originally posted as a oneshot with different characters, figured it'd fit here too

 

 

Sweet Wine

 

“Come on, Hyungwon, it will be fun!” Wonho pleaded over the phone, rolling over on his bed as he tried to convince his best friend to do something impossible for him. Go to the skate park. Wonho would love that, he'd appreciate it, he'd be forever thankful if Hyungwon went with him more often. It was just something very special for him, it was a way of relaxing, coping with stress, whatever really. And if he could incorporate Hyungwon into that, he'd never step off that damned board. That he built himself, of course. Hyungwon knew, everyone knew that he did that, he mentioned it in every third sentence he said.

“Oh, sure, it will be fun,” Wonho could feel his friend rolling his eyes. Telepathy? No, he just had a habit of doing it so often, if he gave it some practice, his eyes could do a full 360-degree turn.

“It's going to be as fun as when you tried to explain genetics to me in your campus lab.”

“Was that not fun?”

“You made talk about my family and then do the math.”

“My question stands.”

“Hyungwon, that's my own personal hell.” He paused for a while. He remembered how excited he and his geeky colleagues were when they had the chance to teach him about all that sciency mumbo-jumbo. “But it was kinda cool, you know.”

“Okay, Jesus, I'll go with you, dude. Hope you'll do some sick trick.”

“Oh no-” Before Wonho could stop his friend, he continued with his absolute favorite way of pissing him off.

“Some radical flips?”

...

“Some ill turns, son. Fly rides. Wicked ollies.” The only reason Wonho was putting up with this was that he heard Hyungwon's giggles between the terrible references, he couldn't take that simple pleasure from him.

“Totally dude. Gonna try some banging tricks,” Wonho finally gave in into the play, knowing it would end like this. It always does and he always tries to sound like he doesn't enjoy it.

“Word?”

“Word, bro.”

“Cowabunga, dude. Pick me up in twenty.”

 

Hyungwon was already standing outside when his friend pulled up in a car. It took him a good hour. Thankfully, Hyungwon was already used to this. He said see you in 20, which means that he'll take like 40 minutes. Hyungwon was right, even though he arrived 20 minutes late, he waited for another 10.

“Good time management,” he greeted his friend while getting into the car but he probably couldn't hear him, music in the car roaring too loudly.

“Sorry, traffic.”

“We live in a suburban area 10 minutes away from each other.” Hyungwon watched his friend struggle with coming up with an excuse. It was funny to him, he could almost see the wheels in his brain turning. An absolute pleasure. “Just say you were doing your hair.” He wasn't blind. He knows how incredibly long it takes Wonho to put every little hair in place. A part of him hated it as he always came late. A part of him applauded the effort.

“I also didn't know what to wear, if it helps the case.”

“At least you're honest. Who are you so dressed up for?” Hyungwon , knowing it's only and just for himself. Would Wonho even leave the house without looking like the epitome of an art student? He wouldn't and he takes great pride in that. It was sweet.
Wonho wiggled in his seat with a cheeky smile. “What if there's someone cute?”

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.“ Hyungwon swayed left and right, getting used to the feeling of standing on a board. It wiggled under his feet, leaving him looking for support, arms flying around.

Wonho couldn’t help but laugh, sitting on a railing nearby. Maybe he should go help his friend, who stood on his board like a marble statue, too afraid to move or do anything. “You’re just standing there.”

“Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Move!”

“But I’m afraid I’ll fall!“

“You won’t.”

“But what if I will.”

“You’ll scrape your knee.”

“They’ll laugh at me!” Hyungwon silently yelled at his friend, pointing discreetly at a group of kids nearby. “I should’ve waited until it was past their bedtime.”

“I’m not too sure if you two have a different bedtime.” Wonho smiled tiredly, grabbing Hyungwon’s hands to give him more stability. “Come on.” He dragged his friend with him slowly, wheels started to turn. A little unnoticed smile crept up on Hyungwon’s face. He was doing it, he was finally doing it!

“Teach me a trick!” His eyes were as big as those of a kid asking for ice cream. Wonho couldn't even believe the glee he saw in Hyungwon’s face.

“Okay buddy, let's teach you how to stand properly first.” He grabbed Hyungwon’s shoulders before giving him a strong push, sending him riding a few feet forward. His arms flayed around as he tried to keep his balance but Wonho could hear his laugher all the way back.

 

*

 

“I can't believe it started raining the moment our classes were over.“ Hyungwon wiped his wet hands on his soaked jeans, achieving nothing at all. He realized Wonho wasn't totally wrong when he told him it was ‘blowing rain’. ‘Blowing wind?’ Hyungwon asked him a few times before looking outside to see what was going on. The fact that they were both in this situation now was because Wonho refused to leave the campus before finishing his project. ‘I’ll just sketch it. I’ll just color. I’ll just outline.’ After an hour and a half of waiting, sitting on a hard wooden bench outside the class, it took Hyungwon one nasty look and one glass of water held over Wonho’s laptop to get him going. “If it weren't for me being a sweetheart and waiting for you, I would've already been home, blowing bullets into a digital men’s skulls.”

