Niel brushed his hands over the front of his jacket. The silver buttons of the double-ed front shone bright beneath the light. He hitched his top lip up and sighed. 

“You look great.” Chanhee was standing at the bedroom door, watching him with a smile. He was already dressed, just his jacket to be added. He was striking in a black shirt and slim dress pants. 

“Are you sure?” Niel looked himself over again. “I feel overdressed. How did you talk me into this?”

Chanhee crossed the room, picking his way through the mess. He gave Niel a long kiss and came to stand behind him with an arm around his waist. Niel looked at Chanhee in the mirror, his eyes were darkened with a little mascara and liner, subtle but effective. 

“Would I ever let you leave this house looking bad?” Chanhee asked.

“No.” Niel gave a reluctant smile. He sighed a little but kept his eyes on Chanhee. “Your makeup looks nice.”

“Thank you.” Chanhee beamed. He stepped back and pulled his own suit jacket on. It was a dramatic black and white plaid. 

Niel smiled. There was no way he was overdressed now. 

“Besides,” Chanhee fixed his lapels, “I bought you that suit. It’s about time we had somewhere to wear it.”

He reached down and patted Niel’s lightly.

Niel gave a sigh of laughter and nodded. 

“I can’t wait to see Minsu,” Niel admitted letting Chanhee tow him to the bathroom. “I can’t believe he left before I got home.”

Chanhee laughed and sat Niel on the edge of the tub. 

“He looks amazing.” Chanhee told Niel, his hands busy as he mascara over Niel’s lashes. “You’re going to die when you see him.”

Niel sat still, a smile playing on his lips as he tried to imagine Minsu in a suit. The artist was more inclined to large shirts and loose pants. The majority of his things also sporting a paint splatter or ink stain. 

“Alright, beautiful, all finished.” Chanhee stood straight and fixed his own hair for a moment. 

Niel stood. His eyes were now astonishingly wide and long-lashed. He smiled and kissed Chanhee’s cheek. 

He never would have thought he would be one to wear makeup, especially not out of the house. Then Lee Chanhee had come along, and everything had changed. Niel enjoyed it, for special occasions at least.

“Ready to go?” Chanhee asked, leaving his mascara on the sink and walking out to the lounge. 

Niel shook his head at the sprawl of makeup on the bench and followed Chanhee. 

“Do you have your phone?” Chanhee called from the kitchen. 

“Yes!”

“Do you have your wallet?” He moved through to the lounge room, frowning at the mess. 

“Yes!”

Niel crossed to the small bowl on the bookshelves, pulling his keys down. 

“Do you have keys?” Chanhee’s voice was confused and he patted his pockets down and turned a circle.

“Yes.” Niel jangled them and slipped them into his jacket pocket. He moved to encircle Chanhee in his arms. “Everything is going to be fine.” He gave Chanhee another kiss, squeezing him a little. 

“Of course.” Chanhee’s smile was sheepish. 

“Let’s go.” Niel pressed one more kiss to his face and they filed out of the apartment.

=====

The building was an old three storey residence from the turn of the century. It’s facade was classic architecture and loomed over the small garden path that led to it. Everything in the garden was green and overflowing with life. Ferns reached out from garden beds beneath tall flowering trees. Purple blossoms carpeted the ground beneath them. Trumpet shaped flowers flanked the stairs that led to the open front door. There were sprawling lawns that sloped away from the house at the back. Niel took a deep breath when he saw them. The lawns were used for the graduation ceremony. They would be sitting out there in the sun in just a few weeks, watching Minsu walk the stage. 

For now, he and Chanhee climbed the stairs and moved into the warm, yellow light inside. 

The floors were polished pine, everything wooden or painted a muted maroon. A young woman stood by the door, smiling politely. 

“Good evening, may I see your ticket?” She asked, coming over to them. 

Chanhee passed them over, his hand tight in Niel’s before dropping away. Niel was too busy staring around. A staircase led from the entryway up to the next floor its banister polished to perfection. Opposite them there was another open door, he could see crowds milling around and the edge of a large painting on the wall. Chanhee thanked the woman and they moved into the next room. 

It was open, some plinths placed around the middle of the room for sculptures. The walls were lined with paintings, all completely individual and extravagant. Almost as extravagant as the people. Men wore an assortment of tuxedos from the classic James Bond look, to a similar double-ed style to Niel. One or two others had gone as all out as Chanhee, a soft purple on one man and a dark red checkered pattern on another. The women were in floor length gowns, the colours of the spectrum and with varying amounts of glitter and skin showing. 

