Strobe lights flashed throughout the barely lit space. Music blared from speakers. Bodies moved with each other and against each other. Glasses clinked along to shouts of “whoo’s” and “cheers”.

This was where Sunggyu found himself this Friday night, two hours after his shift ended. His department was celebrating a co-worker’s promotion and opted to do it in a trendy and popular club in Gangnam.

He wasn’t normally one to go along on one of these excursions, but his boss had insisted that everyone in the department attended. So, he did. Why they chose a club of all things was beyond him but it was probably because it was the end of the month and everyone was stressed out and needed unwinding and this was a great excuse for it.

Nonetheless, Sunggyu wasn’t one to turn down free drinks – the tab was all on his boss.

So he and his co-workers clinked glasses, took a few shots, and congratulated their promoted colleague before splitting up to do their own thing.

While his co-workers danced and mingled with the other club goers, Sunggyu settled on an empty stool at the bar and stayed there with a drink, watching everyone else enjoy themselves. He was just minding his own business, barely paying attention when someone took the empty seat next to him. Until he heard them speak to him.

“Sunggyu? Kim Sunggyu?”

Getting a strange feeling that he knew that voice, Sunggyu turned his head to acknowledge the person. His breath hitched.

The man’s face was handsome. Stylishly messy brown hair. Bright eyes. Sharp nose. Strong jawline. Full lips.

Why was this piece of heavenly goodness talking to him?! And knew his name?!

Sunggyu had to blink his eyes several times, wracking his brains for the name.

When the other man smiled, Sunggyu caught a glimpse of a snaggletooth in the bottom row of teeth. Right then, it came to him. The memory of a sweet first kiss in a crowded cafeteria and a final hug under the light of a streetlamp.

“Nam… Woohyun… right?” he managed.

The dimples deepened as the smile widened. “You remember me.”

“Of course. How can I forget the guy who gave me my first kiss?” Sunggyu blurted out before blushing, but it was out now.

No use in taking it back when it was true. No one could forget their first kiss.

Woohyun chuckled in response, amused. “It was that memorable, huh?” he teased.

Sunggyu’s blush deepened and he looked away.

“It’s been a while. When was the last time we saw each other?” Woohyun continued as he scooted his stool closer to Sunggyu’s.

To be quite honest, Sunggyu couldn’t recall. “Before graduation?” he guessed.

“Probably. Ahhh, such a long time, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“Are you here with anyone?”

“Just some co-workers. We’re celebrating a promotion. Someone else, not mine.” Sunggyu chuckled. “But they’re all over the place now.”

“Ahhh… mine too. Well, my friends, I mean. It’s one of their birthdays.” Woohyun continued to smile at him. “It’s been a long time,” he repeated. “Let me buy you a drink.”

Eyes wide in surprise, Sunggyu tried to decline, waving his hands in front of him. “No, no, it’s fine.”

But, Woohyun had already flagged down a bartender who immediately came to take their order. The other turned to him. “Go on, order anything you want. On me.”

Feeling too embarrassed to decline when the bartender was right there, waiting expectantly, Sunggyu pointed to his half-filled glass and asked for a refill of the gin and tonic he had been sipping on. Woohyun ordered the same thing. It took the bartender less than a minute to return with their drinks and Sunggyu quickly finished the one he already had.

Woohyun tilted his head to the side at him, curiously. “So, what have you been up to?”

They made small talk. It turned out that Woohyun was a general practice lawyer and the firm he worked for was in Seoul. Sunggyu shared that he worked for Diamond magazine as an editor.

Woohyun raised an eyebrow at that. “Didn’t you want to be a songwriter? I remember you told me once.”

Sunggyu just shrugged as he took a sip of his drink. “Guess it wasn’t meant to be,” he said.

It wasn’t like Woohyun had heard any of his songs. In the brief time that they were… dating?... they hadn’t been close enough for Sunggyu to really open up. Hell, the one time he opened up to Heechul and showed him one of his songs, the other had laughed at how cheesy his lyrics were. Maybe he took it too personally but that had been a blow to his self-esteem and he never showed him anything he wrote for the rest of their relationship.

Sunggyu knocked back the last of his drink, feeling the alcohol burn his throat and spread warmth throughout his body. Somehow, he felt a bit more energized than he did earlier, his mind sharper. Subconsciously, he smiled shyly at Woohyun.

The lawyer seemed fascinated. “I hope it’s not too forward of me to say… but I think you got even more handsome since college.”

At the cheesy and flirtatious words, Sunggyu let out a laugh. Yet, instead of getting shy, he felt rather flattered.

“And you’re still as flirty as ever,” he replied. “But, thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself,” he added, feeling a bit brave.

