chapter title from: vegas - all time low

The last time Jihoon had slept over at Seungcheol’s messy bachelor pad, he’d been extremely drunk, waking up the next day wrapped up in Seungcheol’s blue blanket, accompanied by a stinking hangover and a piercing headache that lasted for decades. Back then, Seungcheol had been the one who’d nursed Jihoon back to life, easing the after effects of Jihoon’s thoughtless drinking the night before, even though they’d barely been acquaintances - simply a surf instructor and his student, bound into an unlikely situation that brought out the best of humanity in the form of Choi Seungcheol.

How time flies, and so many things have changed since then: fast forward a month later, and Jihoon finds himself waking up in Seungcheol’s apartment, though in a drastically different situation compared to the first time. Of course, after last night, they’d never simply have that student-teacher relationship anymore, having danced around the idea of friendship and romance for a while now. Jihoon blinks as he slowly wakes up, delightfully surprised to have Seungcheol’s arms loosely wrapped around his waist; the both of them nestled under warm blankets.

It’s morning, but the room is dark - the South Californian sunshine outside blocked by the blinds. Jihoon’s still sleepy; but he slightly pivots his head to glimpse Seungcheol’s peaceful sleeping face. In the lowlight, Jihoon can barely trace out Seungcheol’s side profile, whose long eyelashes fan out over his cheeks as sleeps with his lips slightly apart. Waking up in the arms of the person he loves the most in the whole wide world thrills him to no end, and a tiny smile forms on his face as he lightly runs his fingers over Seungcheol’s bare chest and shoulders, circling the little spots that are turning an unfavourable shade of purple. Maybe he’d gotten a bit too wrapped up in the heat of the moment last night - Seungcheol’s little moans encouraged him furthers as he nipped every bit of skin he could reach, before they fell together onto the bed in an intimate tangle of limbs and kisses, exploring every inch of each other’s body.

Seeing the little bruises on Seungcheol’s tanned skin gives Jihoon a teeny bit of possessive satisfaction - it would be safe to say that yes, they’re officially together now.

As much as Jihoon wants to stay in bed and watch Seungcheol sleep, he’s got the sudden urge to pee. He could stay here in bed cuddling with Seungcheol, but his bladder is about to burst, and wetting the bed isn’t at all. Untangling himself from Seungcheol’s arms, Jihoon leaves the comfort of the bed, but not before he gives the sleeping Seungcheol a quick peck on the lips. His backside feels a little sore as he pads his ways towards the bathroom, picking out a path through the clothes carelessly strewn all over the floor.

Jihoon quickly does his business in the toilet, already thinking about cuddling in bed for the rest of the day with Seungcheol. He remembers to wash his hands - good hygiene goes a long way - and gargles some of Seungcheol’s antibacterial mouthwash to rid of the halitosis that haunts him every morning. He feels relaxed; like all the burden and worries of his life has been taken away, cured by the sand and surf of Malibu.

Jihoon takes a moment to stare at his reflection in the bathroom mirror - gone are the worry lines between his eyebrows, courtesy of the perpetual frown he wore at his stressful accounting job an ocean away. It seems surreal that he’s been gone for a while now - his life in Seoul seems like a lifetime away, and Jihoon wouldn’t mind dropping it all in a heartbeat. The bright California sun has given him a slight tan (maybe a sunburn at some point, too); his jawline a little softer at the edges, all thanks to good nutrition.

To put it simply, this impromptu prolonged trip has given him all the things he wanted - happiness, health, and the most unexpected of them all: love. Jihoon smiles at his reflection in the mirror - for once in his twentysomething years of living, he’s content.

Once he’s done thanking all of his lucky stars for the relaxed life he’s been enjoying here in Malibu, Jihoon leaves the bathroom, longing to get back to bed. He accidentally slams the bathroom door shut, surprising himself; and his gaze quickly flicks over to the bed - surely a sound that loud would have disrupted Seungcheol’s slumber.

