“I had a great time last night.”

“Me too. Thanks for breakfast.”

“Sunggyu… Can I call you sometime?”

“W-Why?”

“We could… you know… hang out.”

“Oh… Um… Maybe… I’m a little busy these days. Anyway, thanks again. I’m heading out.”

“I’ll call you!”

“Right…”

That had been a month and a half ago.

Sunggyu didn’t think Nam Woohyun would really call him. It turned out that Woohyun never deleted his number and had called him the afternoon after they parted, wanting to make sure that Sunggyu had his number too.

 And, then, the texts came. “Good morning” and “Good night” texts. Occasionally, “Have you eaten?” or “Did you sleep well?” And then, about a week or so later, they turned into, “Are you doing anything tonight/tomorrow?”

At the time, he thought Woohyun was just being friendly. Perhaps, he was friendly with all of his one night stands. Then again, Sunggyu had never had a one night stand before. He wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but he was certain that all communication stopped as soon as the door closed.

But, it didn’t turn out that way at all.

Sunggyu’s thoughts were broken when a particular nip at this throat sent his thoughts into overdrive. Every time Woohyun paid attention to his neck, his muscles all felt like jelly and he was glad for the wall that braced him from behind. He weakly pushed against the firm chest pressed against his.

“We should stop,” Sunggyu stated as he tried to regain control of his breathing, which was proving impossible.

Woohyun hummed. “Why?” he asked against the skin under Sunggyu’s ear.

The editor shivered. “B-Because…” Why should they stop again? Oh, yes. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Hmm… that’s what you said last time.” The other pecked Sunggyu’s neck. “And the time before that.” His lips made their way to Sunggyu’s jaw. “And the time before that.” He reached Sunggyu’s lips. “And the time-.”

Sunggyu shushed him with a firm kiss before moving them both towards the bed.

His resolve had weakened. Again.

This was the fifth time that he agreed to meet up with Woohyun for dinner and they both ended up in the latter’s bed by the end of the night. Despite his words, Sunggyu never really resisted. Deep inside, he knew he wanted it too. He had been lonely for too long. And Woohyun was convenient.

It wasn’t like having was all they did. They talked too – a lot.

Outside of the bedroom, Woohyun was a like a friend. He would tell Sunggyu all about his day and would listen to Sunggyu when he talked about his. They went to movies together, shopped together, and when Woohyun found something funny on the internet, he would send it to Sunggyu. It turned out that they had quite a lot in common – more than they realized. They loved the same music, the same movies, and even played the same games. They teased and made fun of each other, practically acting like best friends.

Inside the bedroom, Woohyun was a lover. One who was considerate and gentlemanly yet passionate and knew exactly what buttons to push to send Sunggyu over the edge. He kissed Sunggyu like a thirsty man and the latter was water he needed. He touched him like he was a delicate piece of porcelain yet wasn’t afraid to be rough when Sunggyu begged. And he took care of him afterwards every time, letting him shower and borrow his clothes before cuddling him as they fell asleep.

Just like back then, Woohyun didn’t put a label on what they were. But, in Sunggyu’s mind, he knew exactly what they were.

Friends with benefits.

Sunggyu never really thought that he would enter such an arrangement. Sure, he had lost faith in relationships, but was he really that desperate for some kind of attention? He wasn’t proud of it. In fact, he felt like a hypocrite sometimes. But, he just couldn’t stop. Woohyun was an addiction and he had no idea how to quit.

But, he figured that as long as he was aware that this was all they were going to be, he wouldn’t get hurt in the end. Once Woohyun found someone else better to occupy his time, Sunggyu wouldn’t care. For now, he was satisfied with this.

“What are you thinking about?”

Blinking out of his thoughts, Sunggyu looked up to see Woohyun, dressed in a t-shirt and basketball shorts, hair damp from the shower. He must have zoned out again while waiting for the lawyer to finish washing up.

Shaking his head, Sunggyu burrowed deeper under the sheets with only his nose and eyes visible. Chuckling at him, Woohyun turned off the lights and got into bed. Like always, he rolled onto his side and wrapped an arm around Sunggyu’s waist, bringing him closer.