Woohyun’s knee made contact with his, sending shivers throughout his body. The other man’s gaze on him was piercing. Sunggyu felt hot all of a sudden.

“Do you want another drink?” Woohyun asked, eyes sparkling. “Or a dance, maybe?”

Under normal circumstances, Sunggyu would decline. He would prefer to stay in his seat, safe and away from the press of strangers’ bodies against his. He knew what accepting a dance implied: interest. Which would only encourage the other man more and more. He should say “No, thanks.” He should leave his seat and find a co-worker. Perhaps, he should even find his boss and tell him that he was heading home and do exactly that; he hadn’t planned on staying this long here.

But, he didn’t do any of that. It must have been the liquid courage that made him do what he did next.

Sunggyu smiled flirtatiously at Woohyun. “A dance would be nice,” he said.

Wasting no time, Woohyun held a hand out to him and led him onto the dance floor. The touch sent a delicious thrill throughout Sunggyu’s body… or perhaps that was also an effect of the alcohol. Either way, he allowed the shorter man to lead him in the dance, loving the fleeting touches and the subsequent goosebumps.

It felt like ages since he had been touched by another man like this.

That thought alone (and the alcohol) gave Sunggyu the courage to press closer to Woohyun, wrapping his arms around the other man’s neck, his fingers ghosting over the thin strands of brown hair. He felt Woohyun shiver under the touch and inwardly swelled with pride at having that effect on the other man.

“You’re a lot touchier than I remember,” Woohyun murmured. “I think I like it.”

Sunggyu chuckled. “It’s been a while since I’ve danced with someone like this,” he admitted. “Sorry if I’m a little too forward. I’m normally not like this.”

Woohyun’s hold on his hips tightened. “I don’t mind one bit.”

And it all came back to Sunggyu, why he had been attracted to Woohyun all those years ago. He was the first person he truly took a leap of faith with. He had a way with words, sweet phrases that made him feel handsome, beautiful, special, and wanted – feelings that no one else had ever made him feel before. He knew how to touch that left Sunggyu wanting to feel more.

And right there, on the dance floor, he was feeling all those things again.

“I wonder…” said Woohyun, his eyes roamed from Sunggyu’s eyes down to his lips. “If you still kiss the same way you did back then.”

Sunggyu felt himself blush but nonetheless answered, “I might have improved.”

Woohyun raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Really?”

Feeling a burst of courage, Sunggyu flashed a saucy grin of his own. “Wanna find out?”

He didn’t know if it was Woohyun’s alluring and confident persona or Sunggyu’s own desperate desire to be loved but he knew that he wanted him.

Woohyun’s eyes flashed with something akin to desire. Before Sunggyu knew it, the other had moved his face forward and captured Sunggyu’s lips with his own. The other’s lips were soft and plump, tasting just like gin and tonic with a bit of lemon and a bit of something that Sunggyu couldn’t describe.

The kiss sent feelings of warmth all over his body as his heart hammered against his chest.  Subconsciously, he moved a hand from the back of Woohyun’s neck to the lawyer’s cheek to bring him closer and deepen the kiss. He still didn’t know where this sudden bravery came from but at the moment, he didn’t care.

The distant sound of breaking glass and a woman’s shriek broke through Sunggyu’s thoughts and he realized that they weren’t alone.

Gently yet reluctantly, Sunggyu pulled his lips away, blushing.

“Did I get worse?” Woohyun joked, his tone a little confused.

“No, no, it’s not that.” How could this man ever think that he was bad at kissing?! “It’s just…” Sunggyu’s gaze flew to everyone else around them. They weren’t paying the two of them any mind but Sunggyu still felt self-conscious. “There are other people and…”

Woohyun nodded his understanding before leaning in and whispering in his ear, “Do you wanna get out of here then? My place is close by.”

He should say “no”. After all, Sunggyu wasn’t the type to just go home with some guy he met at a club.

But… Nam Woohyun wasn’t just some guy. They had history. Albeit, a short one, but it was still history. And it wasn’t like he resented Woohyun. Okay, maybe he resented him a little for breaking his heart and stealing his first kiss but he wasn’t that bad of a guy. And it really had been a while…

“Sure,” Sunggyu found himself saying.

He might regret it later, but that was later. This was now. The heat in Woohyun’s gaze said it all – the lawyer wanted him.

And it made Sunggyu feel all kinds of wonderful, butterfly fluttering feelings – feelings he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was needy for it.

Besides… life was all about risks, right? Maybe it was time for him to take one.

Just this once.

“Where are you going?” asked the tired and scratchy voice

Sunggyu paused in picking up his clothes, his cheeks reddening. He cleared his throat and without looking at the man lounging on the bed, he shakily put on his boxers and pants as he answered, “It’s getting late and I have to get home.”

