wasn't necessary so he took all precautions in order to avoid that. But especially so today. Today, he had something very important to do. Today, Hoseok was going to build up the courage to ask Hyungwon out after a year and a half of pining after the tall boy. Of course, Hoseok wasn't aware of his feelings for that entire year and a half, especially since he was in a relationship for 5 months of that time. A relationship which he inevitably broke off after realizing that thoughts of Hyungwon didn't seem like they would be leaving any time soon. 

    No, Hoseok was definitely a little more on the oblivious side when it came to his own feelings. Or maybe it was just that he tried to repress them for fear of messing things up. Their dynamic was perfect, why risk throwing it out of balance is what he told himself many times. It wasn't until something inside him cracked when thinking about a potential new partner in the works did he notice that, once again, he was comparing them to Hyungwon. He knew then that he couldn't keep pushing aside his feelings and dating people when his heart already belonged to his best friend. Hoseok decided to text Hyunwoo that night and ask for advice, despite the older male not having any interest in relationships of any kind. he knew he would get an unbiased opinion. Plus, it helped that Hyunwoo had actually known Hyungwon longer than Hoseok did and therefore would be able to tell if their personalities would work well.

    The result of the conversation was Hyunwoo confirming that "yes, what you're feeling is love" and "yeahh it was pretty obvious dude" as well as encouragement to ask Hyungwon out and see how it goes. So that was the plan. At the end of their date when Hyungwon drops him off at home, he would confess and ask Hyungwon if he wanted to give him the chance. That left Hoseok where he was now, standing awkwardly in front of his closet with only boxers to retain some semblance of modesty, as he tried to find something decent to wear. He had already pulled his swim trunks out of the drawer and put them on in place of his boxers, throwing a new pair into his backpack along with a towel, bottle of sunscreen and his wallet and keys. But despite having an extensive wardrobe, consisting of both casual clothes to hang out in and some more high end shirts, nothing seemed to look good on him today. He kept trying to convince himself that it was only Hyungwon and that he doesn't care what he looks like but the fact of the matter was, he wanted today to be perfect.

    Eventually he settled for a simple yet put together look consisting of black, ripped jeans that perfectly displayed the tattoo on his thigh, a dark blue patterened dress shirt that Hyungwon had helped him pick out and a simple black choker necklace. He also tucked a pair of light blue tinted sunglasses into the collar of his shirt in case it got too bright and picked out a few of his favorite earrings to wear. He took a moment to admire himself in the mirror before nodding at his reflection and hoisting his backpack over his shoulder. He grabbed his phone off the bedside table and headed downstairs to wait for Hyungwon to pick him up. While he waited, he sat on the couch and let his mind wander, wondering what Hyungwon would be wearing today and what all they would do after the beach. Hyungwon hadn't explained much this time around, just showed him a few photos of the beach and then briefly mentioned a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. A text from Hyungwon halted his train of thought and Hoseok glanced in the mirror one last time before opening the door to see his best friend's car in his driveway.

    Tripping slightly on the doorway, he locked it behind him and made his way to the car. Strange. Upon closer inspection, Hyungwon wasn't in the front seat but the car was unlocked. Hoseok dropped his backpack in the back seat next to Hyungwon's and closed the door, wondering why Hyungwon was nowhere to be seen. He scrunched his brows in confusion as he looked around. He was about to pull out his phone and call him when he felt long arms wrap themselves around his middle and an excited "Hey!" spoken behind his ear. Hoseok let out a quick shout at the sudden shock before turning around in Hyungwon's grip, smiling brightly up at him.

    "Jesus man, you scared me. Way to give a guy a heart attack", Hoseok laughed as he clutched his chest for dramatic affect. Hyungwon rolled his eyes at Hoseok's theatrics and pulled him into a tight hug.

    "I missed you". 

    The two boys broke their embrace and Hoseok responded that he too, missed the other. 

