“This is such bull, hyung. We both know this project can change the history of our time!” Wonshik is angry, he is positively furious, but that's fine.

Taekwoon is too, even if it doesn't show. “I know, but it's not on us to decide.” He feels like he said this same sentence so many times during this year, it seems like that's all he ever says.

This battery they designed, it could change history, dissolve the struggle with the electricity companies, resolve the problem with the overheating systems in the cities. It was the most brilliant project of the decade and it was Wonshik's idea. “How can you be so calm?!” It is natural that he is angry.

It's natural that he feels like breaking the plates and the vases, feels like shouting and cursing and everything else.

“I think I expected a lot less from this meeting.” Taekwoon sighs, voice still soft even after reading the bold red letters saying rejected for security reasons in the paper on the table.

“A restriction order? Really? They think we're messing with… fire or radiation or– something to justify this.” He throws his hands in the air not for the first time since he walked inside with the letter in his hand. “How come I'm prohibited from doing my goddamn research in my goddamn spare time?”

“They are not trying to justify anything, this isn't a democratic system. They owe us no explanations.” Tapping his fingers into the table, Taekwoon looks through the half open curtains, eyes lost somewhere outside. “This is all my fault…”

“Woah, woah… what's that?” With a frown etched on his face, Wonshik stalks to the table, trying to at least hold Taekwoon's stare, maybe understand why would he say something like that. This is no one's fault. “This isn't your fault Taekwoon.”

“Wonshik, my father… He's been giving me hell. He wants me to go back to the Federation and work for him again. Follow his footsteps as he calls it.” A sigh, what can he even say? Tell him he's sorry? For ruining his dream? Yeah, right. “Since I left he's been trying to jeopardize everything I do and I hate it. I hate it… but there's nothing I can do.”

“Hyung, no. It's not your fault. There's no else I would trust with the project of my life.” Taekwoon scoffs a humorless smile. The project of his life, he says.

The goddamn project of his life.

“Not with me here you won't. I want out.”

“Hyung.” He seems sad about that. It's sweet of him, to give a … But Wonshik was always a sweet kid, since the beginning when they were both still kids and Wonshik was bullied at school. He was always a good kid, caring, kind. “This project is as much yours as it is mine. You can't just leave because there's a chance your father is involved.”

“I hate being paranoid.”

“So don't be. We can sort this out together, it's our project, not just mine.” That's what he thinks. He thinks this is just a natural problem, he won't blame it on him… he should but he won't.

“You a such a nice kid, Shikkie…”

“You're my best friend since ever… what kind of friend would I be if I kicked you out for things you have no control over.” The small smile, he has that same smile since he was seven. Taekwoon on the other hand stopped smiling when he was fifteen.

“A smart one.” Taekwoon finally says, and Wonshik laughs because he always laughs at his stupid humor, that stupid thunderous laugh of his.

It makes him smile too, if only a little, if only for now. “Hey, let's go grab something to drink.”

And they go. Taekwoon because he needs some distraction to the things that went over and Wonshik because he sincerely enjoys drinking, at least when he was younger he did, they spent some years apart. “What about that boy you were seeing? You mentioned him when we last spoke some years ago.”

“We broke up. It didn't really last.” He finally says, after a bit of silence, swallowing his drink without much thought, some watered down whiskey, very bitter but he's bitter too so it's no problem. “We broke up a month after I sent you that message.”

“Shame. I wanted to meet him.”

“Maybe you still can. He's a biologist, working on abyssal fissures. You signed for that too, didn't you?”

“I did.” He looks proud, it's not always that Taekwoon has the chance of seeing him looking proud. “What's his name?”

“Hakyeon, Cha Hakyeon.”

“I'll punch him for you.” Wonshik jokes mildly, Taekwoon smiles again, he appreciates the intention. “You should have called, I could go see you.”

At the time Taekwoon didn't really want to see anyone, he wanted to be swallowed whole by the ground so he wouldn't have to deal with his father, the Federation, the things he was subjected to by working there.

He wanted out.

Of his own life.

Sometimes he still does, but he won't venture this, he's not here to cry. “Didn't want to burden you with my petty problems.”

“Come on man, you're my best friend. Even if you're horrible keeping in touch, I'll always have your back.” Wonshik takes a swing of that cheap beer he seems to like so much. Ever since he moved out from his mother's house and Taekwoon went away to that awful years in military school the communication between them has become sparse, it seems like that wasn't enough to make them drift apart though.

That's good, Taekwoon is not sure if he even has anyone else. At all.

In all honesty he doesn't want anyone else, he rather have one friend he can hold on to than countless strangers in his contact list. He had enough of that already. “Same.”

“That turned really gay really fast.”

“I'm always gay.” Taekwoon mumbles through his glass, pleasantly buzzed from the alcohol and the nostalgic conversation.

It's nice… Seeing Wonshik grew up to be a nice man, capable of holding up on his own. It makes him proud.

“I'm aware.” Wonshik laughs in earnest now, seemingly amused by Taekwoon's lack of filter. Alcohol always makes him loud and disconcertingly bold.

“Are you mocking me?”

“Nah.”

“Now listen here Mr.Straight Man. I'm not in the mood for any sass, you hear me?”

A chuckle. “Loud and clear, sir.”

“Good.” Taekwoon hums, that soft voice of his. Wonshik never thought it suited him, tall as he was, broad shoulders and piercing eyes… with the softest of voices. “Now what about you?”

“Me?”

“Anyone you're interested in?”

“I don't know... I kind of don't think about that all that much.” Taekwoon hums as if urging him to go on. “I don't really like… people you know? I mean not like that.”

“You mean and on your bed?”

“Yeah… I say I'm straight because it's easier but I don't know. 's not… I did it a few times and it wasn't all that.”

“Are you happy like this?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it's cool.” Taekwoon places a hand on his thigh, always one for small touches. “Do what makes you happy kid.”

“Hm, sure Dad.”

“I'm a better dad than your actual dad.” Taekwoon empties his cup. “That’s a fact. You should have let me punch him in the .”

Wonshik smirks a little. “Yeah… I should have shouldn't I?”

“Hey, wanna dance with me?”

“What?”

“Dance. With me.”

“Like this, out of nowhere?”

“What is this? A man can't ask his friend out to dance without having a reason? I have to be interrogated now is that it?” Taekwoon has the heart to take insult, too dramatic as always.

“We can dance at home. Let's go.” A hand around Taekwoon's wrist, dragging him out the bar and to the bike by the curb, laughing at how Taekwoon sometimes stumbles on his own feet. “Hop up, princess.”

“You're so disrespectful…” He complains but hops on regardless, arms around Wonshik's middle, unapologetic after more than ten years knowing each other. “No wonder you're still single.”

“You're single too, you know.”

“Yes, but I make dad jokes and forget important dates and I'm emotionally unavailable.” He mumbles, cheeks pressed to Wonshik's back. “You're actually nice, and sorta handsome… You also have a nice .”

“Oh my god Taekwoon.” Wonshik chuckles but more because he has trouble reacting to compliments than because he's in any way embarrassed. He knows Taekwoon for long enough for them to be past this point.

They already made more inappropriate jokes about one another.

“Hush, I told you I'm gay all the time.”

“Hold on. If you drool on my shirt I'm gonna flip you.”

“I don't drool.”

“Fair warning, old man.”

“You're so disrespectful…”

A/N: So... First chapter of this God knows how long series of small drabbles I'm making because I like this universe and I want to deepen the characters involved.

I don't know if it's good or not but tell me what you think.