six degrees           

            Hoseok approaches Yoonhee first.

            Not for any good reason. Maybe for a bad reason even. In any case, it wasn't any of his business to get involved with his ex-friend's girlfriend but he just couldn't help himself. It was like a disease.

            Greeting her at the station, under the guise of meet an old friend there, he vaguely mentions his acquaintance to her current beau and despite her eager inquisitions for more detail, doesn't say anything more and insteads offers the opportunity for more information over drinks.

            She doesn't bite, thinking she'll just ask Hyungwon himself rather than fall for photographer Shin's silly old tricks.

            "Hyungwon-ah," she says, one day while she's helping tidying up his shared apartment while Minhyuk is away. "Were you close with Shin Wonho before?"

            "Hm?" he hums at the sudden mention of an old friend. That day photographer Shin chased after him, nothing really ended up resolved. The two caught up on their current affairs but at the mention of that drunken night, the older man fell quiet and Hyungwon left, silently fuming at his insistent silence. Five months and no closure. "We used to hang out I guess."

            "Is that so? He seems to think a lot of you," she said and it probably wasn't meant to come out that way but Hyungwon hears it accusingly, as if he has any part of it was his fault. "Did something happen?"

            "Nothing happened," Hyungwon snaps back a beat too quick, and regrets it instantly because Yoonhee drops the bottle of cleaner in her hand so loudly that the air silences between them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice—I don't know what came over me—I'm sorry."

            "No, I shouldn't have asked..." she trails off, picking up the bottle.

            Hyungwon doesn't follow her out when she excuses herself a few minutes later.

            "So what happened between you two?" Yoonhee asks, stirring her margarita glass with a tiny straw as  Wonho takes a seat next to her, signaling the bartender to pour him a glass. "Before today, he's never raised his voice to me like that. Something bad?"

            "Hey now," Wonho says dismissively. "He was probably jealous you kept talking about someone else."

            "No way," Yoonhee laughs, taking a sip. "Hyungwon's not the jealous type."

            "Are you sure?" Wonho asks, memories flashing of Hyungwon knocking on his apartment door, catching him on the rooftop. Maybe it wasn't jealousy but that level of curiosity had to have some kind of emotion driving it.

            "I'm sure," she nods, lips pressed tightly. "So aren't you going to tell me?"

            Wonho inhales sharply. "I wish I could. I don't really know what happened either," he lies through his teeth. "Just one day, we stopped talking to each other."

            "I see," Yoonhee concedes, thinking for a moment. She somehow gets the bright idea to get them to make-up—like some sort of Christmas miracle. Bringing old friends back together and all that. In spirit of the holidays.

            Hyungwon takes one look inside the venue and rolls his eyes.

            He knew she was being too secretive lately. Like always, he held his tongue until it was too late.

            "Yah, Yoonhee. I already—I don't—" Hyungwon repeatedly starts to groan, glancing back inside the venue, accidentally making eye contact with the one person he didn't want to. "Are you serious? Why is he here?"

            "Please just talk it out with him," she pleads, hands pressed together. "I don't know what happened between you two, but don't you think it'll be better to be on good terms again? Don't you work together?"

            "It's not that simple," Hyungwon complains, running a hand through his hair that took him thirty minutes to groom. "We've tried to make-up—both of us. It didn't work either time."

            "Maybe you just needed a mediator. I can help," she pointed to herself, eyes bright and expectant. "Let's try one more time."

            Hyungwon shakes his head, a heavy sigh leaving his chest. She meant well, he guesses, but this really wasn't any of her business.

            "Yoonhee, you went too far this time," he refutes and walks out of the venue, shaking her off when she tries to pull him back in.

            Three straight days and not a word from his girlfriend gets Hyungwon worried. That night he left her at the venue, he texted her right as he got home to apologize, and continued his apologies at least twice every day via voicemail and text, begging her to talk to him so he could hear her voice and let him know she was okay. 

            Around five, he shows up at her workplace to catch her when she gets off.

            "Yoonhee-yah, I'm sorry about—"

            "What do you want?" She snaps at him.

            Taken aback, Hyungwon stutters. "Yoonhee... hey, I was wrong."