Under the covers, Seungcheol’s slowly stirring awake, realising that Jihoon’s gone from the bed. He props himself up, his eyes barely open; looking around for his missing partner as he scratches his head, which makes his bedhead even ier messier. Suddenly feeling self-conscious about being in his birthday suit in front of Seungcheol (though it clearly hadn’t been a problem last night), Jihoon picks up a random article of clothing from the floor, hurriedly dragging it over his head to cover himself up.

“Who told you to get dressed?” Seungcheol teases in his deep morning voice, which sends goosebumps along Jihoon’s arms.

Seungcheol’s had his fair share of good mornings, especially recently, which all involved Jihoon; but this is the best one yet - the excellent view of a - Jihoon wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt which hangs midway to his milky thighs, and clearly doesn’t belong to him.

Jihoon blushes profusely, tugging at the hem of the borrowed shirt. He stands frozen in his spot, appreciating how y Seungcheol looks when he’s just woken up: messy bedhead, his muscular chest marked by little hickeys, and his naughty bits covered up by the blankets. Jihoon’s heart starts racing - if this is going to be a daily occurrence, he’s not sure if he can get used to it...

“Come here.” Seungcheol beckons Jihoon back to bed with a wiggle of a finger.

Jihoon totters over shyly, aware that Seungcheol is watching his every move. Climbing onto the bed, Jihoon automatically straddles Seungcheol, focusing on the beautiful person lying underneath him that he doesn’t realise that the giant T-shirt he’s wearing is riding up his back, exposing his backside. Only the sheets are separating them, and Seungcheol reaches out to pull Jihoon closer, his fingers lightly caressing over Jihoon’s backside before they disappear under Jihoon’s shirt.

Jihoon leans in and kisses Seungcheol’s slightly parted lips, smiling. Good morning kisses have never been better, and the pair make out for a few breathless moments, getting tangled between the sheets; hands roaming wild over each other’s skin.

Seungcheol rolls on top of Jihoon, pinning him down to the bed, breaking their liplock to look at Jihoon’s euphoric expression. His eyes hold a longing gaze, even this early in the morning, prepared to ravish Jihoon the way he did last night. He gently palms Jihoon’s chest, then delicately teases his , to which Jihoon lets out a low moan. Seungcheol’s lips meets Jihoon’s once more another passionate kiss, moving against each other in a sloppy manner; though Seungcheol quickly pulls away after a few seconds, leaving Jihoon confused and wanting more.

“I’ll be right back.” Seungcheol says with a smile, hopping off the bed; and he heads off to the adjacent bathroom.

Jihoon watches Seungcheol’s perky derriere as he leaves; settling back against the fluffy pillows. He lets out a happy little sigh, relieving back the memories from last night - from Soonyoung’s party to their midnight beach confession, then they’d taken their little private after party to Seungcheol’s apartment, which involved a whole lot of kissing and fondling that Jihoon’s even done in his twentysomething years of living.

Amidst the memories of getting hot and heavy with his new boyfriend, Jihoon takes a second to think about his best friend Soonyoung, who he hasn’t seen since last night’s party.

Nah, Soonyoung would be fine, since he’d probably be somehwhere with Wonwoo. Jihoon doesn’t need his nosy best friend to ruin his intimate moment with Seungcheol, so he closes his eyes and snuggles under the warmth of the blankets, thinking of nothing but Seungcheol.

Right then, a mobile phone rings from somewhere within the clothes on the floor, and Jihoon instantly knows that it’s Seungcheol’s phone. It’s probably tucked into a pocket, slightly muffled underneath all the fabric. Jihoon’s too comfortable to even move a muscle, as he deliberates about picking up the call to rid of the nuisance, but the ringing stops after a few more seconds.