“Well excuse me for taking my assignments seriously.” He followed Hyungwon into his room, watching him dig through his closet and grabbing the clothes Hyungwon threw at him.

“Sorry, my room’s a mess.” Hyungwon always said his room was a mess. What he meant was that he had two shirts thrown over his chair. Maybe a textbook or two placed on the table. By his standards, that was a mess. By Wonho’s standards, that’s cleaner than his room will ever be. “How in the hell is your hair still in place?” Hyungwon asked with a mix of awe of disbelief. They ran back into his place, no umbrellas, just them and all the rain two people can take. And still, the worst that happened to his hair was that one greaser curl that liked to sit on his forehead.

“Been saying my grace.” He handed Hyungwon his wet clothes, following him around the house like a lost dog even though he has been there countless times. Waiting in his room just seemed awkward but so did walking with Hyungwon to watch him hang their damp clothes. “Hey, are these sweatpants supposed to be ankle length?” Wonho could stop teasing Hyungwon about being a tiny bit shorter than him, but you'd have to pray that privilege from his cold dead hands.

“No, you’re just a big . They’re made for people who fit through door frames without difficulties.”

“Well excuse me for being a idol,” Wonho seethed playfully, raising his leg up to a cabinet and running his hand from his ankle to his thigh. All he received was a slap across his arm with a wet shirt and an eye roll.

Wonho ran back up into Hyungwon’s room, grabbing a speaker. “Let’s get this started,” he sang, putting the speaker on the kitchen table and looked for a song to play. He was sure to skip to another one in half a minute but he always made sure to play Hyungwon’s favorites when skipping around in his kitchen. Hyungwon heard the first few notes and immediately he jumped into the song, along with his friend. He couldn’t believe Wonho made boiling water for tea fun. Well, he could believe it, he’s always been this way. He turned around with hot mugs in his hands, seeing Wonho living out every word of the song.

Wonho took the mugs upstairs, waiting for Hyungwon. He sat on his bed, looking around the room he saw so many times. Not a lot changed, except there was a new plant almost every time he came over. They spread themselves across the walls, fell from the ceiling, stood on his table. Hyungwon took better care of them than he did of himself sometimes. He almost didn't notice that his dog wasn't home, otherwise, he’d be jumping on him the moment he walked in. “Damn, what took you so long?” Wonho laughed when Hyungwon walked in with two bowls of fruit and a defeated look.

“I had to search up how to cut up peaches, okay?”

“Peaches?”

“Yeah man, they get all mushy and juicy and you can't cut them properly and they won’t get loose from the pit and just- You know what, just say thanks and don't ask.” Hyungwon spun on his chair, looking at Wonho who had already stuffed his cheeks with fruit like a hamster. He was handing him his phone, screen bright with son photos. “Is this your final assignment?” Wonho nodded, his eyes sparkled with pride. He was so proud of his work and it turned out so much better than he expected. He would say how many nights he spent awake, drinking coffee and energy drinks, the only things keeping him alive at that point, but he wants particularly proud of his terrible time management.

“Wow, that incredible!” Hyungwon studied every line and every color. He didn't even know what the assignment was sure that he would ace it. He always admired Wonho’s way of working the pencil. And the pen and the brush. He could spend hours watching him work and sometimes he did, hanging out in his room while he did his assignments.

Wonho muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ before Hyungwon searched through his drawers, pulling out a handful of papers, some scraps, some ripped, some in a good state. “Was cleaning my room, found this, look.” Wonho took the papers, running over them quickly with his eye. He immediately recognized his doodles and sketches. He skimmed through doodles on old biology notes he didn't understand and chemistry exercises that made no sense. Every time he got the chance, he left Hyungwon a little surprise, be it a tiny sketch or a doodle by his notes. He didn't know what a globulin was, but that didn't stop him from drawing it into the top left corner. A little round friend sitting in the top left corner, wishing Hyungwon good luck. And so little globulin friend turned into Hyungwon’s good luck charm.

 

*

 

“I hate allergies.”

“Then why are we laying in a flower field?”

“Because it's pretty here,” Wonho sighed, wiping his teary eyes with a tissue. It wasn't that it was such a beautiful sight, though it was pretty, his seasonal allergies were just acting out. He pulled out another tissue, he lost count at that point. No matter how hard Hyungwon tried to convince him to go, Wonho was too stubborn to move from the field. “Go yourself, flowers,” he yelled after the field, shaking his fist.

“Actually, flowers hate to self pollinate.”

“What?”

“They do it as like a last resort if they have to. Cross pollination is absolutely better for them. See-”

Wonho ran his hands over his face, groaning Hyungwon’s name. He couldn't believe he was getting a lecture on self-pollination on a Friday afternoon. If he were closer, he would kick him as a warning. “I don't know if I'll learn anything from this, mister professor.”

“Oh no, I studied this for a test. You're going to hear about flower from this sleep-deprived biology major even if it's the last thing I do.”