For a long moment, they stayed like that in silence. Normally, Sunggyu would be too exhausted by then and would just fall asleep. But, that night, he was wide awake. And from the feel of the drumming of fingers against his side, Woohyun was too.

“Are you like this to all of your partners?” Sunggyu braved to ask, not looking at the other and keeping his eyes trained on the ceiling.

“Like what?”

“All cuddle-y and .”

“I’m a very cuddle-y person.”

At that, Sunggyu chuckled. “So I noticed.”

Woohyun pecked his shoulder through the fabric of his borrowed shirt. “But, I don’t let just anyone stay the night. Only the ones I like.”

Sunggyu felt himself blush, lightly. Woohyun was a sweet-talker. He should be used to it by now.

“So, I’m one of the ones you like?” he asked, turning his head to meet the other’s eyes.

Even in the darkness, he could see Woohyun’s handsome smile.

“Yep,” the lawyer answered, popping the “p” before kissing Sunggyu’s nose. The act was sweet. Affectionate. 

Shaking his head with a chuckle, Sunggyu turned his head back around to look at the ceiling. If he didn’t know any better, he would think Woohyun was trying to woo him.

“So, how many people have had the privilege to stay the night with you?” he continued to ask.

Woohyun hummed in contemplation. “Not many.”

“Do you have an exact number?”

The lawyer chuckled. “I don’t exactly count them all, you know.”

“So, a lot. Got it.”

Woohyun chuckled. “Why? Are you jealous?”

At that, Sunggyu turned his head back to smirk at him. “Why would I need to be jealous when I’ve been given the same privilege?”

“Good point.” Woohyun hummed again. “Can I ask a question too?”

Sunggyu tilted his head. “Sure.”

“How many guys have had the privilege of you staying the night with them?”

The question caught Sunggyu off-guard. It was a rather personal question, but then again, he did ask Woohyun a personal one too. It was only fair. Unlike Woohyun, though, he knew the answer.

“Not many,” he replied.

Woohyun’s brows flew to his hair in surprise. “Really?” he asked, in disbelief.

Sunggyu couldn’t help but laugh at his face. “And by not many, I mean none,” he continued.

The other’s frown turned into a grin. “Really? That’s surprising.”

 Not really, thought Sunggyu to himself.

“So, I’m the only one?” Woohyun continued to pry.

“Mmhmm. It’s not like I have one-night stands every week, you know. I have a life too.”

Woohyun pursed his lips. “What about… relationships?”

Sunggyu raised an eyebrow. “What about them?”

“Have you had any recently?”

“Why so curious?”

“Cause I am.”

“Do I have to answer?”

Woohyun chuckled before raising a hand to pinch Sunggyu’s cheek. “No, but it would be nice if you do.”

The lawyer was getting weirder and weirder each time they met up. This was probably the longest and most serious pillow talk they’ve had to date since they started sleeping together.

“My last and only one was back in college.”

Woohyun looked surprised again. “Just the one?”

Sunggyu nodded. “What about you?”

“I’ve had… three serious relationships.”

“Only three?”

“The others weren’t as serious.”

Right. Of course. How could Sunggyu forget? He was probably not even on the list of not serious ones. Could you even call what they had a relationship back then?

“So… your ex… was he that tall guy you were always with back then? The one from the gaming club? Heechul, right?”

Sunggyu’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”

“My friend Sungyeol was in the club too. We saw you two once. I wanted to say ‘hi’ but you looked like you were busy.”

“Oh.” He didn’t know how to respond to that so, instead, he yawned. “Well, it’s getting late. I’m going to sleep. Night.”

He rolled around to his other side and closed his eyes. Woohyun’s arm went back to his waist, pulling him close.

“Why do you always turn away?” the other mumbled against his neck.

Sunggyu chose not to respond. He had no idea how a perfectly ordinary night had turned to talks of the past. And to be frank, he didn’t really want go back to that.