Jihoon barely enjoys a few seconds of serene silence when Seungcheol’s phone blares again from its hiding place on the floor. It’s the default ringtone, reminding Jihoon of the snooty high-powered executives at his job, looking all busy with their endless calls. The incessant ringing starts getting to Jihoon’s nerves, and he’s got half a mind to crawl out of bed so he could smash the phone and make it stop ringing. Instead, he closes his eyes and drags the blanket over his head to block the ringing out. It goes on like a loop, stopping for a few seconds before starting again, like some kind of real-life nightmare for Jihoon, and he wishes that Seungcheol would appear soon, switch off his phone and continue cuddling with him for the rest of the morning.

“Hey, Jihoonie?”

Jihoon peeks from under the blanket, to see Seungcheol standing in the doorway of the bathroom, brushing his teeth. He’s got a towel wrapped around his waist (much to Jihoon’s relief and disappointment), and his eyebrows are slightly raised, surprised to find Jihoon hiding underneath the covers.

And of course, the bloody phone is still ringing.

“Is that my phone?”

“Probably.” Jihoon mumbles, knowing full well that his own phone is dead by now; besides, he’d personalised his own ringtone, trying to be a bit different from everyone else who still uses the generic one.

Seungcheol takes a look at the mess of clothes on the floor and at moment, the ringing stops. “It’s not important, I guess. Just leave it.” He disappears back into the bathroom to finish up his business.

Two seconds later, Seungcheol’s phone rings again, but this time, Jihoon is prepared, pouncing from the bed straight to the floor; quickly locating the device. He finds it in Seungcheol’s shorts pocket - the ones he wore last night - and Jihoon clutches it in triumph, ready to snap at whoever’s calling this early in the morning.

There’s one name on the caller ID: Soonyoung.

What the hell.

Just as Jihoon answers the phone, Soonyoung hangs up the line. “Idiot.”

It’s too early for his best friend to prank call people, specifically his boyfriend, at that! Jihoon jabs the screen to call Soonyoung back, prepared to give him a piece of his mind; when the device vibrates with a notification, indicating an incoming message.

It’s from Soonyoung; brief and cryptic - which doesn’t sound like Soonyoung at all.

The string of numbers and letters on the screen doesn’t make sense to Jihoon, and he cracks his head trying to decipher it, his lips pulling into a little noot. It seems like Soonyoung is playing some kind of stupid game, probably still riding from the high of last night’s party.

Seungcheol reenters the room to find a half- Jihoon sitting on the floor, pouting at his phone, surrounded by last night’s clothes. He stifles a laugh and grins to himself, thinking how absolutely adorable Jihoon looks, especially with the wide collar of the shirt he’s wearing is exposing his collarbones, and Seungcheol wants to lean in and on Jihoon’s milky white skin.

“Why are you on the floor?” Seungcheol kneels next to Jihoon, keeping a grip on the towel around his waist. Jihoon looks at him with a confused look, handing over the mobile phone back to its rightful owner.

Seungcheol quickly skims over the messages from Soonyoung, then he frowns. “What’s this about?”

Jihoon doesn’t know, either, so he simply shrugs. Besides, he’s getting distracted by Seungcheol’s pecs - he could just reach out and touch them…

“I think he’s in trouble.” Seungcheol pronounces. Looking back at the messages - which is the opposite of Soonyoung’s typical bubbly, emoji-laden texting style - it does seem a little off-putting…

The colour drains away from Jihoon’s face, making him as white as a sheet of paper - he’d always thought that Soonyoung, with his trust fund that has infinite zeroes, and overall careless manner, was a prime target for abduction. The news just had to break on the morning after Jihoon had gotten together with the love of his life, robbing them of more warm cuddles and other intimate things, thoughts of which fly out of Jihoon’s mind instantly, replaced by worry for the safety of his best friend.

Seungcheol helps Jihoon sit on the edge of the bed, as they collect their own thoughts. “I think these are coordinates.” The surfer says quietly.

“Is that where they’ve taken him?”

“Probably.” Seungcheol nods solemnly, casting his phone aside.

“Should we call the cops?”

Seungcheol pulls Jihoon into his arms, giving him a reassuring hug. “Not yet. I’m sure Soonyoung’s giving the kidnappers hell right now. Besides, they didn’t ask for ransom or anything.”