“Flower . Wow, that should be the name of my next project.” Wonho observed Hyungwon as he dug through the flowers, looking for a specific one. He combed through them, laying on his stomach until he found what he was looking for, picking if from the ground. He rolled around closer to Wonho, landing by his legs.

“Look. See?” he showed him the little purple flower, pointing at the yellow stringy parts in the middle. At least that's what Wonho saw. “Nature has this all figured out, it's crazy, right? The pistil is so much higher than the stamen so the pollen would have a hard time reaching it. Or they can mature at different times so like it would be impossible to self pollinate. Crazy, right?”

“Hyungwon, you're such a geek.” Wonho laid way back, taking the flower from Hyungwon’s hands, stripping him of his specimen. He studied the insides, trying to look as if he knows what Hyungwon talked about. But there still isn't a person who Wonho would rather listen to ramble on about flower .

 

*

 

Wonho tried to stuff the blankets into the trunk before Hyungwon arrived with the snacks. He already knew that in between the blankets and their bags and his guitar, there would be no space for food. Thankfully, the back seats were empty. Better buckle up those snacks.

As soon as Hyungwon arrived, they set off. After two weeks of planning, Hyungwon still didn't know where exactly they were going. But he wasn't the one driving, he had good and drinks on hand, so he considered it none of his issues. “Who’s in charge of the music?”

“Of course I am.”

“Why?”

“Because it's my car and I’m driving and I do not want to listen to glam rock for 5 hours.”

“5 hours?”

“Yeah, I took the keys to my parents’ cabin. Get ready for a ride,” Wonho said while slapping Hyungwon’s hand away from the radio as he tried to fiddle with it when Wonho wasn’t looking. What’s wrong with glam rock anyways?

Hyungwon watched the road pass by, they just left the city and the sun was up high. Neither of them felt the need to talk, music filling the silence in the car. He tapped his fingers on the headboard in the rhythm of the song, Wonho doing the same on the steering wheel. In the end, he was glad he wasn't in charge of the tunes. He was just as content with the world’s greatest boyband as he would be with Elton John.

It took Hyungwon very little time to go digging through snacks in the back.

“Dude, what are you doing?”

“I’m hungry.”

“It’s been like an hour.”

“I want snacks.”

“Well get me something too.”

Hyungwon dug through the bags and packets, fishing out something specific. It took him a few minutes to finally sit down, rustling the snack. “You don't mean to tell me you chose baby carrots, do you?”

“They’re healthy!”

“Hyungwon, I didn't leave the city for the weekend to eat like a rabbit.”

“And so crispy and colorful! Look at that color, man.”

“I’ll be doomed if all you brought is like this.”

“No of course not,” Hyungwon chimed, biting his carrot. Wonho couldn't tell him that this wasn't the ultimate road trip snack. “There’s also celery sticks if you're interested.”

“You know, I'm fighting the urge to kick you out.“

After a few hours of driving, Wonho decided to stop by the road and give Hyungwon his daily minutes of sunlight. The drive was so calm it was almost boring. All they passed were fields and a few hills, a forest here and there.

Both boys sat in the trunk, squeezing by the stuff they loaded in. Wonho finally gave into Hyungwon’s baby carrots, not letting the packet out of his hands. Once he started chomping down on those carrot babies, there was no stopping him.

While daydreaming, he was woken up by Hyungwon’s yells and jumps which almost made him fall into the road. “No, you , that's my blood! Mine!” Hyungwon yelled, slapping his thigh and then clapping all around him.

“Dude, what's the matter?”

“There’s a mosquito,” Hyungwon hissed, looking around frantically to search for it. Oh no, it's not getting away now. Wonho just shook his head at him, he wouldn't move a finger for a mosquito. “I can't catch it.” Moments later, Hyungwon stood still, too still.

“Everything okay?”

“He’s me off, ” he whispered, eyes glued to the creature on his thigh. Wonho chuckled to himself, that's what he said, he mumbled quietly, hoping Hyungwon wouldn't squish him instead of the bug. Hyungwon raised his hand, preparing to end it all. His hand met his thigh with a loud slap, but the faint buzz continued around their heads. But it wasn't complete without Hyungwon spilling out a river of curses.

“Did you get it?”

“No, I slapped myself too hard, ” he whined, rubbing the red mark on his leg. It stung like hell but what stung more was the fact that he couldn't get the bug. But before he could come up with a new war strategy, Wonho slammed the trunk shut, sending Hyungwon to go sit into his seat. With unsatisfied moans he did, leaving the bug to live its own buggy life.

But the moment Wonho started the car, their new company sat on the window. “Dude, it's here again.”

“Just use your shoe,” Wonho suggested, already annoyed by the bug. He just hoped Hyungwon could kill the big without them crashing the whole car. And Hyungwon took his advice, positioning himself to finish off the intruder. He slapped the shoe on the driver’s seat, right where the mosquito went. “The wrath of Birkenstocks.” Hyungwon then made sure to kick out every bug he found.