            "Hyungwon," she says his name caustically. "I thought you were a good person. I was only trying to help two friends make up. You didn't have to treat me that way. I don't think—" she lets out a breath, "I don't this is working out."

            "What?" His voice was shaken. This wasn't really happening right? She wasn't saying what he thought she was saying right?

            "I'm saying," she exhales. "Let's not see each other again. I'm really sorry for prying into your life. I won't do it anymore. With this, we're over."

            The entire time Yoonhee walks away, Hyungon petrifies into such shock he forgets to chase after her. 

            Who the hell did Wonho think he is? 

            For the second time in his life, Hyungwon finds himself at photographer Shin's apartment door.

            "Yah, Wonho, come out!" Hyungwon yells, fists pounding the door.

            "Hey, shh!" Wonho answers the door, a finger pressed to his lips. "What are you disturbing the neighbors like this for?"

            "Explain yourself. Why are you doing this to me?" Hyungwon rasps, eyes seething.

            "Doing what exactly?" Wonho squints at him. "You're the one who came knocking on my door."

            "Because of you, Yoonhee broke up with me. Are you happy now?" Hyungwon can barely speak without heartache causing his breath to hitch and shudder. "First, you onesidedly ended our friendship. Now, you made my girlfriend break up with me. FIlled her head with ideas we could make up. What do you mean by what?"

            "I didn't tell her to break up with you," Wonho shrugs, still piecing the situation together in his head. "I'm sorry things didn't work out with her, but what does that have to do with me?"

            "Why are you ruining my life?" Hyungwon pleads for an answer, voice strained and fists squeezed tight at his sides. "You befriended her on purpose. You wanted this to happen. I know it."

            "That's—" Hoseok starts to say, but then decides not to refute it and simply shakes his head, believing with every fiber of his being that he did nothing wrong this time, because the end justified the means. "This is just how I am. I've never had a real friend. I've never been in a relationship for more than a month. I don't work in the same place for more than a year. Every single aspect of my life is so superficial and easily broken. There's always something new to chase, so I do just that. I try my hardest and when it gets too much, I disappear."

            "Are you really saying this to me now?" Hyungwon couldn't believe his ears. "Let me get this straight—our friendship was too much to handle? Okay, fine. But she had nothing to do with this! Even if I begged on my knees, she might not take me back. Did you want to break me? Was this a game to you? Know what—I'm done. I'm so over it. Have a nice life." 

            Hyungwon's voice cracks when his eyes start to sting, anger festering violently in his core, cheeks aflame as he treads down the hall and every step feels heavier than the last.

            Without warning, his body twists around, and Wonho glazes over him for a split-second before pulling his body close to press their lips together. Struggling to free himself, Hyungwon clenches down his teeth and bites down on the photographer's lip, breaking skin.

            Wonho winces but doesn't let Hyungwon out of his hold, eyes repeatedly glancing over Hyungwon's red and blue gaze.

            "This is the only way I can explain myself." The photographer braces himself to be hit because he deserved it. "I slept with you because I have feelings for you. Not because we were drunk and you hit on me. I don't take advantage of others, especially guys. But I knew I would hurt you in the end because relationships complicate things, yet I couldn't trust myself to stay just friends without falling for you harder than I already did."  

            Hoseok stops to wipe Hyungwon's teary face with his thumbs, smiling when the model's grows limp in his arms. Pressing their bodies closer, he says the rest lightly into the curve of Hyungwon's shoulder.

            "As for the woman—I was probably jealous. People escape my memory like runaway trains, here one second then gone forever. But you—" he pulls back to stare the model in his glassy, black, beautiful eyes. "You're the only person whose occupied my thoughts for six months straight, so take responsibility."

            Hyungwon can't find words to say except, "Is this your way of asking me out?"

            Wonho laughs and squeezes the model tighter.

            "Hyungwon-ah, go out with me," he says, tilting his head slightly for a response.

            Hyungwon struggles for a bit before he starts to repeatedly jab at Wonho's chest to release him.

            He takes a good long look at Wonho, eyeing his bloodied lip and shakes his head.

