The light poured in from the huge, wall-covering window on the far side of the entryway to Kihyun’s apartment, the cool light of early afternoon pouring in to the space and rendering it breezy and refreshing. Of course, the entire space was immaculate from head-to-toe, from the alphabetically organized movie case, to the delicately arranged throw pillows on the cheap couches. Kihyun inhaled softly, one hand on his hip while the other stirred in sauce to the pasta boiling on the stovetop.

Everything was perfectly in order, but if there was one thing that was out of place, it was the absence of his loud, messy roommate- normally he was home by this hour. As if on cue, the front door to the apartment swung open, and in sauntered Minhyuk, looking disheveled and hung-over. Kihyun rolled his eyes, only sparing the man a short once-over as he made his way inside the apartment.

“Jesus, are those the same clothes you were wearing yesterday?” Kihyun asked, feigning shock even though: why would he ever expect Minhyuk to arrive back at the apartment looking decent? Minhyuk chuckled raspily, flopping down onto the couch with his shoes still on, completely ruining the symmetry of the throw pillows.

“Why do you always ask me that when we both know they are,” Minhyuk half-heartedly replied, eyes flickering over to watch Kihyun cook. “Hey, could I have some?” he asked, smacking on his gum and absently blowing a bubble, his eyes trained on the pot on the stove.

“Yeah, but you’re gonna have to help me cook,” Kihyun said, unsurprised by Minhyuk’s mooching, but still a bit ticked off about it. Minhyuk grumbled, but got up, making his way over to the kitchen where Kihyun was and helping the boy out. “Just mix up a salad for us,” Kihyun ordered, and Minhyuk walked over to the fridge, peering into the stark white appliance.

After successfully making their lunch, the two boys sat down at the dining table and began eating it. Minhyuk still hadn’t had the chance to wash up, and as Kihyun was observing him at closer quarters, noticed how much of a mess he really looked. Thoughtfully chewing his salad, Kihyun’s dark eyes looked up, and he chuckled at the makeup streaked eyes he was greeted with.

“You should really start toning it down,” Kihyun said, gesturing towards Minhyuk’s haggard visage with his fork. “With the and all,” he continued unnecessarily, and Minhyuk rolled his eyes, taking another bite of pasta. “As your friend, I don’t like seeing you come home like this every night,” Kihyun concluded, trying to appeal to Minhyuk’s soft side in hopes that it would actually change something. As Minhyuk sighed in acknowledgement, Kihyun knew he had at least struck a heartstring.

“It’s not every night, but you’re right,” Minhyuk admitted, swallowing the bite he had in his mouth. “I really should get my together, especially since we’ll be starting our last semester in a few weeks,” Minhyuk said, and then winced at the last part- , was it really that soon? Kihyun nodded, and, as his phone lit up with a notification- he noticed what day it was. Getting an idea, Kihyun looks up into Minhyuk’s eyes. 

“You know, today is New Year’s Eve,” Kihyun said, and Minhyuk nodded, trying to see where he was going with this. “You could make it your New Year’s Resolution to settle down and focus on your studies,” he offered, staring at Minhyuk with the pride of a man who thought he just had the greatest idea in the world. Minhyuk nodded, chewing on a bite of salad as he stared out of the window, stewing on the idea.

“Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea,” he said, but as he thought about it, he shrugged, deciding that if he didn’t like it- he could just give up on it in a few months… not that he’d say that to Kihyun. “I’ll do it,” he decided, and Kihyun grinned, taking a few more bites of salad.

“That’s great, I’m proud of you for at least trying,” Kihyun said, and Minhyuk frowned, giving the boy a dirty look.

“…Who’s the older one here?” Minhyuk said, trying to remind Kihyun.

“You by like 2 weeks, so it doesn’t really count,” Kihyun replied, distracted by another notification on his phone. He began reading it, and, Minhyuk, a little annoyed that Kihyun didn’t give him a proper reply, gets a little nosy.