 

“Wonho, stop the car!” Hyungwon yelled, startling Wonho with the way he grabbed his arm, looking out of the window.

“What is it?”

“A field!” Hyungwon excitedly pointed out of the window again. “A sunflower field!”

Without complaints, he stopped the car by the road again. If it were something else, he might have the power to argue. But sunflowers weren't something Hyungwon was willing to discuss. Ever since they met, he has had a thing for those flowers. He put them in his room whenever he could, his chemistry notebook had sunflowers shakily drawn on them, Wonho drew sunflowers on his arms whenever he had the chance. They were sunny, happy, warm, much like Hyungwon. They bring you joy just by looking at them. Everything will be fine, they whisper, looking over you. And you know it will. Wonho loved how they reminded him of his friend. Sweet, kind and gentle.

They stepped out, Hyungwon practically running up to the field, looking back at Wonho with the happiest expression. Wonho already knew to pull out his phone, trying to capture this moment as best as he could.

 

With a long sigh, Wonho practically threw himself on the couch. The wine was now in full effect, hitting his head like a truck. “Pull yourself up, spider boy.” Hyungwon lightly kneeled his , walking around and sitting on the couch too, setting down his own glass. Wonho hated wine with all his might. It was sour and disgusting and messed with his head. But once Hyungwon pulled out black currant wine, he was on board. He downed the first cup thinking it was juice, but when the world started to sway a bit, Hyungwon brought the rest of the bottle from the kitchen. “I thought it was obvious.”

With a damning glare, Wonho poured himself another glass. Maybe it was a little bit too much but tipsy Wonho wasn't a quitter. He poured Hyungwon some too but it would take so much more to get Hyungwon drunk. That man had tolerance like a hog. “I hate wine.”

“But you're still drinking it.”

“Well my glass is full, what am I going to do, leave it? That's a move.” Wonho laid down on Hyungwon, unwillingly turning on the TV in the process.

“You’re like... such a cool friend, man,” he sang, patting Hyungwon’s face.

“Thanks, babe.”

“You’re so smart like- Wow, you know? Wow, man. Hand me the bottle though,” he groaned, reaching for it but it was too far on the table and Wonho had no intentions of standing up even though their glasses were empty again.

“Dude, it's empty.”

“It’s empty?”

“Yeah, we drank the whole thing.”

“We drank the whole thing?” Hyungwon giggled at Wonho’s big eyes. A little fear flashes through him, wondering whether he'll get drunker or if this is his prime. “That’s a lot of- Oh , that’s Carrie... Carrie Breakhowl,” Wonho giggled, pointing at the woman on TV, running around a shop.

“It’s Breadshawl, you ,” Hyungwon slurred, rolling his eyes at his uneducated friend.

“You know a lot about the y City show.”

“It’s common knowledge.”

“Oh, I forgot you were like... A genius,” Wonho shut up for a while, too swallowed into the show running in front of them. Thankfully, it was easy enough to understand even after a bottle of wine. “I’d kill for that wardrobe.”

“Well, you're gonna have to find your Mr. Big.”

“I would a to have a closet like that.”

“You even without the premise of a closet,” Hyungwon teased, scooting over to the other side of the couch so Wonho couldn't get his hands on him.

“Shut up!” Wonho yelled in between laughs, throwing a pillow into his face.

 

“Could you go get the blankets from upstairs?” Wonho pleaded with big eyes, feeling that he’s about to fall asleep. The sun was about to come out, their night coming to an end. But he didn’t have the energy to go up into a bed, deciding to crash on the couch. Meaning, Hyungwon’s staying there with him.

Hyungwon groaned, running his hands over his face. “Why can't you get them?”

“Because I’ll fall down the stairs and break my neck and then you'll have no one to drive you home and you'll have to take care of big bugs yourself and you don't want to live without me making your every day a little brighter.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes but knew what Wonho was saying was true. He really would have to take care of spiders and other hell-sent creatures himself. He wondered how long it’d take him to find someone who would come over at two AM to let out a spider from his room. And also he was a pretty good friend kinda.

“But it's dark there, you know how I feel about the dark.”

“Hyungwon, the demons won't- Won’t get you.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Hyungwon stood up, ready to go up into the darkness. Sure, he could turn on the light but they take forever to light up and he wasn't risking attracting more bugs and bats and bears and whatnot into the cottage. “Listen to the ground, there is movement all around-” Hyungwon sang before getting cut off by Wonho.

“Hyungwon, what the .”

“I’m singing Bee Gees.”

“Why?”

“The demons can't get me if I'm singing Bee Gees, God.” Hyungwon acted like it was the most usual thing, shaking his head. Wonho followed the string of singing, it slowly getting quieter and quieter. He couldn't believe this was the person he once called his soulmate. Such an idiot, a lovable idiot.

“Night fever, night fe- ! Fever, we know how to do it-”

“You okay?”