The next morning, as usual, Woohyun made him breakfast and they ate together, making small talk in between bites of eggs and sips of coffee. If there was anything he learned about Woohyun in the last month and a half was that he was an amazing cook and always added extra cheese on Sunggyu’s omelet.

After breakfast, Sunggyu got ready to head out and say his goodbyes.

Just as he was about to open the door, Woohyun called out to him, “Wait. Sunggyu.”

The editor turned around, his hand still on the doorknob.

Woohyun appeared to hesitate before his shoulders squared. “Do you… want to go on a date?”

Sunggyu’s breath hitched. “A…date?”

“Yes. Dinner.” The lawyer’s eyes sparkled with hope. “Maybe a movie? Or dancing? Anything you like.”

Sunggyu couldn’t help but chuckle despite his pounding heart. “How is that any different from what we usually do?”

Woohyun was twiddling his thumbs, seemingly nervous. Sunggyu had never seen him lack some confidence before.

“Well, this time, I’m not asking you to hang out as friends. I… want to go out with you… on a real date.”

Sunggyu paused, unable to deny the sudden leap of his heart as a light blush made itself known on his cheeks. But as soon as he acknowledged it, it was replaced by a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. There was now a lump in his throat, prevent him from answering.

Why was this happening? Was Woohyun trying to give him hope only to crush it later? Could he go through this again?

Swallowing, painfully, Sunggyu managed to force his voice out.

“No.”

Woohyun’s eyes widened and something akin to hurt flash in them. Sunggyu couldn’t take the sight so he turned away from the lawyer.

“Wait, Sunggyu-.”

But, at that point, Sunggyu had opened the door and walked out, quickly without looking back.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that playboy Woohyun asked you on a date?”

“Yep.”

“And you said, ‘no’?”

“Mmhmm.”

"Oh... Wow."

From across the café table, Dongwoo raised an eyebrow at him, skeptically. Sunggyu continued to sip on his tea as nonchalantly as he could.

After leaving Woohyun’s apartment that morning, Sunggyu had called Dongwoo, asking to meet up so he could rant. The two were now having a late afternoon snack at their favorite café. As soon their pastries and tea were on the table, Sunggyu launched into the long-winded explanation of the less than 5-minute conversation with Woohyun. And the good friend that he was, Dongwoo listened.

“Are you sure you two aren’t a thing?” Dongwoo asked.

“No, we’re not. We’re just friends," Sunggyu insisted.

“With benefits,” the other added.

The assistant editor blushed but nodded. “Exactly. So I don’t know why he suddenly wants to go on a ‘real’ date.” He added air quotes to “real” with a huff. “I don’t know if he’s making fun of me or what, but I’m not falling for it.”

“Or him,” his friend piped with a teasing grin.

Sunggyu frowned at him. “Dude, stop. I told you before, I’m over him. Whatever it is we’re doing now, it’s nothing.”

“If it’s nothing, then what did you call me for? Sunggyu, I know you. When something is bothering you, you need to rant before you explode.”

At that, the editor turned red but stubbornly turned his head away to concentrate on his cake. It was a strawberry shortcake, his favorite. He wondered if Woohyun was a good baker as well as he was a good cook. The thought made him want to slap himself because damnit, he was thinking about that jerk again.

“Hey, do you want my advice?”

He looked up to see a sincere smile on Dongwoo’s lips. “We all change, you know. Our priorities differ later on in life from what they were earlier. Gyugyu, we were young back then and we wanted so many different things. But, we’re older now and we’ve both changed. Maybe Woohyun did too. Maybe… he sees you as something more than a piece of like he did back then.”

Sunggyu raised an eyebrow at the language his angelic friend used. “That’s rather crass coming from you.”

Dongwoo laughed. “Ailee’s words, not mine,” he stated, his eyes sparkling. “And speaking of the love of my life.” The teacher reached into his bag and took out a fancy-looking white envelope, showing it to Sunggyu. “You should be getting one of these in a few weeks. Ailee finally decided on the design.”

