"Let's hail a taxi. I think I might dislocate my shoulders if I carry these for any longer." Wonwoo complained as soon as they had started walking home.

"Man up, Wonu."

"Do you want me to swing this bag of paint tubs at your head? Because I will if I have to."

With no time wasted after that Mingyu rushed to the side of the path and called over a passing taxi subsequently saving himself from potential brain damage due to a bucket of paint against his skull.

"Should we go to yours or mine?" He asked Wonwoo as they piled into the back seat with all their shopping.

"Let's drop all this off at mine. Then go home." Wonwoo struggled to fasten his seatbelt with three buckets of paint and a bag of bunting and fairy lights on his lap.

"Home?"

"I meant your apartment." Wonwoo laughed nervously.

"You're so cute."

"Shut up."

They rode in what would've been silence if Mingyu wasn't humming the entire way which had become a habit whenever he was sat next to Wonwoo in a car. Wonwoo wanted to join in. He really did. But he didn't know how. He knew if he tried to make a sound as sweet as Mingyu's voice come from his own mouth it could only end in humiliation. He was practically tone deaf except it was 10 times more drastic.

After dropping off all the shopping at Wonwoo's the two changed into their new matching shoes and walked to Mingyu's apartment.

"When do you wanna start painting?" Mingyu asked, hands in pockets. The weather had grown considerably more chilly since they left Wonwoo's apartment complex.

"This weekend maybe."

"I'll make sure I'm not busy."

Their red converses drummed against the sidewalk in time to their chattering teeth as they walked. The air was cold, the wind was chilly but their hearts warmed their cheeks and bodies despite the biting weather.

-

Wonwoo knew he needed to go back to work some time soon or else he could very well lose his job. He hated it though. It used to be a place where he could escape the boredom of silence in his everyday life but now he had met Mingyu, who had coloured every corner of his bland existence, the warehouse seemed dull and depressing.

"I think I'm ready to look for a new job." Wonwoo concluded his thoughts out loud as he snuggled his head into Mingyu's neck whilst they cuddled on the bed.

"That's great!" Mingyu felt a pang of pride as soon as Wonwoo spoke.

"I need to stop feeling sorry for myself now. I should to get on with my life."

"It's a very brave thing to do."

Wonwoo wasn't brave, he was fed up. Fed up of being miserable and unsuccessful. And fed up of being held down permanently by his disability. He wanted to be normal but this time he didn't mean the kind of normal that everybody else was. All he needed was for the backbreaking weight of hiding everything about himself in shame to be lifted from his shoulders.

"I think I should start being more open about my deafness too."

"Really?"

Wonwoo nodded and Mingyu pulled him into a hug, tight enough to bring up last nights lunch. "I'm so proud of you." He smiled into his boyfriend's hair.

"Calm down." Wonwoo struggled to breath, "I'm not going to do it alone. You're coming with me to every interview."

"Anything for you."

"Now, you're going to cut off my blood circulation to my head. Please stop hugging me."

Mingyu let go and Wonwoo instantly missed his touch.

The two spent several hours searching for potential jobs for Wonwoo online. He had always liked the idea of being a book editor but had never had the guts to go through an interview although, since he met Mingyu a newfound confidence has developed in him.

"Do you have the qualifications though?" Mingyu asked once Wonwoo had voiced his idea.

"I think so. I have a bachelor's degree in Korean literature. That should be enough."

"How did you even...?"

"Online courses."

Hours later and Wonwoo had already found a company he was interested in and applied for an interview. He got in touch with the man in charge, explaining his disability and suggesting that he should bring Mingyu to help during the face to face discussions. The employer seemed unconvinced and lacked excitement in the emails he recieved but forced himself to book them in for an interview two days from then. Wonwoo sighed once their conversation had ended and looked over at Mingyu.

"They're not going to accept me."

"Maybe, maybe not. But that's ok because that happens to everyone in every interview. You can just work harder after that and try again elsewhere." Mingyu pulled him close until their bodies bumped together.

Wonwoo didn't know why it had never crossed his mind that he would regret this. The rush of energy and confidence that had first inspired the idea had long faded only leaving drops of doubt and realism. "It's not that I'm not good enough. I'm just too difficult. Why would they employ me when it's easier to employ someone who can actually hear and will work just as well?"