    "I mean, we literally just skyped last night but like, I still missed seeing your pretty face in person", Hoseok added, as they opened their respective doors and settled into their seats.

    Hyungwon smiled and twisted his features in a strange way. "You mean this face?", he asked.

    Hoseok laughed loudly but confirmed that, yes, he missed that face. Hyungwon kept staring at Hoseok with the same silly expression until Hoseok made one in return. It wasn't until Hoseok could no longer hold in his laughter did Hyungwon revert back to his neutral expression and the car. 

    Hyungwon turned the key and prepared to back out of the driveway. "You ready?"

    "Yeah!", Hoseok said happily. "I'm honestly so excited though. I haven't been to a beach in so long and the pictures you showed me looked so pretty."

    "It's so nice there man! And it won't even take us that long to drive there which is awesome." 

    Hoseok made a noise of agreement and casually nodded his head. "Even if it did take awhile though, we have our road trip playlist so it wouldn't be too bad".
    "Oh yeah. I forgot to put some of the songs on my phone though", Hyungwon said, not taking his eyes off the road ahead of them.

    "No worries, I got 'em!" Hoseok reached for the cord and plugged his phone in, searching for the aformentioned playlist. Upon finding it, he scrolled through the songs until finding a specific one and hit play. The car started to fill with an upbeat rythym as "Best Day of my Life" by American Authors poured from the speakers.

    "Ayyye!~ That's fitting", Hyungwon said with a smile.

    Hoseok chuckled as he stared out the window, hoping that Hyungwon was right.

    The car ride went by fairly quickly with the two friends belting out the lyrics to their favorite songs and chatting about anything that crossed their minds. Hyungwon ranted about how some jerk at work had stolen one of his shifts, which caused Hyungwon to have a closing shift instead. And Hoseok talked about a weird dream he had a few nights ago that had Hyungwon questioning his friend's sanity even more than he already did.

    When they arrived at the beach at 10, the sun was already galring down at them, bright and angry in the sky, making Hoseok regret ever deciding to wear jeans. When he looked over to Hyungwon, he noticed that the other boy had been smarter than he, opting to wear a pair of dark green shorts with an thin, oversized, white t-shirt tucked into the front of them. He tied it all together with a simple belt and a pair of silver studs that caught the sunlight when he would turn. It always amazed Hoseok how Hyungwon could make even the simplest outfits look good. He guessed it had something to do with Hyungwon having the ideal figure for a majority of clothing stores. Sometimes he envied that but Hoseok worked hard for the body he had and he was proud of it. And it helped that Hyungwon always made sure to remind him that he was perfect as is.

    Hyungwon walked over to Hoseok and draped an arm over his shoulder, handing Hoseok his backpack with the other. 
    "So? What do you think?", Hyungwon asked, an expectant look on his face.

    Hoseok grabbed his bag and placed his hand on Hyungwon's waist. "It's so nice!" Hoseok was beyond happy just from looking at the view before him and he couldn't wait to spend a few hours lazing around on the sand and playing in the water with Hyungwon. The anxiety he was feeling earlier had now disappeared and was replaced with pleasant thoughts.

    They took their time finding a nice spot to lay out their towels and backpacks but once they found one, they were quick to strip down to their swimsuits and make their way to the water.

    "Wait!" Hoseok threw his arm across Hyungwon's chest effectively halting him in place.

    Hyungwon looked at him, brow raised in confusion at the sudden shout. He wasn't given a chance to question Hoseok before the shorter boy continued talking.

    "Race ya!" Hoseok landed a gentle peck on Hyungwon's cheek before smiling mischieviously and making a run for the ocean. A blank expression fell on Hyungwon's face but was soon replaced when he shook his head, chuckling softly to himself. He didn't waste much time though, catching up to Hoseok rather quickly after deciding that he had given his friend enough of a head start. It wasn't that Hyungwon was fast necessarily, he actually quite preferred taking his time, but between playing soccer as a kid and his long strides, it made sneaking up behind Hoseok a relatively easy task.