He braved a look at the bed, only to be met with a cute pout, so different from the heated and passionate gazes from earlier.

Woohyun was still , the blankets covering the lower half of his body. His tanned torso was littered with red bite marks, even on the very clear six-pack abs, which further deepened Sunggyu’s blush.

Did I do that? he thought to himself, embarrassed yet oddly proud.

He didn’t even know he had that capacity. He was always shy when he and Heechul had done it so he had no idea where the sudden burst of confidence to mark Woohyun came from. He supposed he could always blame it on the alcohol.

On the bed, Woohyun continued to pout. “Why don’t you stay the night?”

Alarm bells went off in Sunggyu’s head. The offer was tempting. Really tempting.

“Um, no, I can’t impose,” he tried to say.

“Not at all,” Woohyun replied with a smile. “You’re welcome to. Besides, it’s late and the trains will probably stop running soon. Plus, it’s cold.”

He had a point there.

“I’ll make breakfast too.” Woohyun flashed him another pout. “Please?”

And just like that, Sunggyu felt his resolve weakening. The thought of having to trudge out into the cold winter evening, waiting for a train that may never come did not settle well with him.

“Alright,” he gave in. “Can I, uh, use your bathroom to take a quick shower?”

His pout disappearing, Woohyun nodded, enthusiastically. “I’ll lend you some clothes,” he said before throwing the covers off of himself.

With a surprised squeak, Sunggyu turned away, the blush returning.

Behind him, Woohyun laughed. “You’ve seen all of me, already!” he teased.

There was some shuffling and the opening and closing of drawers until the lawyer popped up beside him, dressed in a pair of boxers… and nothing else.

Sunggyu forced his eyes to stay on Woohyun’s face and not lower down.

The lawyer handed him a set of clothes and a towel. Mumbling his thanks, Sunggyu quite literally fled to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He heard Woohyun’s chuckle on the other side.

Sunggyu lightly slapped his cheeks. “Get a hold of yourself,” he scolded himself. “It’s just a one-night stand. Everyone does it. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Repeating that to himself, the young editor quickly showered, the warm water soothing his aching muscles as he scrubbed away all traces of the passionate night he shared with the lawyer back in the bedroom.

Before the clothes had come off, Woohyun had asked what he wanted and was a perfect gentleman. He was gentle yet also rough and was attentive to every noise and movement from Sunggyu. It had hurt a little since he hadn’t done it with anyone in a while yet the pleasure made up for it.

It had been everything Sunggyu had hoped it would be and so much more.

Dressed in the borrowed clothes, with hair damp but feeling much cleaner and less sticky, Sunggyu emerged from the bathroom.

Woohyun looked up from his phone. The lawyer was now dressed in a shirt along with his boxers. The rest of Sunggyu’s clothes had been folded neatly and placed on a chair in the corner.

“You can go ahead and sleep,” Woohyun said, getting up from the bed and putting his phone away. “I’ll get washed up.”

Sunggyu nodded and thanked him as the other passed on his way to the bathroom.

Tucking himself in on the left side of the bed, Sunggyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his speeding heart. Once again, he reminded himself that this meant nothing. It was simply a one night stand. He wasn’t the naïve guy he was in college who saw any bit of attention as signs of affection.

He had learned his lesson. He wasn’t going to fall for it this time. Not anymore. Never again.

The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing broke through his thoughts. Woohyun was finished.

Sunggyu kept his eyes closed, evening his breathing to feign sleep.

There was some shuffling around, a click of the light switch, and the feel of Woohyun getting into the bed on the other side.

An arm wrapped itself around Sunggyu’s waist, followed by the faint touch of a kiss on his neck. The editor resisted the urge to shiver.

Sunggyu wondered if Woohyun treated all of his one night stands so sweetly and gently like he treated him that night. It felt nice. Woohyun was nice. Despite how the other treated Sunggyu in the past, at that moment, he was nice.

With the tiredness and ache in his bones finally settling in and the warm body pressed comfortingly against his back, Sunggyu allowed the sweet embrace of sleep to wrap him in its arms.

A/N: I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this but I figured you guys deserve to have your curiosity sated. So, Sunggyu and Woohyun finally meet again and sparks flew! Who could resist our handsome Woohyun, after all?

Not much I can say for this chapter without revealing any spoilers but let's just say that Sunggyu is not as taken with Woohyun as you may think. But, our poor Sunggyu had been lonely for too long and Woohyun just happened to be there.

 Is Sunggyu's character a bit clearer or is he still confusing? Since this is Sunggyu's point of view, Woohyun is still a mystery but perhaps you have some theories on the type of person he is. Anyway, I can't say much but feel free to let me know in the comments! I'd love to discuss it!

'Til the next one!