Across the room, in the opposite corner, Minsu was standing and laughing. Niel and Chanhee let a sigh out together. His suit jacket was cut just a little longer, its single button accentuating his slim waist and strong shoulders. Chanhee had chosen a charcoal grey and a deep navy shirt. Niel couldn’t stop staring. Especially as Minsu reached up and ran a hand through his long, soft hair. 

“He looks amazing,” Niel mumbled to Chanhee and they began to make their way through the crowd. 

“I know.” Chanhee was grinning from ear to ear. 

Minsu finally caught sight of them, his smile only growing wider. He excused himself from the conversation and met them halfway. 

“Wow.” He kissed Niel’s cheek. “You look amazing.”

“Speak for yourself,” Niel kissed him back. 

“Hi darling,” Minsu ducked down to kiss Chanhee’s lips. “Dramatically gorgeous as always.”

“Well.” Chanhee took Minsu’s hand. “When I have to compete with you two, I have to pull out all the stops.”

Niel and Minsu laughed, rolling their eyes. 

“Show us, show us,” Chanhee continued on. “I want to see it under all the lights.” Chanhee motioned for Minsu to lead him. 

Niel smiled, he shook his head a little and followed behind them. He knew Chanhee was nervous. The last thing they wanted to do was jeopardise Minsu’s hard work with their less than accepted relationship. He couldn’t help but feel a small flicker of pain as the other pair moved together, laughing about something. He tucked it away. There was nothing he could or should do about it right now. 

They stopped before the long canvas that Minsu had been working on for the last few months. It was beautiful and simple. Niel smiled, his hurt forgotten as he stared at the painting. His boyfriend had done that. He got to go home with the fantastic, talented artist behind this painting. He turned to find Minsu standing beside him, eyes expectant. 

“It’s amazing.” Niel told him quietly. “Every time I see it again, I fall in love all over again.”

“With the painting?” Minsu asked, his hand still holding Chanhee’s.

“Both.” Niel smiled. “You two mingle. I’m going to get some drinks.”

“You know I don’t care,” Minsu mumbled, bringing his mouth closer to Niel’s ear. 

“I know,” Niel said gratefully. “We do. We want you to have the best chance. And this gala is it.”

Minsu’s lips twisted, he gave a sigh. Niel smiled again, he gave Minsu a wink and turned away. 

Niel moved through the crowds, smiling at the few of Minsu’s classmates that he knew. One was standing at the bar, waiting for her champagne. 

“Nielie!” Taehee cried with excitement, gripping his arm. “How are you?” She leaned up and kissed his cheek. 

“I’m good. Stressed.”

“Exam time.” They said in unison. 

“How are you?” Niel asked after he had ordered.

“Good. I’ll be glad when this thing is over.” She sipped her champagne. “I actually hate wearing this much makeup.”

Niel laughed. Her makeup was reserved, nothing more than basic foundation, contouring and some eye makeup. Compared to one of the other students Niel had seen with peacock colours decorating her eyes to match her dress, Taehee was incredibly reserved. Her dress was equally toned down, a strapless corseted dress with heavy black embroidery and silver thread weaving through randomly. He offered Taehee his arm and they wandered back into the main room. 

“Oh goodness,” Taehee’s voice was quiet. “Chanhee never shies away from being bold.”

“It’s the drama nerd in him,” Niel replied. They moved through the crowds, pausing by Minsu and Chanhee for them to collect their drinks. 

“Taehee,” Chanhee kissed the air over her cheek and beamed. 

“Chanhee. Good to finally see you again.” She looked from Minsu to Chanhee and then to Niel. “Well, I’m stealing this one! I didn’t bring a date and you brought two. Sharing is caring, Mister Bang.” 

Niel laughed and turned to wander the room with Taehee on his arm. Niel grinned as she chose a place to start examining the art. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled. 

“It’s alright.” Taehee didn’t look away from the picture. “I could see Chanhee clinging to Minsu for dear life. I know it must be hard at things like this.” She sipped her champagne and smiled at him, “And I truly didn’t have a date.”

“We’re even dressed to match,” Niel remarked. “It’s like we planned it.”

“Next time, feel free to actually do that.” Taehee moved them on to the next artwork. “I’m happy to play fourth wheel. And I miss you.”

Niel sighed. He took a long draught of his wine, eyes roaming the detailed painting of a tiger falling from space. 

“I miss you too,” Niel finally spoke. “We should have coffee soon.” 