    Hoseok, now a few short paces from the tide, was just starting to believe he might actually beat the other in a race for once. However, his internal celebration was ahort-lived when he saw Hyungwon speed past him and make a large splash as he dropped himself awkwardly into the water. He slowed to a stop at the water's edge and caught his breath. he knew it was too good to be true but he still liked the energizing feeling that came with running so he didn't mind. He slowly waded over to Hyungwon who was now floating along the waves, eyes closed. Hoseok swore if Hyungwon fell asleep already, there would be hell to pay. He splashed the relaxed boy to alert him of his prescence. When Hyungwon did nothing more than peak one eye open, only to close it again with a grin, Hoseok did the next best thing he could think of.

    "Aghh, ! What the hell man?" Hoseok had slipped under the water and squeezed the tall brunette's sides, knowing full well that he was ticklish. "I could have died you know", Hyungwon continued, clutching his chest, mirroring Hoseok's earlier actions.

    Hoseok snorted. "Now look who's being dramatic. Payback's a dude." 

    Hyungwon responded with a less than intimidating glare. "Eat my entire ".

    "Maybe later", Hoseok said in a cheeky tone and nudged the other's arm.

    Hyungwon made a suggestive face, wiggling his eyebrows before losing himself in a fit of laughter. "Why are we like this?"

    Hoseok smiled upon hearing Hyungwon's laugh and simply responded, "I don't know man but I love it".

    "As do I".

    The following three hours passed by in a flurry of laughter and casual conversations as they spent a significant portion of their energy for the day catching up, taking photos and playing around. The next few hours after that continued in much the same fashion. Having left the beach at around 1, they changed back into their day clothes and drove to the restaurant nearby that Hyungwon had previously mentioned. It was fairly small but the interior gave it a cozy feel that Hoseok was always a fan of. They each ordered something from the menu, Hoseok opting for a soup and salad and a similar meal for Hyungwon that consisted of a sandwich and a salad.

    The two boys finished lunch an hour later and returned to Hyungwon's care after walking down the street to a coffee shop to grab their favorite drinks. Hoseok offered to pay which caused Hyungwon to put up a fuss about how Hoseok always treated him and Hyungwon feels like he never pays him back enough. Hoseok insisted, assuring him that he wouldn't offer with the expectation of anything in return and that Hyungwon was kind enough to show him the beach which he considered to be more than enough. 

    They spent the next 2 hours driving around the area, Hyungwon determined to show him some of the really pretty areas since Hoseok had never been there before. 

    "If we got a place near the edge of the city, we would totally be within driving distance to a lot of these places", Hyungwon commented as they passed by an intimate looking park filled with some of the greenery that Hoseok wanted to put in the house they planned to rent together when they finish college.

    Hoseok spoke in excited agreement. The thought of moving in together always made him smile ever since they first starting planning back in high school. Up until he met Hyungwon, Hoseok had never really been able to imagine a future for himself. Not that he didn't have goals in mind, but when he thought about the type of person he would end up with, nothing ever came to mind. But when he met Hyungwon, little by little that started to change. Slowly a picture of what he wanted his future to look like would form inside his head. It was never exatly the same. The house, for example, was subject to change based on their tastes and discussions when it came to financial plans. Even his dream profession changed a few times throughout his life. The one thing that was always constant though was Hyungwon. Hyungwon was his future. It didn't even matter to him whether it remained platonic or if they added romance to the equation, all that mattered was that Hyungwon stay in his life. As long as that didn't change, Hoseok would be happy.

    Soon enough it was time to make their way home. It seemed, although a very relaxing day, the heat had drained the friends of their remaining energy leaving the car silent save for the sound of music quietly playing on Hoseok's phone. It was well known among their group of friends that Hyungwon was a fan of sleep but when Hoseok was tired or anxious, he could fall asleep within minutes, so it was no surprise to the taller boy when he looked over and saw Hoseok with his head resting against the back of the seat, chest rising and falling slowly as he slept.