“What if they’re dangerous?” Jihoon mumbles into Seungcheol’s chest. His dream rom-com life turned into a potentially dangerous hostage situation, just by a couple of text messages; but being here in Seungcheol’s arms calms him down.

“We’ll follow their instructions and go to wherever the coordinates point. We need to make sure that Soonyoung is okay.”

“Alright.” There are no thoughts in Jihoon’s mind, just that Seungcheol is right here next to him, half-dressed; while his best friend has possibly been kidnapped.

Nope, nothing to worry about.

Seungcheol dips closer towards Jihoon, capturing his lips for a quick kiss. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Jihoon can’t think properly this early in the morning, with all the stress kicking in - he’d do whatever people tells him to do. If Seungcheol tells him it’s all going to be fine, then it will be. He leans his head against Seungcheol’s with his eyes closed for a few seconds, exhaling deeply. He slowly opens his eyes, meeting Seungcheol’s concerned irises; and he smiles. “Thanks, Cheol.”

“C’mon. Let’s go take a shower first. We can sort things out after.” Seungcheol says with a sly smile, interlocking his fingers with Jihoon’s, pulling him into the bathroom.

*

It’s about an hour later when Seungcheol and Jihoon are finally decent, having spent a little longer than expected in the shower together.

Jihoon stands in the middle of Seungcheol’s apartment, wearing a fresh outfit courtesy of Seungcheol’s wardrobe - the shirt and shorts combo he’s wearing practically swallow his small frame, being a couple of sizes too big for him. He taps his foot anxiously as he checks the time, guilt washing over him for spending a while in the shower with his boyfriend, especially when his best friend’s life is on the line…

It’s almost ten o’clock in the morning, two hours before the deadline set by the sender of the suspicious text message. Seungcheol’s almost done getting ready, dressed in a tightly fitting muscle tee that shows off his pecs in all the right places; looking like the poster boy for Surfers Paradise. Jihoon takes a second to appreciate them, shamelessly staring (well, he should be allowed to ogle his own boyfriend); as Seungcheol shoots him a smile, signalling that he’s ready to leave, his keys and wallet in hand.

As Seungcheol locks his apartment, worry piles up in Jihoon’s overthinking brain - they’re really diving into this head first, going to a possibly dangerous place without any backup. Part of him finds it y, how Seungcheol had easily decided for them to go where Soonyoung is, thought he hates the recklessness of diving into it without proper planning. Who knows what awaits them at the location Soonyoung had sent them: Soonyoung tied up and gagged, held hostage like a scene out of an action movie; or Soonyoung all safe and sound, laughing at them for panicking for no reason.

But the message sitting in Seungcheol’s inbox bothers him. Soonyoung would never hide anything from the world, announcing his doings and whereabouts everywhere on the internet - which was probably how the kidnappers had found him…

If only Jihoon’s phone isn’t dead. He could check if Soonyoung had called or texted him, so he could shake away the uneasy feeling in his gut. He feels nauseous simply thinking about his best friend in trouble, but the feeling eases away when Seungcheol reaches out to hold his hand, intertwining their fingers.

Everything’s gonna be alright, Jihoon thinks, gripping Seungcheol’s hand tightly as they leave the apartment. Seungcheol casts a glance at Jihoon, who looks extremely uneasy, so he clutches Jihoon’s hand tighter in reassurance.

The pair bundle into Seungcheol’s Jeep, which is parked by the side of the road near Seungcheol’s building. The mid-morning sun blazes brightly above their heads, a couple of fluffy clouds parading the sky - just the perfect weather to go on a wild goose chase for a certain Kwon Soonyoung.

Jihoon immediately plugs his phone into the dashboard to charge, as Seungcheol punches the coordinates from the text message into his GPS. It doesn’t take long to load: a few seconds later, the lilting, generic voice of the GPS welcomes them, showing a trail on the map that leads out of California.