“Who’s messaging you?” Minhyuk asks, leaning forward. Kihyun picks up his phone, passing it over to Minhyuk so he could see it for himself.

“Hoseok, actually. He just sent out a reminder about his New Year’s Eve party tonight,” Kihyun said, watching as Minhyuk quickly read it and handed his phone back to Kihyun. “I almost forgot about it,” Kihyun muttered under his breath, thankful that his older friend had the foresight to send a reminder. 

“Ah, yeah me too,” Minhyuk said, feeling a little bad. Hoseok was a mutual friend of theirs, and they definitely wouldn’t bail on one of his infamous parties on purpose. Actually, speaking of how infamous they were… 

“It’s too bad you just made your resolution,” Kihyun said, lips quirking up in a grin. “Because I know how much you always seem to enjoy the company of Hoseok’s physical trainer friends,” he continued, barking out an amused laugh at Minhyuk’s suddenly bitter expression.

“Yeah, well, I’ve ed most of them anyway,” Minhyuk said, shooting Kihyun a knowing look. “Besides, how hard could it be to go to a party and not ride home with a stranger?”

“Oh God Kihyun look at that fine man over there,” Minhyuk stage-whispered to Kihyun, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table from him. Kihyun damn near choked on his champagne, a bit surprised with how quickly Minhyuk was already setting his sights on somebody.

“Wha- Minhyuk!” Kihyun said, about to chastise the boy before getting interrupted by Minhyuk’s indiscreet pointing and gesturing. He sighed, following Minhyuk’s finger to a man leaned against the bar in Hoseok’s living room, lower half clad in a sinfully tight pair of leather pants that hugged his curves in the most flattering way possible. His eyes flickered up to look at the man’s face, and finding a statue-esque beauty with short, white hair, Kihyun shut his mouth, nodding silently as he returned his gaze to Minhyuk.

“You’re right. He’s hot,” Kihyun admitted, setting down his glass. Minhyuk laughed, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

“See? Even you can admit that,” Minhyuk said, chuckling as he picked up his glass, already rearing to head over there and chat him up. Noticing his sudden urgency to get up, Kihyun frowned, already knowing it was too late but still willing to try.

"So, what's your resolution for 2018 again, Minhyuk-ah?" Kihyun asked, taking a sip of his fancy rose champagne, eyebrow quirking up in a knowing stare. Minhyuk his lip, his eyes staring hotly at the mystery man across the room.

"Not to be a , but it," Minhyuk replied, standing up from his chair and not saying another word to Kihyun as he walked over to the bar. Kihyun rolled his eyes, grabbing his belongings and heading to somewhere else, so he wouldn’t have to witness Minhyuk’s indiscretion.

Approaching the bar and claiming a chair beside the leather-clad man, Minhyuk looked up at the bartender, belatedly noticing it was Hyunwoo… for some reason. Mouth splitting in a wide grin, Minhyuk called out to him.

“Hyung! What are you doing mixing drinks?” Minhyuk greeted, and Hyunwoo turned around, giving the younger boy a buddha-like smile. His words drew the attention of the mystery man, who looked over, now privy to the conversation as well. Perfect. 

“Minhyuk-ah, how have you been?” Hyunwoo said, voice congenial and warm. “And this? I was just making a drink for myself and Hyungwonnie, but I somehow got caught back here, ehehe,” Hyunwoo explained, his cheeks turning a bit red. Minhyuk laughed, totally unsurprised by this development.

“Heh, well, while you’re back there- wanna make me what he’s having?” Minhyuk said, gesturing to the leather-clad man and his beverage. It was probably just whisky and coke, judging by the smell and color, and Minhyuk didn’t drink- but he had a formula here- and it never failed him.

“Sure thing, have you two met before?” Hyunwoo asked, blinking innocently over at the two as he pulled out the bottle of coke. He wouldn’t add in the whisky, like Jooheon had, because he knew that Minhyuk wasn’t a big drinker. Minhyuk smiled mysteriously, eyes finally staring directly into the mystery man’s as he replied. 