“Just a table,” Hyungwon yelled back, hurrying down the stairs with all the blankets and pillows he could fit in his hands. He was pretty sure them demons were few steps behind.

 

*

 

“Wonho?”

“Yes?”

“What did you do?”

“Started painting on a whole wall in my room?”

“Why?”

“Because... I'm impulsive and have really bad control of myself? Dude, I don't know. It seemed like a good at the time,” he got out of himself with a little bit of guilt in his voice. He spun on his chair, observing the mess he started. Between school work, after school activities, his private life and Hyungwon’s constant need of attention, he really couldn’t see himself finishing it soon. Hyungwon tried to find a place to sit in his room between all the cups with paint and dirty brushes and the scattered furniture he had to move. “I think I just got overwhelmed with school and all.”

“It looks great though,” Hyungwon commented, running his fingers over the dry paint. He couldn't even imagine how to paint what he did. He jumped, started as something poked him in his side.

“Here.” Wonho was handing him a tiny paintbrush. Hyungwon stared at it, unable to process what Wonho wanted him to do with it. “Paint something.”

“Dude, I can't paint.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“I literally can not paint, you get that, right?” Wonho nodded with an encouraging smile. Hyungwon didn't want to argue, knowing Wonho won't back down and took the brush. Wonho left with the excuse that he going to get them drinks but wanted to give Hyungwon alone-time so he could do his magic.

Hyungwon sat down, he decided to paint the bottom corner, that won't do too much damage. And he can paint over it if he doesn't like it. But the moment he dipped the brush in diluted black paint, his mind was like a blank paper. What should he paint? Nothing seemed good enough or just seemed too hard. But in the end, the end results are Wonho’s fault.

 

When he came back, it looked like Hyungwon was doing the finishing touches. Wonho sat beside his friend, handing him a cold bottle of sweet soda.

“Oh, what’s that? I love abstract art.”

“That’s... That was Jim Morrison.”

“Wow, he's cute. And this?” Wonho pointed at a bunch of lines and letters seemingly in a pattern.

“That’s the structure of vitamin C.” For some reason, that was more abstract for Wonho than the smudge that claimed to be Jim. He wasn't sure whether to scream or pat Hyungwon on the shoulder. Out of all the things, he drew vitamin C. His brain couldn’t think of anything better, nothing, not a single thing. He drew Wonho’s biggest fear, Chemistry.

“I really would've been less shocked by a pen-”

“Oh, I drew a too if that's what you're wondering. Just a little one.”

“Little one?”

“Very tiny. Good luck finding it, though.”

 

*

 

Wonho couldn't stand seeing his friend like this. He hated when the glow left his eyes and he wasn't smiling anymore. He couldn’t take looking at him, walking like an empty shell. He deserved none of the hurt he received.

It all started when he received a text, Hyungwon asking if he can come over. Usually, he didn't text, he just showed up. Minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Wonho opened them and when he saw Hyungwon, he knew nothing was okay.

Now they were sitting alone in Wonho’s living room, his parents were gone for the week. His dog was the only one in a good mood, jumping from one boy to another, depending on who gave him attention. They sat on the ground, backs leaning against the couch. “Hyungwon, you can't keep doing this to yourself.”

With a sarcastic laugh, Hyungwon continued to spin his keys on his finger. He knew. He knew he shouldn't and that it always ended like this. “I can't stop, apparently.”

“Stop it. You just- God, you always find the wrong people.” Or do they find him? Wonho didn't know. He was just sure that he always ended up in the wrong hands. Buy saying things like this won't help anyone’s situation. “You know J-”

“Don’t. Say that person’s name,” Hyungwon stopped him promptly. He felt like hearing the name would make him feel worse than he already is.

“Right.” Wonho sighed. He was so sick of this. He was sick of people taking advantage of Hyungwon and then throwing him away like he was nothing. Like he wasn’t worth a minute more of their time. In some ways, Hyungwon started to believe it to be true. Wonho always knew they weren't worth Hyungwon’s time but Hyungwon never listened. Never.

“I mean, why do people me over so much, man. I feel like I'm always an open book and I- I gave that person my whole heart and it gets torn up like that. Is there something wrong with me? Is there a reason they play with me for 15 minutes and then drop me and move on just like that? Dude, at this point I'm not even sad, I'm just... Sick. A mess. I'm ing... Damaged goods.”

“Shut up, Hyungwon, you aren't!” Wonho opposed, sitting upon his knees, knowing he’s about to give Hyungwon some aggressive advice. “You aren't and you know that. You're a beautiful, gentle, thoughtful human being and they don’t deserve a second you wasted on them. None of the people that ed you over. I ing swear I’m not letting anyone look at you unless I'm hundred percent sure of them, okay? They don't deserve a single tear from you. You’re too good for that, you're too good for them.” He stood up and came over to Hyungwon, wrapping his arms around his friend. It didn't take much for Hyungwon to do the same. Wonho rubbed his back, telling him it's okay. And that he’s too precious to be feeling like this because of people like them. And Hyungwon nodded into his chest, starting to believe what he was saying but even that didn't stop the tears from coming.