308 miles away, to be exact.

“Las Vegas?” Jihoon blinks at the device, as the robotic voice of the GPS starts directing them on where to go.

“Well, we’re never going to make it there by noon.” Seungcheol exhales sharply, rechecking the GPS coordinates he’d entered, thinking he’d made a mistake. It would take them at least four to five hours of driving without stopping to get to Sin City.

“Isn’t Vegas in a whole other state?” Jihoon asks, and Seungcheol nods in confirmation as he reboots the GPS, and enters the coordinates once more, only to come up with the same results.

“If we’re going that far, I guess I’d better fuel up.” He drives to a nearby gas station, while Jihoon sits anxiously in the passenger seat, waiting for his phone battery to charge so he could switch it on and check his messages.

It’s typical of Soonyoung, to city-hop at a moment’s notice, but there’s also the possibility of abduction by some evil Vegas mobster – Jihoon’s mind is really playing up the worst-case scenarios.

While Seungcheol fuels up the car, Jihoon impatiently powers up his phone, tapping his foot anxiously. There’d better be a good reason for them to drive all the way to Las Vegas, and Jihoon’s expecting to find answers.

Jihoon’s phone starts vibrating like mad with the incoming flood of notifications: there’s a million missed calls from Soonyoung - typical of him, the king of spamming, just as he’s accustomed to do when Jihoon goes off without him. Jihoon scrolls through all the call logs - there’s been a call from Soonyoung every fifteen minutes between last night and the time Soonyoung had contacted Seungcheol - which makes Jihoon think that it’s less likely that Soonyoung has been kidnapped, judging from his usual clinginess.

He speed dials Soonyoung, but the first two tries go unanswered. Only when Jihoon’s about to give up on the third time, Soonyoung answers, sounding as chipper as always.

“Hoonie!”

Jihoon lets out a huge sigh of relief. “You’re alive. I don’t need to prepare any ransom, do I?”

“What?” Over the line, Soonyoung sounds distracted. “Yes, Won-won is very handsome!”

That last line confirms that Soonyoung is perfectly fine.

Or drunk.

At least he hasn’t been kidnapped, so Jihoon can stop worrying himself to death.

“What are you doing at a pancake diner in Las Vegas?” Jihoon eyeballs the GPS on the dashboard, with points at Soonyoung’s exact location.

A pause from Soonyoung’s side. “…I just wanted pancakes?”

Jihoon facepalms, as Seungcheol slides back into the driver’s seat, bearing an armful of snacks. “Who’s with you?”

“Won-won, of course.” Soonyoung giggles. “And Minghao.”

Just like Jihoon and Seungcheol had their own little after party at Seungcheol’s surfer pad; but Soonyoung one-upped him, taking his after party all the way to Sin City instead.

“So are you coming?” Soonyoung asks, sounding hopeful. Jihoon glances at Seungcheol, as if searching for an answer in the surfer’s face; but he’s busy opening a bag of chips.

This isn’t the first time that Soonyoung’s giving him a big headache, so he straightens out his thoughts:

He’d rather stay here in Malibu and cuddle (or more) with Seungcheol. But he’s never been to Vegas. And what if Soonyoung does something stupid, like gamble away his inheritance? Plus, Seungcheol’s all prepared for the long trip ahead – the car’s all fuelled up, and he’s got snacks, too… is that a bottle of cola?

“Fine. But we’ll be late.” Jihoon decides, staring at the cola bottle sitting securely between Seungcheol’s thighs, as Seungcheol still struggles with opening the bag of chips.

“Yay! We’re waiting for you guys.” Jihoon can imagine the wide grin on his best friend’s face, hearing the excitement in his voice.

“Bye.” Jihoon hangs up abruptly. He turns to Seungcheol, who gives up on opening the chips. “False alarm. Soonyoung is safe and sound.”

“That’s good to hear.” Seungcheol says, as Jihoon takes the snack packet from him. “Can’t blame him for wanting to have a bit of fun in Vegas.”

