Jeonghan took a quick look at Joshua. His face was stony, his eyebrows furrowed together. “Are you all right?”

Joshua stared out the window, the car passing by the ocean. “It was a horrible surprise,” he said softly.

“I can imagine,” Jeonghan commented. “Seeing the ex so soon.”

“I’m going to kill whoever let him come to get us,” Joshua growled. “They should’ve known better. After everything.”

Jeonghan could hear the absolute fury in Joshua’s voice. “You said the relationship didn’t end horribly though?”

“We didn’t throw things or break things,” Joshua said, “but in the end our friends were divided.” Joshua smiled bitterly, “We grew apart, wanted different things. I got tired of being ok with everything he wanted. I wanted to leave. He didn’t. He threw essentially a tantrum, then forced he divide between everyone. He was quick to get some of our friends on his side.”

“The ? And they blindly followed?!” If Jeonghan’s friends did that he’d ing punch them. No matter if he was their friend or not he wanted people who’d tell him that he ed up majorly.

“They told me I was being unreasonable,” Joshua spat out, “because apparently wanting to become better meant I had to do it in the confines of South Korea and not leave him. They assumed that I wanted to break up to leave, not that I wanted to break up for other reasons as well.”

Joshua sighed, remembering accusations being thrown around for a couple of days. “I snapped back. Told them that if they wanted to take his side without listening to the whole story that it was fine. I packed. Left without saying anything more.” He laughed mirthlessly, “The friends that listened to both sides set them straight. The others begged for forgiveness. Seungcheol didn’t apologize at all. It wasn’t a horrible ending but it wasn’t the best.”

“I hope you didn’t forgive them for being s,” Jeonghan said, internally seething.

“I didn’t,” Joshua said. “They weren’t really my friends to begin with so much as his. I simply let it go.” Joshua shook his head, “It doesn’t matter. They’re not invited to the wedding. They’re not close to Jihoon at all.” He bit his lip, “So who then decided to let him come?” Joshua mentally started to tick people off in his head, but none of them looked like they would do this to him.

Jeonghan’s hand patted his thigh. “It’ll be fine. I’ll make sure to play the doting boyfriend and once this wedding is over you won’t have to think about your ex anymore.” He winked at Joshua, “Just have fun and catch up with your actual friends.”

Taking a deep breath in, he nodded. “Right. Have fun and forget about everything.” That was the problem, forgetting about everything when the person who was causing him turmoil was going to be right there.

He jolted as he felt a squeeze on his thigh. Looking down, he smiled softly. But Jeonghan would there to make it charming at the very least. It would be like a nice long charming date. He could do this.

“Shua hyung!” Mingyu ran to him, arms out looking like the giant dog Joshua remembered him acting like. He swept Joshua up into a hug, swinging him around.

Laughing into the air, Joshua clung to him. Mingyu was always good at hugs.

“Put him down,” Seokmin cried out. “I want to hug him too!”

Mingyu gently put Joshua down. Joshua held onto his arms, feeling dizzy from being spun. He felt a body from behind and Seokmin’s sharp nose in his hair.

“It’s been so long,” he whined. “How have you been?”

“Busy,” Joshua replied, smiling as he felt Mingyu hug the both of them.

The two of them let out long whines. “So unfair.”

Jeonghan cleared his throat. “What’s unfair is that you’re hogging my boyfriend,” he joked.

The two of them looked at him, their eyes narrowing.

“Your new boyfriend Shua hyung?” Mingyu almost glared.

Joshua laughed, patting him on the chest. “Yes.” He turned to smile at Jeonghan. He tried to wiggle out of the middle of the hug sandwich but he didn’t quite make it out. Instead he held out his hand for Jeonghan to take, which Seokmin immediately put his own hand in it, interlacing their fingers.

Seokmin threw Jeonghan a smug sort of smile.

Jeonghan would’ve laughed with how protective the two of them were being; it was cute but it was also irritating to see his boyfriend being monopolized by other men. His fake boyfriend, Jeonghan had to remind himself.

Bemused, Joshua looked down at their interlaced hands. “I didn’t think you wanted to hold my hand that badly Seokmin?”

He pouted, “I missed you a lot.”

“No, I missed you more,” Mingyu protested.

“And I’ll miss Shua even more if you don’t let him go soon,” Jeonghan teased. He playfully whined, “Shua~”

The two nearly glared at him. But Joshua laughed, finally squeezing out of their hold. “Don’t act like a baby now Jeonghan. I can only handle two at a time.”

This caused Mingyu and Seokmin to pout even harder.

“We’re not babies,” they cried out, echoing each other.

“That’s not what it sounds like from here,” a wry voice called out.

Joshua turned, smiling wide. “Well look what we have here. The groom in the flesh. Congrats Jihoon.”

“It’s good to see you,” he grinned back. “I’ve been waiting for an actual adult to show up.” Both Seokmin and Mingyu started to protest, but Jihoon ignored them. “You must be Joshua hyung’s new boyfriend.”

“Yoon Jeonghan,” Jeonghan said, flashing him a grin. “Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.”

“Thank you,” Jihoon said, staring at Jeonghan, as if he were trying to size him up.

Jeonghan thought it was rather comical considering Jihoon’s short stature. But he was likely trying to be protective, like Mingyu and Seokmin. Those two had taken to flanking Joshua on either side, not letting him go to Jeonghan’s side. If he were a lesser man, which he wasn’t, it would be more irritating than cute. Even though a tiny part of him wanted Joshua by his side right now.

He held out his hand, hoping that Joshua would come to him.