 

“I can... Go now if you've got work.”

“No, I'm not letting you go until I’m sure you're okay and won't do something stupid. I don't care, you'll sleep over of you have to.” Hyungwon smiled sadly, giving a small thank you to Wonho. “Come on,” he said, grabbing Hyungwon’s hand and walking him out of the room. They ran upstairs, came to the piano that Wonho played from time to time. “What’s your plan?” Hyungwon asked with a curious look as his friend sat behind the instrument, stretching his fingers. Hyungwon heard the first few notes and couldn't hide his smile. Wonho took it upon himself and learned Hyungwon’s favorite song a long time ago. He looked up at Hyungwon and his red, swollen eyes, wondering if he’ll sing too.

“Blue jean baby,” he sang alone, giving Hyungwon time to jump in. He didn't. “L.A lady.”

He continued alone, maybe Hyungwon needed some encouragement. But he didn’t want to sing. He just wanted to listen to Wonho play, that was enough for him. The tones warmed his heart.

It continued, until Wonho stopped playing, waiting for Hyungwon to start. He got the signal and even though he wasn’t in the mood to sing, he added with a sad voice. “Ballerina, you must've seen her.”

“Dancing in the sand, ” they sang together, Hyungwon holding back a laugh at how stupid they must’ve looked. But it was one of the nicest things someone has done for him. By the time they got to the chorus, it was a concert of the duo, living for the song.

 

*

 

“I don't mean to be rude.”

“But?”

“But I'm really not in the mood for Kihyun's party right now,” Hyungwon whined as he was dragged up to his friend's house by Wonho. Sure, whatever, it was Friday night and summer and all but Hyungwon felt like this wasn't the place for him.

“Come on, he's your high school friend,” Wonho tried to cheer up Hyungwon, get him into the mood to have fun. He had to physically drag him along the way, he was worried that otherwise, Hyungwon would turn around and just run.

“I guess, but I feel like the only reason he invited me is that you're like in the same classes now.”

“Bull.”

“Oh, sure,” Hyungwon rolled his eyes, ringing the gate bell. They could already hear people talking from outside, they were all most likely in the garden. It was hot outside and there was a pool.

Their friend came out with a joyous face, greeting them both with a hug and inviting them in. Hyungwon was surprised to see only around 10 people around, much less than he expected, especially considering that this is Kihyun. He felt a little strange, he barely knew these people. Some of them he knew. But Wonho seemed to it right in with them. Out of nowhere, Hyungwon found himself standing alone in the kitchen, all people dispersing around. Wonho must’ve went to hit some people up and basically everyone left.

Well, this is awkward, he thought, looking around to see any lost soul. He took his chances, going into the garden. Seems like he came just in time, someone pushed a shot into his hands. He saw Wonho across the garden with a happy smile, raising his own glass to cheer with him.

 

“I'll get aggressive if someone tries to push me into the pool,” Hyungwon said to Wonho quietly, spinning his drink in his cup. It was the first time that night they got to talk, both were pulled into conversations and games with different groups.

“Get ready, I think someone already got wet.”

“I'll kick. How come you're still standing though?” Hyungwon asked, pointing at Wonho's cup.

“I said I'm only drinking vodka tonight. Been pouring myself water the whole evening,” he cheekily laughed, taking a sip. “I don't want to be the first one gone, I'm not a .”

“I'm giving it an hour before someone gets sick. Bathroom?” Hyungwon asked, already turning to go into the house but Wonho grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

“Wouldn't do that, buddy.”

“I need to piss.”

“Couples are missing and I did not plan on seeing any today. We can go around the back I guess,” he said, looking around to see how sneaky they have to be. But before they could leave their pool spot, a boy stopped them. He seemed to know Wonho.

“You two are so sober, that's no fun,” the boy laughed, engaging in some more small talk with Wonho. Hyungwon was debating leaving him there alone when the convo turned to him. “And you must be Hyungwon, right? I've heard so much about you, I'm Shownu!” he introduced himself, shaking hands with Hyungwon who was a little shook. Heard a lot about him? Has Wonho been running his mouth, do they only know him as the geeky guy?

“Button up your shirt, big boy. I wanted to be the only playboy here tonight,” the boy laughed, patting Wonho's chest before leaving to attend to other people.

Hyungwon eyed Wonho, dragging him away. “Come on, big boy. We're looking for an unoccupied bathroom.”

 

“God, you couldn't tell me my hair looked like that?” Wonho whined, fixing his hair for the fifth minute straight. The sun already went down and Hyungwon was impatient to get back in between people. He had two shots and his social boundaries were getting lower and lower. He tried to convince Wonho that his hair was fine before taking the matter into his own hands, ruffling his hair completely and turning off the lights. On their way down, the house stayed silent. The party seemed to die down a bit, people either left or found their rooms or waited to sober up a bit. They passed the living room, almost missing Kihyun sitting on the couch.

“Hey, what's with you?” Hyungwon asked, ready to pull him off of the couch.