Jihoon tears open the bag of chips in one try. With a smirk, he exchanges the snack for his all-time favourite beverage with Seungcheol. “I got cola for you.”

Jihoon lights up, his eyes sparkling - Seungcheol’s definitely the most thoughtful boyfriend ever to exist on the face of the earth, noting all his favourite things, even if he never really emphasised on them in the first place.

“Ready to hit the road?” Seungcheol ignites the engine, navigating the car towards the main road.

Jihoon twists the bottle open - nothing better for breakfast than a nice, cold drink of fizzy cola. “Can we just stay here?”

He knows it’ll take a while to drive to Vegas, based off the sheer distance that the GPS had mapped out; but he’d rather spend that time with Seungcheol indoors, doing whatever new couples do.

But it seems like Seungcheol quite likes the idea of going to Vegas, his eyes shining with hope. “C’mon. When else are you gonna get the chance to go to Vegas at a moment’s notice?”

Probably never, Jihoon thinks. This reminds him of the way he’d left his life in Seoul, joining Soonyoung on his globe-trotting adventures in Los Angeles. Everything that he does on impulse is always from Soonyoung’s influence, which usually requires him to leave his comfort zone. But the experience he gets from it is priceless. (And if Jihoon had stayed in Seoul for his mind-numbing job, he’d probably never meet the love of his life on the golden beaches of Malibu.)

Jihoon finds that Seungcheol’s puppy dog eyes are difficult to resist, too, so he relents. “Fine, we’ll go to Vegas.”

Seungcheol breaks out into a happy, dimpled smile; which makes Jihoon’s heart skip a beat. He starts the car engine, slowly pulling out of the gas station towards the main road. “You’ll have a lot of fun. I’ll make sure of it.”

From the coast, they drive inland, heading towards the canyons, according to the GPS. With nothing else to do, Jihoon sits back and scarfs down the bag of chips, occasionally feeding Seungcheol who would naughtily the flavouring off Jihoon’s fingers.

The road gradually widens into a dual carriage freeway as they traverse suburban Los Angeles, heading east. The freeway stretches into infinity up ahead, with confusing intersections that look like rollercoaster tracks, looping over and under and left and right, making Jihoon feel nauseous just by looking at them. They would’ve gotten lost if not for Seungcheol’s trusty GPS -  a single wrong turn would set off the correct route, and the complicated American roads would make it difficult for them to get back on track quickly.

Seungcheol tells Jihoon about the first time he’d gone to Vegas with a group of friends during his senior year in college, a week before finals. Surprisingly, it had been sensible Joshua’s idea, stressed out with his physiology finals, so he’d rounded up a bunch of his friends, including Seungcheol, hauled them into a car and drove straight to Sin City with nothing but loose change in their pockets and three cases of cheap booze in the trunk.

Reminiscing his college days gives Seungcheol a sense of deja vu; heading to Vegas on such short notice. But this time, he doesn’t know what to expect from Soonyoung’s invitation - anything could happen in Vegas: glitzy casinos and numerous themed hotels and the biggest buffets that could serve a whole country. As students, they’d been on the cheaper side of Vegas, but it had been quite the experience being in a city known for its notoriety. 

“Did it involve strip clubs?” Jihoon asks curiously, neatly cutting into Seungcheol’s anecdote.

Seungcheol hesitates in his reply. “…yes. It was Josh’s idea, of course.” He adds quickly, stealing a glance at Jihoon, who’s already crossing his arms, casting his gaze out the windows. “Not that there was anything interesting to see in it; I remember that it was really dark.”

“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, Cheol.” Jihoon quirks an eyebrow up, turning to look at his boyfriend.

“Right.” Seungcheol swallows, then turns his focus back on the road.

Listening to Seungcheol’s story makes Jihoon slightly excited for Vegas - of course, he’d seen the place in films and on the television; but the idea of actually going there thrills him. He’d be able to see for himself, what makes Vegas, Vegas… a few hours from now.