"Because you're brilliant."

"I'm not."

"You're going to prove yourself wrong by getting that job."

Mingyu was all he had ever needed. The encouragement, understanding and care fought off every sad thought. Then, suddenly the interview no longer mattered to Wonwoo as he was staring and Mingyu's cracked lips. "Can I kiss you?" He blushed.

"Do you even have to ask." Mingyu's voice was close to a whisper and trailed off as he neared Wonwoo's lips who let go of a breath he never knew he was holding, giving Mingyu his oxygen. Their lips danced together; a heated mix of the Tango and Bachata, gliding to the music of heavy breathing.

Have you ever loved someone so much that your chest physically hurts when they're away? And you try to imagine what life would be like without them but you can't because they are your entire life so you devote every second to them and hope that they want to do the same for you. Wonwoo has. And as he is straddling Mingyu's hips, kissing him hard, a baffling mixture of pain, joy, and utter ecstasy snakes through the veins in his body; across his chest and shoulders and down his arms towards his fingertips tangled in Mingyu's hair. Then Mingyu seperated their kiss and the feeling of passion turned into longing, then back to passion when he said "My heart is beating so fast and it's all because of you."

Wonwoo's heart was beating fast too. They carried on kissing and it became a race to see who's heart beat faster. Wonwoo was sure his was about to break his ribcage but that didn't matter because the feeling of Mingyu's hands on his thighs was enough to heal any injury.

If someone were to ask him, right there and right then, how he would like to spend the rest of his life Wonwoo would have undoubtedly answered "Like this" without a second of hesitation. The wonderful buzz of butterflies in his stomach outruled any low he has ever had. When Mingyu moaned into their kiss that feeling in his chest became so violent and passionate he knew it would last him a lifetime and he would never have to feel sad again.

-

Thursday, the day of Wonwoo's interview, slapped him across the face at a speed so fast it nearly sent him flying into Mingyu's neighboring apartment. He was all dressed up in a black trousers and Mingyu's dress shirt (sticking prices on supermarket products in a warehouse didn't pay very  well) and standing before the front door, too scared to leave.

"Damn, Hot Chocolate." Mingyu whistled as he walked into the front room in similar clothes.

"Don't call me that." He snapped. "I'm shaking, Mingyu. I'm going to die."

"Oh, baby. It will be ok." The flirtatious Mingyu shyed away and the caring Mingyu replaced him. "You are going to be great. I promise."

"I'm not. How the hell am I supposed to communicate? We should've practiced more! I'm going to make a mistake. Why didn't we make flashcards? Where's my-"

"Calm down, Wonwoo. I'll be there with you the whole time. Just breath... and smile because you look cute when you smile."

"No I don't. I look like a rat high on paracetamol when I smile. This was a horrible idea. Let's just stay at home all day." Wonwoo pushed passed Mingyu and made a break for the sofa but Mingyu grabbed his arm before he could get within even a metres reach.

"First of all, that was a lie, you look great when you smile and you look damn fine in that outfit too. Second of all, stop worrying. I am taking you to that interview even if it means I have to carry you there so you better steady your breathing and hug me tight so that the worry goes away and we can get it over and done with."

Wonwoo did as he was told: hugged Mingyu as tight as he could. The latter kept a calming hand on his thigh for most of the journey whilst he fiddled with his fingers nervously.

Mingyu had been practicing his sign language whilst Wonwoo revised his knowledge in the days leading up to the interview. Both of them were almost fully prepared but neither of them were confident in themselves. Mingyu was petrified of letting Wonwoo down by signing the wrong thing or explaining something badly whilst Wonwoo was haunted by the concept of his first rejection to a job.

The companies building was overwhelmingly large and Wonwoo thought he might throw up as soon as he entered through the intimidating front door. The lady at the front desk looked at them over half moon glasses inquisitively.

"How can I help you?" Her accent was undeniably foriegn, Chinese maybe, but only Mingyu got the chance to question that.

"Yes, we have an interview."

She looked back to her computer screen and pursed her thin lips. "Second floor, room 17." She didn't look back up and left the two boys to cluelessly find a staircase or elevator.