    Hyungwon sighed heavily as he removed one hand from the wheel to brush a strand of Hoseok's hair away from his face. "You make it really hard sometimes man, you know that? It's hard to talk and joke about some of the things that we do and not know if that's all they are to you", Hyungwon kept his eyes on the road as he spoke to himself. "Do you even realize why I said yes to the kissing thing? How much I regret it sometimes because it only makes it hurt more? Of course you don't. How could you know if I've never said anything?" 

    A bitter smile took over his features as he pulled into Hoseok's driveway. He turned the car off and took a moment to look at his best friend's face. He placed a soft kiss near the corner of Hoseok's mouth, but not actually touching the boy's lips. Hoseok may be sleeping but he still made sure to keep to certain boundaries. He composed himself, reverting back to his usual expression and placed his hand on Hoseok's shoulder to wake him up.

    "Hey. We're home". Hoseok slowly opened his eyes, head feeling a little foggy and confused as he hadn't been able to fall asleep completely. He had been awake enough to make out the sound of Hyungwon membling quietly to himself but he wasn't quite sure if he had heard right or if it was just his tired mind playing on his feelings. Something inside him told him that it wasn't just an illusion or semi-conscious dream. And the kiss, well it wasn't exactly a kiss but either way it couldn't have been fake. Sure, he's had dreams where he's kissed Hyungwon before, but it felt too real, too close. He decided to go with gut and say something.

    "Thank you for driving me home man, I appreicate it. Today was really nice", Hoseok said with a nervous smile. He waited for Hyungwon to nod, and tell him it was no big deal. "But just for the record", Hoseok said, watching as Hyungwon's head tilted in curiosity, "if you wanted to kiss me, all you had to do was ask".

    A panicked look spread across Hyungwon's face as he realized that Hoseok hadn't been fully asleep during his musings. He opened his mouth to apologize but Hoseok was quicker.

    "Hey, hey. It's okay, I don't mind. I mentioned it because I liked it." Hyungwon seemed to relax slightly upon hearing Hoseok's words but he was still obviously tense. "Though, I must admit, you did kind of throw a wrench in my plans to be the one to confess and ask you out." Hoseok smiled shyly, hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck out of embarassment.

    "What?" The tension in Hyungwon's body had left andnow he was left just feeling thoroughly confused.

    "Yeah, I've kind of liked you for over a year now and I was finally going to ask you out today but it seems like you beat me to it. Technically." Hoseok giggled slightly at how silly he had been to stress about everything. Even if Hyungwon didn't like him and sort of secretly confessed, Hoseok knew he wasn't the type to get mad or awkward about something like that. Hoseok was broken from his thought by Hyungwon's quiet voice.

    "So ask me".

    "Huh?" Now it was Hoseok's turn to be confused. "Ask you what?"

    "You said you were going to ask me out, so ask me." Hyungwon stated, confidence now starting to return to his eyes.
    "But, I already know the answer?"

    "I haven't really answered yet though, have I? You had something planned right? I'm assuming since it's you, you had something rehearsed. Am I wrong to assume that?

    A bright flush appeared across Hoseok's cheeks because indeed he did have lines rehearsed and of course Hyungwon would know that much. "No, you're right".

    "So ask me."

    Hoseok let out a sudden laugh, all the anxiety from the past week completely gone from his body. "Alright." He smiled brightly.

    "Hey Hyungwon?" He asked softly, reaching out to lace their fingers together.

    Hyungwon smiled back just as brightly. "Yeah, Hoseok?"

I'm sorry if the ending seems rushed and for leaving it open to interpretation (but let's be real it's ovious what happens) but I didn't want to indulge myself too much.  I hope you enjoyed and hopefully now that I've written something new I can get back to my previous fics as well as some new ones. Also spaces added for readbility