He was telling the truth. He did miss seeing Taehee. Since the art graduates had finished up formal class time and spent most of their days in studios finishing the art that was displayed all around them, Niel barely saw Minsu let alone Taehee. Exam stress and final assignments hadn’t helped. They used to meet almost weekly, Taehee tagging along to lunch with Minsu and Niel at the cafeteria. Occasionally Chanhee would even make an appearance on campus. He missed their stupid chatter over lunch. 

His joy of seeing her again was dampened considerably by the circumstances though. He didn’t want to have to have a fake date to go out with his boyfriends. He didn’t want to hide and pretend. He sipped his wine again.

“But…” Taehee pressed him, she was examining him as though he were one of the art pieces.

“I hate that we can’t just be ourselves.” Niel admitted. “Sorry. It’s—”

“Don’t be silly,” Taehee cut him off. “I know exactly what you mean.”

They moved around in silence a while, both intent on the artwork. When they stopped before a sculpture of swirling and swooping metal, Niel walked around the entire thing slowly. He came back to a stop by Taehee’s elbow. 

“It’s the best one so far,” he told her. “But I still love the other one I saw.”

“Thank you!” Taehee smiled, she took his arm again. “It only took me six tries in the forge and two cracked ones to get it like this.” 

“Shh,” Niel laughed, looking around conspiratorially. “No one needs to know.”

“What are you two giggling about?” Minsu’s voice sounded behind them. 

“Failures.” Tahee grinned, releasing Niel’s arm. 

“Let’s switch,” Minsu mumbled nodding his head toward the entryway and the staircase.

“Sure,” Taehee drained the last of her champagne. “Where is Chanhee?”

“At the bar,” Minsu shook his head. “Come on.” He hustled Niel over to the stairs. They climbed in silence, Minsu taking Niel’s hand as they crested the top.

“Ah yes,” Niel mused softly. “I bet no one from downstairs is ever up here at the same time as us. Only we move from floor to floor.”

“Shut up,” Minsu mumbled, giving a quiet chuckle. “Just let me have this.”

Niel couldn’t argue. He shook his head and let Minsu kiss him lightly. He could hear Chanhee and Taehee chatting nonstop below. The thought that they were possibly being perceived as a foursome crossed his mind, but Niel shrugged it off. He wasn’t the one that actually cared.

=====

They had explored both floors and returned to the lower one. The head of the fine arts department had made a speech, congratulated the artists and finished up with a toast. Now Minsu was hanging close to his painting as they had been instructed to do. After another kiss to each of their cheeks Taehee swept across the room to do the same thing. Chanhee gave a wistful sigh and moved for the bar. Niel followed him, catching him and taking hold of his hand. 

“What’s wrong, honey?” Niel asked, his thumb over the back of Chanhee’s hand. 

“Nothing.” Chanhee smiled tightly before letting it fall. “I’m sorry you got outsted tonight.” His face fell into sadness. 

“Aww, don’t worry about it.” Niel ducked a little to look into Chanhee’s eyes properly. “I don’t care. I love Taehee. She’s fun. And I haven’t seen her in forever.”

“I know. But…” Chanhee gave a sigh. “I just wish I didn’t care what people think.”

“Well, this is a little bit of a different circumstance,” Niel shrugged. “We all know how important the gala is. We want Minsu to put his best foot forward. And, personally, I think he catches far more attention with you on his arm than me.”

“Niel!” Chanhee frowned. 

“You know what I mean. You have the chic gay boyfriend thing down pat.” Niel waved at Chanhee’s impressive outfit. 

“I think you look pretty chic gay boyfriend tonight too,” Chanhee grumbled. 

“Thank you,” Niel snuck a kiss on his cheek. “Let’s just go and look at the paintings. After tonight we never have to do this again,OK?”

“OK.” Chanhee took a deep breath, nodding resolutely. 

They meandered together. Re-examining all of the artworks and keeping an eye on Minsu. He chatted to several people, all of whom neither Niel or Chanhee had ever seen before. They petered to a stop by Minsu, pretending to be extremely interested in the artwork beside his.

“—would really love to see some more from you,” an elderly man was saying. “Do you have a studio space?”

“Currently, just the university. I’m hoping to find one somewhere soon,” Minsu replied easily. 

“Well, if you’re still having trouble give me a call and I’ll see what I can find.” 

Chanhee’s breath hitched, he was staring at Minsu from the corner of his eye. 

“He got a card,” Chanhee whispered, his face splitting with an excited smile. 

Niel grinned. They moved along to stare at Minsu’s piece for a while. 

“Ah, this must be your partner!” The man’s voice was right behind them. Chanhee turned, Niel turning a beat after him. His eyes flickered from Chanhee to Niel and then came to a stop on Chanhee. “You must be proud of him.”