As they run out of conversation, Jihoon starts to sing along to the radio, even though he barely knows the lyrics to whatever is playing. Seungcheol turns the volume up for Jihoon, smiling to himself - Jihoon has the voice of an angel; it’s effortless for him to sound so good.

Buildings turn into foliage as they leave the city limits, clumps of grass scattered on sandy soil replacing the concrete jungle of Los Angeles. Sprawling plains, scenic against the backdrop of a brilliant blue sky; the sun shining like spotlight, picture perfect for a postcard. The country looks vast, with no tall buildings around, only rolling green grass that reaches out to the horizon.

Seungcheol lowers the volume of the stereo when he notices that Jihoon’s napping, little snores escaping his lips. They’re not even halfway out of the state, so Seungcheol lets Jihoon sleep, entertaining his own thoughts instead.

Things had been going by in a flash since last night, when Jihoon had kissed Seungcheol on the beach, with the moon as their witness. He didn’t expect it - but he’d certainly thought of it, dreaming of Jihoon’s little rosebud lips, even now -

From acquaintance to friends to lovers, the nature of their relationship had grown comfortably over time, Jihoon opening up to Seungcheol more every time they met. A smile creeps onto his face when he thinks about Jihoon - he’d never encountered anyone as adorable as Jihoon; with his small dimples and cute little eyesmiles and cotton candy hair, like a little fairy bringing happiness to his otherwise mundane life. Seungcheol wants to keep Jihoon in his pocket and protect him from all the evil in the world; and tuck him into bed at night with kisses and greet him good morning the same way for the rest of his life.

Seungcheol loves Jihoon’s persistence, especially when he first learned how to surf without even knowing how to swim. And Seungcheol especially loves the way Jihoon’s eyes light up whenever he talks about music; sharing the hidden songs he hears in his mind with the world. Not to mention the unique way Jihoon shows his affection – rarely through direct skinship, but rather, by sharing bits of his food, or by quietly worrying himself mad for the wellbeing of others, giving meaning to the little things that Seungcheol himself tends to overlook.

He could go on all day and think about the reasons he loves Lee Jihoon – they could drive to Vegas and back, but he wouldn’t even be halfway through his list.

One thing is for sure: Seungcheol loves Jihoon the most, and that is a fact that nobody can refute.

Seungcheol chances a quick glance at the sleeping Jihoon, smiling to himself at how innocent and vulnerable Jihoon looks. He reminds himself to kiss Jihoon later, not now, when he’s not driving at fifty miles per hour surrounded by other speeding cars on a four-lane freeway.

Midway through the journey after staring at nothing but an endless stretch of asphalt, Seungcheol navigates off the freeway; making a pit stop in a small town located nearby. As Seungcheol stops at a red light, Jihoon wakes up, his body noticing the change from the constant speed.

“Are we there yet?” Jihoon glances out the window in confusion – all around them is nothing but sandy desert, with scarce foliage.

“Pit stop, Jihoonie. My is numb.” Seungcheol says. Jihoon doesn’t mention that his own backside is still hurting from last night, so he just scoffs.

Seungcheol takes a turn at an intersection, onto a road that seems to have more parking lots than buildings. “Lunch?”

Jihoon nods – he’d never say no to food, of course. Besides, he’s hungry after sitting in a car for hours on end; he could eat a whole cow by himself.

They enter a burger joint, and Jihoon lets Seungcheol order for him – the only person he’d trust with his food – as he goes to pick a table by the window. He takes the chance to check his phone; and there’s a bunch of text messages from Soonyoung, which are about a million variations of ‘are you here yet?’ Jihoon keeps his response short and sweet with a simple no, then casts his phone aside.

Seungcheol returns soon enough with food for both of them: burgers and fries and of course, cola for Jihoon. Jihoon’s ravenous, so he practically swallows his burger in three bites, much to Seungcheol’s amazement. He doesn’t even mind it when Seungcheol steals a couple of fries from him, in fact, he pushes the whole box towards Seungcheol, letting him finish it.  