“I think we just did,” he said, smirking and biting his lip in a clear effort to turn on every single one of his charms. When the mystery man flushed bright pink and looked down at the bar, Minhyuk knew it had gone according to plan.

“What’s your name, cutie?” Minhyuk asked, desperate to learn more about him. Taking a small sip of his drink, the man looked up, his plump, red lips parted in a shaky sigh.

“Lee Jooheon,” he answered, and Minhyuk, after grabbing his drink from Hyunwoo, smiles, blinking a few times as he processed the name.

“Jooheon?” he asked, emphasizing the last syllable. Jooheon nodded, shifting around slightly.

“I know it’s uncommon, but yes- my name is Jooheon,” he replied, and Minhyuk nodded, his eyes flickering with something dark and fiery as he spoke.

“Someone as uncommon and beautiful as you deserves such a unique name,” Minhyuk replied, tone suave and buttery. Jooheon feels his heart pound at the cheesy pick-up line, and he swallows thickly, not having much experience with getting hit on by strangers. Honestly- Jooheon didn’t have much experience flirting in general, let alone with some y man he’s never met before. He felt a little embarrassed, but he couldn’t deny how nice it felt to be the center of such an attractive stranger’s affections… especially since he had heard rumors about his other conquests.

“My name is Lee Minhyuk,” Minhyuk offered, and Jooheon nodded, eyes flickering up to meet Minhyuk’s with a small smile on his face.

“I know- I’ve heard about you from Hoseok-hyung and Hyunwoo-hyung,” Jooheon said, making Minhyuk’s eyebrows raise. Minhyuk was worried about the distinct possibility that this knowledge would scare Jooheon away- but that worry disappeared quite quickly. The way Jooheon was looking at him- timid, shy, utterly adorable, and definitely not intimidated made Minhyuk glad that Jooheon hadn’t heard about him from Kihyun.

“Oh yeah? Well, it’s all true,” Minhyuk says, half-jokingly, his eyes shining with a playful, flirtatious light that makes butterflies rise in Jooheon’s tummy. Minhyuk takes a quick sip of his coke, eyes scanning down Jooheon’s lean, slender torso and hovering on his beautiful, shapely legs donned in leather. He figures his gaze was probably resting a little too long, because Jooheon started squirming slightly from the intensity. Setting down his coke, Minhyuk’s eyes returned back to Jooheon’s face.

“I like your outfit, by the way. You look incredible in it,” he compliments, and Jooheon bows his head, frowning nervously and making his deep, cute dimples appear. Minhyuk bites his lip on a squeal, finding the reaction to be ridiculously cute and attractive.

“Thank you,” Jooheon replies, thinking back to how Changkyun had pestered him about wearing his leather pants to this party and ‘getting himself a man’. At the time, Jooheon was highly doubtful that they’d actually work, but look at him now: getting himself a man. He’d have to thank Changkyun for that later…

At the sudden sound of Hoseok lisping through a microphone, both boys turned in the direction of the noise, amusedly watching the older man try to get everyone’s attention.

“I thought it would be fun to do karaoke this year!” Hoseok called out, eyes scanning around the room. “Who wants to go first?” he continued, eyes glancing around the room. Spotting Kihyun, Hoseok smirked, speaking to him. “Kihyun-ah you’re the best vocalist! Get up here!!” he said, and Kihyun drunkenly took another sip of his drink, shaking his head. Looking for an easy way out, he spotted Minhyuk with his newest conquest, and smirked.

“I’m too drunk- Minhyuk! Bring your man and come sing!” Kihyun said, sparking a crowd of mixed chuckles and cheers, happy to have two people called out for the first song. Minhyuk smirked, looking over to Jooheon and waggling his eyebrows.

“Let’s go up there,” Minhyuk whispered to Jooheon, his eyes shining with a playful, fun-loving light that was entirely too convincing for Jooheon. Chuckling and shrugging his shoulders, Jooheon stood up, and the crowd of partygoers cheered as the two men walked up to the little makeshift stage set up in Hoseok’s apartment.