They could see him smile even in the dark. “Nothing, nothing. I just wanted a moment of silence. It's a nice night, isn't it?”

“Yeah, the stars are out. Dude, where... Where's your shirt?”

“I'm not sure, that's the thing. Probably... in my room? It has been a while since it's been gone.”

“Right. Let's drink,” Wonho chimed, dragging both boys into the kitchen. He the light, blinding all of them for a minute. It was pretty late and he had a newfound spirit. He hoped the boys weren't ready to let the night die down, he was just getting started. It wasn't even eleven, he was just getting started. “Got any shot glasses?”

“They're all used,” Kihyun sighed, sitting up on the countertop. No worries, said Wonho, scanning the cabinets before pulling put one big glass, filling it up with liquor. Hyungwon ended up talking to Kihyun, gossiping about their old classmates. Wonho would ask what he’s gasping about but he doesn’t know the people anyway. And where’s the joy in listening to all the dirty news when you don’t even know the people? At least they seemed to enjoy themselves, practically screaming ‘no, you’re kidding,’ at each other. Must’ve been juicy.

“Dude, that's a lot,” Kihyun giggled, looking at Wonho’s glass.

“We'll just pass it around, chill,” he laughed, being the first one to drink down a third of the glass. It went around and back to him, he filled it up again. No one protested so why not. Keep the party going, they cheered. And then two more times.

“Wow, you can handle that well,” Kihyun breathed, pouring himself a cup of water to wash down the burning. He excused himself, making his way into the garden, attending to the girl he had his eye on the whole evening. Hyungwon’s eyes ran to Wonho from time to time, checking if he’s okay. He wasn’t sure, looking at how he’s leaning on the counter and spacing out.

“Bathroom,” Wonho whispered to Hyungwon, quickly making his way upstairs.

 

“I forgot, okay?”

“Forgot what?”

“That it takes a minute to hit your head,” Wonho laughed, drinking a full cup of water as he leaned on the bathroom counter. Hyungwon sat in the bathtub, waiting for his friend's world to stop spinning so much. He could tell by the ya he hit his head on the way to the bathroom. The bathtub was wet, he realized as soon as he sat down. Wonho couldn’t keep his laughs in, giggling at the whole situation.

“Go throw up, if you need to.”

“No, that’s for .”

“You're such an idiot,” he laughed at his friend, his social boundaries gone. He could go down and be the star of the party. It was just funny, watching Wonho go through his drunk stages. Hyungwon knew them all. He's okay after two shots, then he thinks he can take seven, regrets the whole night, moves between the toilet and outside and then the little devil comes out. They didn’t even know how much time they spent in there.

“Need some air?”

“Yeah,” he said, pulling his friend out of the bathtub. They made their way out, passing a took with the door wide open. The light emitting from there drew them in like moths. A TV and two controllers by it.

“It's a sign.”

“God wants us to go check it out.” They made their way in, it looked like Kihyun's bedroom, judging by his shirt they found. Wonho took the while to go hang his upper half out of a window, taking in the fresh air.

Hyungwon sat on his knees, taking the controller and gaming system into his hands. “This just came out!” he excitedly said, waiting for Wonho to catch a breath and stumble to him. He grabbed the second controller and signed in.

 

With a satisfied feeling and glee in their faces, they made their way out of the room, the house suspiciously quiet. Up until they heard strange noises coming from a nearby bedroom, they exchanged looks and quietly but as fast as possible, tried to sneak out without interrupting. “We're such nerds,” Wonho whispered, tiptoeing down the stairs. “I could be getting action here and you talk me into playing video games.”

“You said it was a sign. Not my fault you're not tonguing anyone right now.”

“We're like a pair of ing s,” Wonho said but found it too funny, kneeling by the stairs to contain his laughs. He tried to keep as quiet as possible but in his state, he was still being loud. Thankfully, no one was around. Where was everyone?

“We should go find ourselves some tongues to leech on.” They exited the house but the doorbell rang, making them jump. No one seemed to go get it, it was up to them. Someone ordered pizza. With four boxes stacked on top of each other, Wonho turned around to go put them in the house.

“Uh oh, we have a problem.”

“What's it?”

“Someone is leaning on the doors. O-oh, they've got hands on their .”

“W-We shouldn't... disturb,” Wonho mumbled, turning around to go put them in the garden. “Oh , road closed,” he said, spinning on his heel. He stumbled over his own legs, glad the pizza didn’t end up in the pol. Same reason as before. Sure, they could knock or just pass by, whatever. But that wasn't an idea that came into their intoxicated minds. They looked at the gate and front door. That's their territory now.

“Okay, whatever,” Hyungwon sighed, opening the top box. “You okay with olives?” Wonho nodded, or at least Hyungwon thought he did. He couldn't see behind the boxes. He took the top box, telling his friend to put the other ones by the door, making his way to the gate. “You coming?”

Before they left, Hyungwon managed to kick off his shoes.

“Going barefoot?”