It’s a quick stop; and they’re back on the road again, the arid desert surrounding them. Seungcheol starts a conversation about burgers, but their small talk eventually dies down, the both of them easing into comfortable silence. Jihoon sings softly along to the stereo, which keeps Seungcheol awake as he drives, but eventually Jihoon falls asleep as they get nearer to their destination.

“We’re here.” Seungcheol says finally, after hours of driving.

Jihoon peels his eyes open, expecting to see the glitzy Las Vegas Strip in front of him - the extravagantly decorated casinos and hotels that pops into his mind when thinking about glam5orous Las Vegas, but all he sees is the freeway stretching to infinity in front of him, the same view he’s seen all day.

“Are you sure we’re not still in LA?” Jihoon mutters, stretching in his seat.

Seungcheol lets out a laugh, smiling.

He must be tired, driving for hours on end - Jihoon feels like his backside is numb, glued to the passenger seat of Seungcheol’s Jeep. “We’re definitely here, Jihoonie.”

The GPS tells them to take the next exit and leave the freeway, which Seungcheol does. They immediately come to a halt at a stop light, and Jihoon sighs - how long have they been on the road? He feels drained, even though he’s barely done anything all day.

Along the streets are strip malls, which house convenience stores and novelty shops, each advertising their wares in loud, gaudy Vegas style. From the main road, they take a turn into a side street, entering a quiet neighbourhood of low-rise apartments and a few empty lots with weeds and rocks scattered all over the ground. If not for the tall, pointy tower standing proudly nearby, serving as the highest building in the non-existent city skyline, and random stretch limousines parked by the roadside, Jihoon would’ve thought that they’re still in suburban LA.

The highlighted trail on the GPS shows that they’re almost at their destination. Jihoon exhales deeply, glad that their long journey is almost over, but the prospect of seeing his best friend again makes him extremely nervous.

Seungcheol circles the parking lot, looking for an empty spot, and Jihoon spots Wonwoo’s car parked between two flashy supercars, looking ordinary in comparison. Seungcheol easily finds an empty space and pulls in, letting out a great big sigh of relief when he shuts the engine. “We made it.”

Jihoon smiles, leaning over to kiss Seungcheol. “Thanks for doing this.” On impulse, Seungcheol pulls Jihoon closer, enjoying the sensation of Jihoon’s lips against his own – he deserves it after a tiring day of driving.

“Ready to meet Soonyoung’s kidnappers?” Seungcheol asks as he pulls away, still cupping Jihoon’s cheek.

“No. Let’s go home.” Jihoon quips, the smile never leaving his face. He reaches to open the passenger door, stepping foot onto Vegas soil for the very first time. The afternoon sun is relentless, shining brightly in the sky; and there are palm trees lining the main road, reminiscent of California. Jihoon stretches languidly, letting out a yawn. The dry desert air makes Jihoon’s skin feel prickly, and he quickly walks over to meet Seungcheol, who’s still stretching.

With a nod, they head towards the doors of the pancake restaurant together for whatever awaits them…

“HOONIE!” Jihoon gets assaulted with a hug from Soonyoung the second he enters the restaurant. “I’m glad you you guys made it!” He pulls Seungcheol into the embrace, the two of them sandwiching the (relatively) small Jihoon between them.

“Nice threads, Hoonie.” Soonyoung says, observing Jihoon’s oversized clothing, once he lets them go.

“Thanks, they’re mine.” Seungcheol cuts in smoothly with a smile, wrapping an arm around Jihoon’s shoulders almost possessively.

Soonyoung gapes at them like a goldfish, but he smiles radiantly, glowing a million times brighter than the hot desert sun outside. He’d expected this all along, anyway, and he’s happy for his best friend and his new boyfriend -

“I’m glad you guys made it.” Soonyoung leads the couple to a booth at the back of the room, where Wonwoo and Minghao are waiting, amidst several empty plates and coffee cups which hints th