            "I haven't forgiven you, so no freakin' way. I'm still so angry about what you put me through." The model shoves Wonho on the shoulder before walking away, cascading down the stairs.

            Wonho smirks and follows after him. "Hyungwonie~ I'm sorry. I was wrong. Will you forgive me?" And repeats himself a good hundred more times into the next week. Hyungwon prided his patience but Hoseok had a way of clawing under his skin.

            Before the cameras started rolling on the last day of the shoot, Hyungwon decides to forgive photographer Shin. 

            "So are we dating now?" Hoseok asks flatly.

            "Ask me again in four hours," Hyungwon quips, lips curled cryptically.

            Are you a magic 8-ball? The photographer thinks to himself, but seeing as it wasn't an outright refusal he agrees to leave it after the shoot.

            "It's been more than four hours," Hoseok walks up to the model wiping his makeup off. "So are we..."

            "No," Hyungwon doesn't bat an eyelash.

            Wonho's eyes roll, ruffling the tall boy's hair. "You little minx."

            "Can't we just be friends again?" The model turns to him, eyes pleading pitifully like a baby animal.

            "Hyungwon, please." Wonho says incredulously, using his hand to block that spellbinding face from view. "What kind of friend wants to sleep with another friend? I don't want an open relationship either. The thought of you sleeping with someone else—man or woman—gives me nightmares."

            "You're the one who doesn't like being tied down. What's all this about now?" He laughs, thick lips curling slyly.

            "This is different." Wonho responds seriously. "I can see us together for a long time."

            Hyungwon bites his lip. "Can we go to your place now?"

            "Why? I haven't cleaned up yet, but—" Wonho realizes what Hyungwon is saying and shuts his mouth immediately to drag the tall boy out by hand. "Yeah, let's go quickly."

            Hyungwon laughs and follows.

            Hyungwon feels like this is way more embarrassing sober. The way the photographer kisses sweet nothings into the back of his head. The overwhelming feeling of the other man's thick arms holding his narrow body in place. The way his sweat drips down pale blonde hair and glistens his muscles even in moonlight. Their voices mingling in such a tight space that Hyungwon never thought would ever come together in harmony again.

            The last thing he wonders before collapsing into sleep is how much longer he can string Wonho along before the older man gets fed up and runs away again, maybe forever this time. He wonders if he can trust him to actually stay should they declare exclusivity or if it was all smoke and mirrors to feign temporary complacency. Because even if Wonho's relationships lasted days or weeks, Hyungwon wanted his relationships to last months and years. They were like two mismatched puzzle pieces jammed together. Forever wasn't made real until the end. It didn't make sense.

            He wonders if it's okay to enter a relationship with the end in mind. If he could really put his heart out for this person and not get hurt again when he's already been hurt twice by the one in question. 

            Brushing hairs away from the other man's forehead, Hoseok stares and thinks of what ways he could prove that he was in this for the long run. That he would never do anything to hurt him again and do everything to make up for past mistakes.

            After the model starts to breathe steadily asleep, the other man reaches over into his nightstand and places a ring pendant necklace around his companion's nape. 

            When Hyungwon wakes up, he feels a noisy silver chain around his neck and thumbs it inquisitively, wondering how it got there. Minutes later, he sees a scribbled note on the nightstand that he picks up to read through slitted, sleepy eyes.

            Please wear it

            P.S. At the store, (I'll) be back soon

            Shin Hoseok

            Hyungwon traces his fingers over the inked characters, three syllables spilling repeatedly over his lips.

            Shin Hoseok. So that's his real name.

            Hyungwon smiles to himself because even just this miniscule, super tiny, minor little thing—something like the photographer taking time to pen down his real name on this yellow-colored paper square meant that even just a little (or by careless mistake), he was being let into the too tiny and cramped space inside of that blonde dumbbell's ironclad chest that he desperately coveted. Humming whimsically, Hyungwon picks up the pen lying on the nightstand and etches six letters onto the corner of the note, like a grade school kid with a crush.

            CHW ♥ SHS
 

a/n: so there mayyyyyyy be an epilogue to this where i want to write snippets about their friendship you know before they stop being friends. and like the one scene. no promises??? ;u; ty 4 reading!!!