For VioletSharpie

Couple: Up to you (author chose 2woo)

Prompt: They meet at the annual school festival

---

The first time they meet, Woohyun is a freshman and so very hopelessly lost.

He doesn’t know how he even let himself get talked into attending their high school’s spring festival. It’s not that he doesn’t like festivals, but he does dislike being ditched by Hoya and Sungyeol like this. Now he’s alone and extremely irritated at his horrible excuses for friends. He should never have woken up this morning.

He sighs. There’s no use standing in a corner and cursing his friends to hell and back. He looks around the open area filled with booths and people and decides what the heck. Since he’s already here, he should try to enjoy himself.

It’s still a little sad to be walking around a festival all by yourself. Woohyun consoles himself by pointing out that even if Hoya and Sungyeol hadn’t ditched him, he’d be the unenviable third wheel; Hoya and Sungyeol were always trapped in their own world whenever they’re together. He ends up walking around aimlessly, on an ice pop as he takes in the sights and sounds. This is his first time attending the festival and he has to admit that it’s very nice.

It only takes a split second. Suddenly, he finds himself on his back with a heavy body lying on top of him. He opens his mouth to protest – and quite possibly yell if he has to – before a hand is clamped over his mouth and nose.

“Shh,” the boy on top of him whispers desperately. “Keep quiet!”

Woohyun wants to protest, but it’s extremely hard to do that when your lungs are caving in. he settles with glaring and wishing the boy on top of him the worst of luck. The boy doesn’t seem to care, looking around frantically. It’s a couple minutes of Woohyun enduring being sat onand damn near smothered before the boys lets out a sigh of relief and finally – finally – stands.

“What the was that?” Woohyun sputters in indignation as the boy holds out a hand to help him out. No, thank you, Woohyun thinks viciously as he ignores the hand in favour of standing up on his own. “Do you normally knock people down and tell them to be quiet without explaining or even apologising – ”

“I’m sorry,” the boy says, cutting him off with an amused grin. “I’m Dongwoo.”

Woohyun almost spits acid in his irritation. “I didn’t ask for your name.”

The grin on the boy’s – Dongwoo's – face widens slightly as his eyes twinkle in amusement. “Well, I kind of did, so…”

“Woohyun,” he huffs, crossing his arms almost petulantly.

Dongwoo appraises him for a moment before tilting his head to the side. “I’ve never seen you around before,” he comments. “Are you new?”

“I’m a freshman.”

Shock causes Dongwoo's  eyebrows to rise. “You’re younger than me?”

How insulting. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Dongwoo ignores his reply. “Hey, since you’ve never been here before, how about I show you around? You know, since I ran into you and stuff.”

Woohyun can think of many reasons why he should refuse Dongwoo's offer – he was just slammed into by the other, he was insulted by Dongwoo as well (Nam Woohyun does not look old), his ice pop was thrown somewhere on the floor because of him – but there’s something in his eyes that tells Woohyun he’s not such a bad guy. Sincerity, he realises as he squints at the other. That’s the emotion that’s shining in his eyes.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” he grumbles, only to receive a slap to the head courtesy of Dongwoo. “Ow, what the hell?”

“I’m your hyung, so show some respect.”

“Meh.”

Dongwoo drags him around the festival, showing him some cool shows – although Woohyun certainly doesn’t find the puppet show as exhilarating as Dongwoo does – and forcing him to buy food from the nicer stalls. It doesn’t hurt that conversation flows easily between them, even if Dongwoo makes up most of the conversation because he simply doesn’t. Stop. Talking. He’s a little like Sungyeol in that regard, so it’s nothing Woohyun isn’t used to, at least.

He learns that Dongwoo is in the year above him (he still finds it hard to believe that he’s older), that he’s on the basketball team and that he had been hiding from his best friend after accidentally spitting water all over him (don’t ask Woohyun how that happened because he doesn’t know and he doesn’t want to know).

The elder isn’t a bad guy, Woohyun admits to himself begrudgingly. He’s not a bad guy at all. There’s something about his laugh that’s infectious, even if Dongwoo's laugh has too much teeth and too much open.