“I'm tipsy, this is acceptable behavior.”

They set off, handing the pizza box from one's hands to the others. “Hot rocks, that's the stuff, man,” Hyungwon sighed, feeling a deep connection with the nature. Or the asphalt road, whatever.

“You a lizard?”

“Are you the police? Mind your business,” Hyungwon hissed, grabbing Wonho's last piece.

 

*

 

The phone rang at the most inconvenient time, just as Wonho was finishing up a painting. With dirty hands and no tissues in sight, he navigated through his phone with his knuckles. “What's up.”

“Just checking. You know, after yesterday.” Wonho heard Hyungwon giggle through the phone. Of course, he wouldn't miss an opportunity to call about his date. “So?”

“So what?”

“How did it go?”

“Pretty good, was a fun night,” Wonho kept his answer as vague as possible, knowing it'll drive Hyungwon crazy. He held his phone between his ear and shoulder, trying to scrub the paint off of his hands.

“Where did you two go?”

“Gallery, movie and then snacks.”

“Went to show your works?”

“Perks of being an art major.”

“And then?”

“The usual.”

“I will come over and beat your if you keep answering like that.”

“I'm just answering your questions,” Wonho laughed, popping open a sweet soda. He could hear Hyungwon playing video games in the background again.

But those answers didn't discourage Hyungwon from digging deeper. “A walk home?”

“Mhm.”

“A goodbye kiss?”

Hyungwon could hear Wonho go silent and then give him a long “mmm-hmm’, laughing. Hyungwon squealed silently, obviously excited by Wonho's date. “First base? Second base? Did you hit the home run, you sly fox?”

Wonho rolled his eyes, he really wanted to know everything. “I'll leave some things or the imagination,“ he teasingly answered. Hyungwon must be so tense now. He kept asking what they talked about, if there was a second date, all that juicy info. It seemed like he was more excited than Wonho.

“Oh, you cheeky bastard. It's- Okay, wait. Unrelated, Wonho, did you paint sunflowers on my wall?”

“What?”

“Did you paint sunflowers on my wall?”

“Wha- What are sunflowers?”

“Wonho, stop. I'm just asking. It was you, wasn't it? Dude, I love them.” Wonho's heart fluttered. He could finally hear the excitement in Hyungwon's voice and it was so sweet. It's been some time since he did them and now just waited until he noticed. Nothing big, just a few little sunflowers scattered around the room on non-visible places like behind his bed.

“Yeah, I... I did.”

“When?”

“Remember when you left with your parents and I had to babysit your plants?” Hyungwon remembered. Mostly because his plants either needed intensive care or just died.

“Dude, you must've been so bored,” he laughed, eyeing the painting. It was so pretty, he couldn't believe he didn't ask Wonho to do it sooner. They were so small and delicate. But still looked so bright and full of life, they reminded him of Wonho. He wanted a whole wall of them, he wanted them to be everywhere. “I love them,” he said quietly through the phone.

 

*

“Look, I’m doing it, how cool is that?” Hyungwon laughed, bouncing himself off the ground and standing on Wonho’s skateboard all alone. “I’m riding your thing!”

“God, Hyungwon, don’t- don't say that so loud!” Wonho yelled after him. He’s either absolutely not aware of how he sounds or knows exactly what it sounds like. Wonho chased him down the park like a mother chases a kid after it starts running away. He got to Hyungwon just in time, catching him as he was almost about to fall.

“You were right,” Hyungwon picked himself up, standing firmly on the ground. Cold wind washed over them, the sun was beginning to set.

“With?”

“That it’s going to be fun.”

Ever since Wonho dragged him here the first time, he became a regular. No, he wasn’t the one riding around all the time but he sure was the first one to cheer on his friend for every little thing, sharing sweet sodas as they sat by the park most nights.

“Come,” Wonho grabbed Hyungwon’s hand, dragging him up the hill, ignoring his protests. Everything that requires a little more than no effort was off Hyungwon’s limits. After a short walk, they arrived by the river, sitting up on a steep hill by it. The whole city was tiny under their feet, they had it on their palms. “It’s pretty, no?” Wonho broke the silence after minutes.

“Sure is.”

“You know, I’m going to miss this,” Wonho sighed, propping himself up on his elbows.

“What do you mean?”

“When we’re like not always together, hand in hand in all the bull.” Hyungwon was startled by this idea. He never thought about them not being side by side. It wasn't a reality he wanted to explore. What he loved was how they were now, right at that moment. What will be in years, that's future Hyungwon’s worry.

He looked over at his friend who watched the city with a worried look on his face. “It never crossed my mind.” Wonho took the liberty of lying in Hyungwon’s lap. “What’s important is that we're together right now, here.” Hyungwon looked at the city again, this time lights were lighting up. It was magical.

“You’re right. I’m just... Glad you're here, Hyungwon.” Wonho patted his friend’s thigh, giving him a genuine, warm smile which Hyungwon gave right back.

“Me too. I love you, dude.”

“Love you too man.”