Chanhee gave his infectious laugh and shifted to stand beside Minsu. He nodded. Niel tried to melt into the background. 

“Kang Youngcheul.” He extended his hand for Chanhee to shake.

“Lee Chanhee.” He was so graceful, Niel felt a flutter of relief. 

He edged backwards. The hand was extended to him as well. He froze. 

“Ah..n Daniel,” Niel floundered before shaking the hand. 

“Pleasure.” He was given a megawatt smile. “I was just telling Bang Minsu that I run a small gallery in Old Town. I would love to see some more of this work when his exams are finished up.”

Niel nodded, his lips pressing together as he tried to stifle his confusion.

“That’s fantastic,” Chanhee spoke with such ease Niel wondered which of them was the one that had been freaking out all evening. 

“Have I seen you somewhere?” Youngcheul asked Chanhee, eyes narrowing with interest. 

“Chanhee was in the latest cast of Les Mis,” Minsu answered. 

Niel gave a nod and excused himself. He couldn’t stand there any longer and watch his two boyfriends skate through the conversation. He was an awkward third wheel compared to them. He was given a kind smile as he backed away and fled to the bar. 

After retrieving a drink Niel passed through the room and out into the front garden. He looked up at the flowering tree and frowned. He used to love them, but they flowered only during exam season so the memory was tainted. He wandered over and stood under the heavy boughs. 

He was almost exploding with pride. Minsu had been offered a chance with a gallery owner! It was fantastic! It was everything the three of them had been dreaming of for months. If they could find Minsu a space to paint full time he could very well launch his career in that gallery. 

With all of his private smiling finished, he moved back through to the exhibition room. He was bored of all the paintings now. Minsu and Chanhee were still chatting to the gallery owner. Even Taehee was occupied. He meandered, heading upstairs for a while, examining not just the art but the antique craftsmanship of the old house as well. He stared up the stairs to the third floor, wondering what was hiding up there before he turned another circuit of the floor and descended to the ground again. He slipped into the garden again, this time finding a seat further in and sitting down among the crickets. 

He whiled away the time, sipping his wine and sighing. When the glass was empty he returned to the exhibition again. Minsu and Chanhee were still talking, now to a woman Niel recognised as the Dean’s wife. He gave them wide berth.

“Ah,” a familiar voice caught him as he was passing a sculpture of a peeled face, “there you are, Ahn Daniel, wasn’t it?” 

Niel turned, a smile on his lips to find the gallery owner smiling at him as well. 

“Yes,” Niel didn’t know what else to say.

“You disappeared before. I didn’t get a chance to congratulate you as well.”

“Congratulate me?” Niel’s brows furrowed, did this man think he had exhibited as well?

“Yes, on Minsu’s work, of course.” Youngcheul’s face was open and kind, nothing but a smile on his face. 

“I’m…” Niel passed his tongue over his lips and tried again. “I’m sorry, I’m confused.”

Youngcheul smiled wider. He came a step closer, his voice quieter now. “You should be proud as well,” he murmured. “And you even had the decency to, well, adhere to certain societal standards for the evening. Can’t have been easy. He’s very lucky.”

Niel blinked. His mouth opened, closed, opened again before he simply nodded. 

Youngcheul laughed. 

“So what do you do, Ahn Daniel?” Youngcheul stepped back, raising his voice again. 

“I’m a literature major,” Niel could breathe again. That was a question he could answer.

“Ah! Perfect. My wife is a professor of English Literature, she specialises in Middle English.”

“We just finished Chaucer,” Niel smiled properly. All traces of panic dissipating.

“Ah, Canterbury Tales?”

Niel caught Chanhee and Minsu smiling at him from across the room. He launched into his latest assignment, Youngcheul nodding along happily.

=====

“Miss Taehee,” Niel paused by her elbow as she bid farewell to the last patron talking to her. 

“Mr Ahn,” she replied, her smile falling and tiredness creasing her face. 

“Would you like someone to accompany you to your car?” He offered his elbow again. Chanhee and Minsu were waiting at the door, watching them with smiles.

“Oh!” She took the elbow. “I actually caught the train.”

Niel frowned. “You caught the train in that?”

Taehee shrugged. She let Chanhee help her into her coat without protest. Niel immediately took her arm once more.

“Well, I’ll see you all again. Sometime.” She tried to extract her arm. Niel did not let go. “Hey,” she huffed with laughter. 

“You are most definitely not catching the train home at this hour, looking like that.” Niel turned his eyes to the other two. They immediately nodded, hustling everyone out into the garden.