“What kind of song do you want to sing?” Minhyuk asked, flipping through the extensive setlist of songs. Jooheon picked up a mic, testing it before replying to Minhyuk. He honestly couldn’t believe he was doing this right now- about to sing karaoke in front of a huge crowd with a man he’d just barely met. Oddly enough, Jooheon wasn’t too nervous about it- there was something really exhilarating and exciting about the whole situation, and Jooheon found himself really grateful that he was getting out of his shell and doing something so fun. 

“I’m a rapper, actually, so hip hop,” Jooheon said, and Minhyuk smiled excitedly, bouncing. What are the odds that this y stranger also had great taste in music? Minhyuk internally complimented his own taste in men, and then glanced over at Jooheon, nodding to himself.

“I rap sometimes too! Oo, let’s do Dang Dang Dang” Minhyuk offered, picking out a classic. Jooheon nodded excitedly, and they briefly discussed line distribution and parts before starting the song. The powerful opening started, and Minhyuk began rapping his part- shocking Jooheon with his flow and rhythm. He looked over at Minhyuk with impressed eyes and smiled, his cheeks turning pink as he found himself liking Minhyuk more and more.

The loud cheers and burning gazes of the crowd around them were completely ignored by the two men as Minhyuk performed the song, putting every ounce of strength and skill he could muster into it. Truthfully, he hadn’t rapped in a few months, having been preoccupied with sleeping around and school for the most part. It was a great feeling to get back out there and preform, especially since he had Jooheon beside him. 

As it approached Jooheon’s part, he took a few steps closer to the tiny karaoke screen, reading the lyrics with squinted eyes. Starting his intense, powerful rendition of the verse he was assigned, the entire crowd roared in cheers, including Minhyuk, who whipped his head over to the boy, giving him a wide-eyed stare, mouth split in a huge smile. Jooheon was far more talented than Minhyuk could’ve anticipated, but instead of feeling jealousy or inadequacy- he only felt excitement and adoration. He resisted the urge to tackle Jooheon in a hug, but only for the sake of him continuing his incredible performance.

For the last verse, they rapped together, their different styles and tones mixing together for an exciting finish to the first song of the night. Staring into Jooheon’s eyes as they powerfully concluded the song, Minhyuk laughed, the sound bright and airy right into the mic. Chuckling alongside him, Jooheon gazed into the other man’s eyes, feeling his heart pound at the stunning, vibrant gaze that greeted him. He’d never seen someone that embodied what sunshine felt like, and Jooheon was utterly awestruck.

“WOOOO! That was awesome!” Hoseok called out, and the entire room became overwhelmed by cheers as Minhyuk collided against Jooheon, holding him in a tight hug, his face split in a wide grin.

“You were incredible!!” Minhyuk said against Jooheon’s ear, cutting through every other noise. Jooheon smiled, breathing in Minhyuk’s masculine, light fragrance, his cheeks warming.

“So were you,” Jooheon complimented, and curled his fingers around Minhyuk’s shoulders as he held him. When Kihyun catcalled from his chair across the room, Minhyuk realized they were probably hugging for just a little too long up there, and begrudgingly removed himself from Jooheon’s warmth.

The rest of the evening was spent talking with Jooheon and Hyunwoo, discovering the unique and close relationship the two had. He wondered why he’d never been introduced to Jooheon earlier, and Hyunwoo explained that Jooheon spent most of his time working on music and studying, much to Minhyuk’s disapproval.

“You need to get out more, Jooheony,” Minhyuk said, rubbing his hand along Jooheon’s shoulders in an intimate, friendly gesture. Jooheon shrugged, knowing that it was probably true.

“Maybe that’ll be my New Year’s Resolution,” Jooheon said, and chuckled, mostly joking. Hyunwoo and Minhyuk both nodded, urging the boy to do that.

“I think that would be good for you,” Hyunwoo said, and Jooheon bit his lip, eyes gazing up into Minhyuk’s.