“So, what about you?” Dongwoo asks as they watch some band playing on stage.

“What about me?” Woohyun responds, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t really know much about you.”

“What’s to know?”

Dongwoo snorts. “You sound so cynical and sarcastic.”

“I am sarcastic.” Woohyun finds himself a little irritated at the way the elder’s grin never falters.

“Come on, I told you so much,” Dongwoo points out. “You’ve got to tell me something. Likes, dislikes…”

He doesn’t really have to, but he supposes it’s only fair (even if he hadn’t asked Dongwoo to spill half of his life story). To be honest, he doesn’t really know why Dongwoo would take such an interest in him anyway. Woohyun's not saying he’s uninteresting, but… well, he’s just not used to having so much attention on him. He doesn’t mind much – Sungyeol is just so good at attracting (unwanted) attention and him and Hoya are too busy being embarrassed for the choding. Still, it’s not an unpleasant feeling.

Woohyun blinks, blankly staring at the band playing. His mind is drawing a blank. “I… like to sing, I guess.”

He can see Dongwoo's metaphorical ears perk up as his eyes twinkle. “You can sing?” he asks.

The younger glances at him a little wearily, frowning slightly. “A little,” he murmurs. “I’m not that good.”

Dongwoo doesn’t tell him I’m sure you’re very good or don’t be so modest, it doesn’t suit you. Instead, he smiles in a way that’s completely non-condescending as he says, “I’d like to hear you some time.”

Woohyun thinks that maybe he’d like to sing for the elder some time too, but it sounds ridiculous and dumb no matter how he words it, so he rubs his nose and replies in an almost snooty voice, “Yeah, well that’s unlikely.”

Like most of his snide comments, they roll off the elder like water off a duck’s back. His twinkling eyes (always twinkling) glance at him as he grins (much too wide and open, like everything else about him). “I bet I can change your mind,” Dongwoo sings.

Woohyun snorts, because that’s unlikely. Just because he might tentatively say they’re friends doesn’t mean he has to sing for him. “I’d like to see you try.”

“I’ll enjoy trying.” There’s that smile again; the non-condescending, just you wait smile. The smile that says Woohyun's defences will be worn down easily enough. He doesn’t know what to make of it, but it makes his heart squeeze almost painfully. Woohyun frowns slightly, absently rubbing at his chest. Must be heartburn, he tells himself, because any other reason won’t do.

“Let’s go,” he says shortly, tossing the toothpick and empty tteokbokki container into the trash and turning away. He starts walking away, pausing when he notices he’s walking alone. He turns back and rolls his eyes at Dongwoo, who’s staring at the trashcan he had just thrown his rubbish into. “Are you coming?”

“That was a pretty good throw,” Dongwoo exclaims, excited for some unknown reason as he tosses his own trash in. It lands perfectly, which isn’t really a surprise because he’s a shooting guard (“Aren’t you a little short to be a shooting guard?”). “You should try out for the team!”

“No,” Woohyun replies flatly, quick to disagree. “I don’t play basketball.” An understatement. He’s not too good with the aiming, or the dribbling, or… well, the game in general. He doesn’t find any pleasure in chasing after a bouncy, orange ball and shooting it into tall hoops.

The elder shrugs, slipping his hands into his pockets. “That’s a shame. Might have been fun to play together.”

The sun eventually sets, the night bringing with it a refreshing breeze that’s just a little too warm. Dongwoo only seems to become more energised the darker it becomes.

“Why are you so excited?” Woohyun asks almost reluctantly.

The elder opens his mouth to answer, but then seems to stop himself. Unexpectedly, he grabs Woohyun's hand, tugging him forward and out of the crowd. He dutifully ignores Woohyun's protests that slowly quieten the less people there are around. He’s utterly curious and he’s definitely wondering why Dongwoo is bringing him to the school field and leading him up the bleachers.

Oh my god, what if he really is a ?

“Where are you taking me?” he demands, planting his feet on the ground so they can’t take another step.

Dongwoo actually rolls his eyes and tugs on Woohyun's hand one more time. “Just trust me.”

Trust him. He acts like it’s so easy. Woohyun's only known him for four hours, so why should he trust him?