“I’ll be fine.” Taehee laughed, not fighting against Niel at all. “I’m tough.”

“You sure are, blacksmith arms,” Minsu put in, his arm around Chanhee. 

“Regardless.” Niel sniffed. “We cannot let a lady such as you struggle with the plebians on the public transport system.”

“I thought I was the drama major?” Chanhee joked. 

They were far enough from the exhibition house now that he released Minsu and instead came to hold Niel around the middle as they walked. 

“Seriously, you guys don’t have to do this,” Taehee tried again.

“We know.” Minsu smiled down at her. “You helped us out tonight. It’s the least we can do.”

“At least let me walk on my own.” She finally extricated her self from Niel’s arm, shaking her shoulders out and standing tall. 

Minsu immediately took her place. Niel smiled up at him. The tension he hadn’t even noticed in his shoulders finally seeped away as both his boyfriends held him close. They only tripped over one another three times before making it back to the car. 

Minsu and Taehee sat in the back, chatting avidly about their offers and conversations over the course of the evening. Niel drove, Chanhee sitting in the front with him and keeping his hand on his thigh the whole way from the university to Taehee’s house and then across town to their apartment. As they let Taehee out, Minsu leaned forward and placed his hands on Niel’s shoulders from the backseat. 

“Hey, are you wearing a seatbelt?” Niel asked, glancing back at Minsu as they waited for a light. 

“Yes,” Minsu’s voice was low and grumbly, right behind Niel’s head. “I’m not going to stop. Don’t argue with me.”

“It’s dangerous.” Niel argued just for the fun of it. “You should sit properly and not distract the driver.”

“I’m not distracting you,” Minsu replied. “I’m just sitting here. I’m innocent.”

“You’ve never been innocent in your life.” Niel batted back, he could feel himself smiling as he negotiated the confusing turning lanes. 

“That’s not true,” Minsu replied, his hands giving Niel’s shoulders a light squeeze. “There was one day,  I was seven years old—”

“What are you talking about?” Niel laughed, sharing a look with Chanhee. Chanhee was merely staring at Niel with affectionate eyes. “What are you doing over there?” Niel laughed at him, bashfulness bubbling in his stomach. 

“Just loving you.” Chanhee replied, his hand giving Niel’s thigh a squeeze. 

“If you two act like this every time I drive, I’ll do it more often.” Niel tried to disperse the overwhelming aura in the car. He couldn’t stop his blush.

“Thank you, darling,” Chanhee’s voice was soft. Niel’s blush deepened. 

“I didn’t do anything,” he muttered, turning into their car park and trying not to look at either. 

Niel bit his lip as they let him go to get out of the car. He swung the door shut and sighed a little. Immediately he was enveloped from in front and behind. He laughed a little, his nose pressed firmly against Minsu’s shirt, a button biting his cheek a little. 

“Hey!” He laughed. “What’s wrong with you two?”

“We love you,” Chanhee mumbled, pressing his nose into Niel’s neck. “You were amazing tonight. And we really, really love you.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Niel protested, wrapping one arm around Chanhee behind and one around Minsu in front. “I walked around and looked at pictures.”

Minsu tipped his chin up, passing a finger over the imprint of the button but making no comment. He kissed Niel, soft and slow, lingering at his lips and staring into his eyes. 

“Thank you,” Minsu mumbled. “I love you.”

Niel’s rumpled his lips, sighing and looking away. 

“Can we please do this inside?” He mumbled. They were still standing beside the car in the dim car park.

“Yes.” Chanhee began herding him toward the elevator, not releasing him or Minsu.

“Chanhee,” Niel tried to watch as best he could over Minsu’s shoulder. “You remember what happened last time?”

“Hush.” Chanhee pushed them on with determination.

Surprisingly, they made it to the apartment door without falling to the floor in a heap as they usually did. It was the mess in the apartment that was their undoing. Minsu’s foot catching on a shoe and tumbling them all to the floor with a heavy thud. He caught Niel and Chanhee on his chest, his breath coming out with a groan. 

Chanhee couldn’t stop laughing long enough to apologise, he was half atop Niel as well and shaking with laughter. Niel merely laid between them, his eyes closed with contentment. Chanhee began fluttering over Minsu, repeating his apologies between laughs. Minsu was laughing right back, tightening his arms around Chanhee and Niel as he did. 

Of all the things he had to do, this made it all worth it. Niel listened to the two of the giggle and talk about bad ideas and cleaning the lounge more often. He sighed again, happiness giving him a sleepy satisfaction. Everything was worth it to be snuggled between these two idiots at the end of the day.