Wonwoo was as confused as ever and was immediately regretting the idea. They had been in the building for less than 2 minutes and he was already fully relying on Mingyu to hear and speak for him. When a busy worker tried pushing passed him in the hallway and ended up saying "Excuse me!" five or more times before Mingyu pulled him to the side he knew that he had to get out of there. There was no way this interview was going to go well.

"I changed my mind. I want to go home." Wonwoo whispered to Mingyu as he tried to turn away.

"No. You're getting through this. Be brave, I believe in you."

They turned a corner and room 17 glared at Wonwoo, daring him to knock. When he did the lurch in his stomach was so violent he had to take deep breaths to calm himself down. A man opened the door and flashed paper white teeth at them before letting them enter. He was very young and quite handsome and reminded Wonwoo of Soonyoung when he smiled which only made sitting opposite him a lot more difficult. The other interviewer that the young man sat next to was a lot older but looked almost identicle to his partner sans the wrinkles and moustache.

Wonwoo saw the aged man speak "Hello, Wonwoo. I'm Mr. Lee and this is my son, Chan." he started.

The reason why Wonwoo hated lip reading was because everyone's lips are different meaning it took months maybe years for him to get used to the way a certain person's lips move when they speak. But he tried his best and Mingyu was proud.

"Hello." Wonwoo replied timidly.

"We're going to ask you a few general questions for your first interview." Mr. Lee flicked through a notebook and clicked his pen.

Wonwoo turned to Mingyu absolutely clueless. Ever so calmly he repeated what Mr. Lee had said as well as signing other things in order to look less suspicious.

The first few questions were easy: "What experiences do you have?", "Are you fluent in Korean and what is your first language?", "How long did you study for?" the basic interview stereotypes, then Chan began speaking and Wonwoo instantly respected the boy.

"Do you read?"

Mingyu repeated and Wonwoo nodded in reply.

"What is you favourite book?"

Easy. "Blind Love."

"I love that book!" Chan's face lit up.

Wonwoo smiled once Mingyu had translated. The rest of the interview ran smoother than expected when Chan was speaking. He seemed so chilled out and casual which really dulled the sting of anxiety in Wonwoo's stomach. Before leaving Mr. Lee told Mingyu he would text Wonwoo the details on whether they wanted him back for a second interview or not.

-

After several weeks of waiting Wonwoo got the reply he was expecting. A big fat no. He tried not to take it too hard since that sort of thing happens to everyone but he couldn't help but feel worthless. On the plus side Chan had started texting him and they had become good friends. He had recommended many good companies Wonwoo could apply for since he thought he was very clever and would make a brilliant editor, despite what his dad said. However, every company managed to find someone better than Wonwoo, or rather someone who wasn't deaf to do the job. It was taking a toll on his mental state leaving him regularly drained and unhappy.

Fortunately, Mingyu had been extremely affectionate to his boyfriend lately. It may had been because he knew Wonwoo was taking the rejection hard and hugs and kisses would most definitely cheer him up but also because every time he sees Wonwoo in his shirt and black trousers he can not keep him hands off him.

"I'm trying to learn, Mingyu!" Wonwoo whined as he attempted to shrug Mingyu away from his neck so he could concentrate on studying.

"But learning is boring. Let's do something fun." The hot breath against Wonwoo's skin was no doubt going to drive him insane, not to mention Mingyu's deep voice.

"In a bit. I've got another interview tomorrow so I want to be prepared."

"Another one? You never told me."

"I felt bad for dragging you along with me everywhere. We've been to so many now and you've missed enough days of work because of that."

"I don't mind. I want to help you." Mingyu pouted.

"This interview is different. I'm going to talk to someone online."

Mingyu smiled and wrapped his arms around Wonwoo's skinny waist as he rested his head on his shoulder. "When you get the job can you buy a proper suit?"

"If I get the job, yes."

"Oh boy." Mingyu giggled and blushed. "I think I might end up making you late a few times if I see you in a suit in the mornings."

Wonwoo perked up and turned his head to look at Mingyu's red cheeks and smirk. "Dont you dare." he warned although he quite liked the thought of it, as embarrassing as it was to admit.

___

a/n: THIS STORY IS GROSS :)))

I hope you have a nice day.