Sunggyu took the envelope and opened it, taking out the hard cardboard with the words “You Are Cordially Invited” in fancy script. On top of the invitation was a small photo of Dongwoo and his fiancée Ailee, wrapped in a loving hug, their foreheads pressed together as they looked into each other’s eyes with genuine joyful smiles on their lips.

He couldn’t help but sigh. His two friends were so in love and after many years together, they were finally getting married. Dongwoo was about to get his happy ending.

“You can bring Woohyun-shii as your plus one if you want,” Dongwoo suggested.

A tempting offer. Sunggyu would have to think about it. Who knew if they were even still… hanging out… by the time Dongwoo and Ailee’s wedding date arrived. He gave the sample invitation back to his friend with a sigh.

“I don’t know if I can trust him,” he finally admitted. “I shouldn’t have slept with him. I should have run away the moment I saw him again.” He sighed again. “I don’t want to get hurt again.”

Across from him, Dongwoo looked thoughtful as he made dotted patterns on the icing of his chocolate cake with his fork. The two friends were silent for a moment, each buried in his own thoughts.

Finally, Dongwoo put his fork down. “Sunggyu-hyung,” he stated, his tone serious. “What’s been done is done. You can’t take it back. But, there must be some part of you that still holds some affection or feelings for Woohyun if you keep sleeping with him, which is very unlike you. And... I mean… he was your first kiss.” Dongwoo reached across the table to pat his hand. “I know that back then, I wanted to kill Woohyun for making you cry and actually, I still kinda do so if I ever see him, you have to hold me back because I’m going to break his bones and that handsome face and-.”

“Dongwoo,” Sunggyu interrupted, holding back a chuckle. “Calm down. You’re ranting. That’s my job.”

He wouldn't past his angelic friend to actually try and break the lawyer's bones. The grade school teacher was a pacifist but terrifying when provoked.

Dongwoo closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, “Right. Sorry. What I wanted to say was that… if you decide to give him a chance, I’ll support you. And if he’s serious about you this time, really serious, then, I don’t see why you shouldn’t give him a chance. But…” This time, he flashed Sunggyu a pointed look. “Just be on your guard, okay? At the first sign that he’s playing with you, just get out and never talk to him again. And after Heechul, you deserve better, hyung."

At the mention of his ex, Sunggyu’s eye twitched. “Let’s not talk about him, please,” he stated in a strained voice.

Why was everyone bringing up Heechul?! The past was the past. Done. He had moved on.

“Hyung.” Dongwoo looked genuinely concerned. “I just want you to be happy and find someone who really cares about you.”

Sunggyu smiled for what felt like the first time all day. “Thanks, Dongwoo.” He sighed. “I don’t know if I’m ready to open my heart again.”

“Then, you don’t have to,” his friend replied, sincerely. “Hyung, don’t push yourself to enter a relationship if you’re not ready. Just be happy.”

Was he happy? Sunggyu couldn’t say for sure. There were still many things about his life that he couldn’t help but wish was better.

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but be jealous of Dongwoo. He had a stable job that he loved, a fiancée whom he was going to spend the rest of his life with, and a clear vision of what he wanted for his future.

Unlike Sunggyu who couldn’t say he loved his job, was in a friends-with-benefits situation with someone who may potentially leave any time, and had no idea what his future would look like.

But, he really couldn’t complain.

After all… life wasn’t always happy, right? He just had to take the good with the bad.

A/N: I just couldn't resist having a Dongwoo/Ailee pairing because I adore their friendship and Dongwoo's not-so-subtle crush on her! Yes, I know, Dongwoo is my bias and I wish that I could marry him but if it were up to me to pick an idol partner for Dongwoo, it would be Ailee. But... that's just my shipper's heart speaking lol.

Anywho, so, yes, you read correctly. WooGyu are friends-with-benefits. I dunno, even Sunggyu couldn't figure it out. It just happened. Lol, as with all friends-with-benefits, there are supposed to be no strings attached so Sunggyu is not quite as emotionally invested (or, he tries not to be).  

But, it appears that Woohyun may not be satisfied with their arrangement and wants the real deal. Or does he? Lol, we'll find out in future chapters!

'Til the next one!