“Well, I think I won’t have any trouble doing that with you around,” Jooheon said, and then internally chastised himself, worried that he was being too forward. Laughing excitedly, Minhyuk hugged him, squeezing the boy in his arms and giggling excitedly.

“60 seconds until New Year’s!!!” Hoseok yelled from somewhere in the apartment, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room, sparking a bright, excited vibe for the whole party. Minhyuk looked down at Jooheon, barely noticing how Hyunwoo left to probably locate his boyfriend, leaving the two of them alone. By this time in the night, Minhyuk was usually riding home with some stranger for the sole intent of getting laid- but tonight: he wasn’t doing that at all. He was still at the party, firstly, and secondly- he had Jooheon in his arms.

 Time started ticking down, and the entire crowd began counting it second by second. Jooheon stared up into Minhyuk’s eyes, his expression unreadable but startlingly intense. Minhyuk his lip, heart pounding as he sees the way Jooheon’s eyes follow the movement of his tongue. The intensity mounts as both men become aware of what’s expected to happen once that clock strikes 12: a kiss.

“3!” Jooheon leans closer to Minhyuk, and time begins to slow. His eyes flicker into Minhyuk’s face, his gaze anticipating and eager, and Minhyuk swallowed, wondering why it was so hard to give somebody a kiss when it was so easy for him to do so much more with anybody else.

“2!” Heart pounding, Jooheon leans his face closer to Minhyuk’s, fingers curling around the taller boy’s shoulders, and all other sounds seemed to fade out into obscurity- the only sound being the clock, ticking down into something unknown and highly anticipated.

“1!” Their lips crashed together in a kiss, bodies pressed tightly as they held each other. The crowd roared behind them, the muffled sound of party poppers and confetti showering over them completely ignored by the two men. The electricity passed between them, hot as fire and untainted by any impure thought or action. After a few seconds, they parted, and Jooheon chuckled, his eyes honing in on the piece of confetti stuck to Minhyuk’s cheek.

“Cute,” Jooheon mumbled, and Minhyuk swallowed, laughing softly. He felt his cheeks flush, and realized that he hadn’t been called cute since he was in grade school.

“C-can I get your number?” Minhyuk asked, almost randomly, and Jooheon raised his eyebrows, smiling sweetly. He shifted his shoulders, trying to move to pull out his phone, but realized that he couldn’t with Minhyuk holding him so tightly. 

“Sure, but you’re gonna have to let me go first,” Jooheon said, chuckling warmly. Getting embarrassed, Minhyuk moved his arms away from Jooheon, and the boy took out his phone. Doing the same, Minhyuk and Jooheon exchanged devices, putting their contact info into each other’s phones.

After a few more minutes, the party was beginning to die down, and they both knew their time was coming to an end. Minhyuk bid Jooheon adieu when the boy was leaving the party, apparently he had to work on music that night, much to Minhyuk’s disappointment. Deciding that there wasn’t much left for him here now that Jooheon was gone, Minhyuk found Kihyun, sitting beside his roommate with a love-stricken expression. Looking up at Minhyuk as he sat next to him, Kihyun chuckled fondly, taking a sip of his water.

“Glad to see you haven’t broken your New Year’s Resolution yet, Minhyuk-ah~” Kihyun said, half-joking. Honestly, he was glad that Minhyuk wasn’t hanging out with more shady figures, but more important than that- he was interested in a pure-hearted, kind man who made this sensitive side of Minhyuk shine through.

“It was easier than I thought it’d be,” Minhyuk admitted, smiling fondly. There was something about Jooheon that was different than anyone he’d ever met. Honestly… he had never felt like this about another person before.

“I’m proud of you,” Kihyun said, chugging the rest of his water as jealously rose up in his throat. Why couldn’t he have somebody to kiss on New Year’s? Maybe this year, he’d find himself someone who looked at him the way Minhyuk looked at Jooheon. Not seeing Kihyun’s depressed look, Minhyuk smiled toothily, eyes sparkling at the mere thought of Jooheon.

“Kihyun… I think I’m falling for him.”