Then again, Dongwoo hasn’t given him any reason not to. He’s been nice enough the whole time and he knows enough when to back off.

Woohyun heaves a heavy sigh and allows himself to be dragged up to the top of the bleachers, giving them a full view of the entire festival. It’s a nice view, he has to admit. He can see the stage from here, although he can’t hear the band currently playing. The lights from the various booths at the festival are something to see against the backdrop of the darkening sky. There aren’t any stars, but Woohyun thinks that if there were, it would have been the perfect picture for a postcard.

“What are we doing here?” he asks. He’s well aware that this is the third question he’s asked, but since he didn’t receive proper answers for the previous two, he thinks that it’s totally valid. It’s also a reason for the twist of irritation in his words. It’s probably drowned under all the curiosity.

Dongwoo grins at him again, eyes twinkling even under the dim lights, but it’s different from all the other times. It’s gentler and… softer than before and he thinks that the atmosphere feels a little too intimate, so far away from the crowds. He follows the elder’s finger as it points up at the blank expanse of sky above the festival, leaning in close and whispering, “Keep your eyes on the sky.”

Woohyun spares him a wary glance (when did he get so close?) before keeping his gaze fixed on the horizon. When nothing happens for a couple minutes, he opens his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by a sharp bang as fireworks colour the sky.

Oh, so that’s it, Woohyun thinks absentmindedly as his eyes watch the fireworks bloom across the sky like flowers in fast-forward,

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he hears Dongwoo comment softly. He looks at Dongwoo; stares at the elder’s profile lit up by the red blue yellow of the fireworks, at the soft smile tinged with wonder and shining (not twinkling anymore, but shining) eyes.

“It is,” he agrees in a voice equally as soft, but he’s not quite sure if he’s referring to the fireworks above or the person sitting next to him. He looks down at their hands before looking back up at the fireworks show.

They’re still holding hands.

•●•●•●•

Sungyeol's stare is utterly condescending and Woohyun immediately regrets opening his mouth.

“You want to go to a basketball match?” Sungyeol asks, disbelief colouring his voice. “I thought you hated basketball.”

“I don’t hate basketball,” he mutters, carefully avoiding his best friends’ eyes. “I just can’t play basketball.”

The choding stares at him with a gaze so intense he might possibly be trying to burn a hole in his face. Suddenly, he reaches out and pinches Woohyun's cheeks, stretching them apart.

“Ow, what the hell?” Woohyun screeches, slapping his hands away and rubbing at his aching cheeks. “Lee Sungyeol, what is your problem?”

“Who are you and what the have you done with my Woohyun?” the taller demands.

Woohyun shoots him a scathing look, questioning his mental age once more. “Don’t be stupid,” he scoffs, flicking a stray lock of hair out of his eyes irritably. “If you don’t want to go with me, just say so. I’ll go alone.”

He stands up to leave, but Hoya's hand around his wrist stops him from actually going anywhere. “Is it really that important to you?” the Busan native asks gently.

Woohyun tugs his wrist out of his friend’s grip gently, stuffing his hands into his pockets. It’s not really important, per se, but Dongwoo had asked him to see his game a couple weeks ago at the spring festival and he felt like he should go. As support, or just to tell Dongwoo that he was there… he doesn’t really know, but being there is a must.

“Eh, sort of,” he answers, kicking at the floor. He looks up at his two best friends – Sungyeol, who is still looking at him like he’s one of those shape-shifting aliens from those dumb movies he likes to watch and Hoya, who is looking at him with concern – and pouts slightly. “Go with me, please?”

“This is too weird,” Sungyeol says, eyeing him warily. He sighs, rolling his eyes slightly. “Yeah, sure, whatever. Hoya, you going?”

Hoya smiles softly. “Of course.” Woohyun doesn’t expect the answer to be any different – Hoya will stand by his friends with no questions asked. If only Sungyeol would do the same…

•●•●•●•

“So who’s the guy?”

Woohyun very nearly sprays his drink all over his two best friends at Sungyeol's unexpected question. He manages to choke on the miniscule amount of water he still has in his mouth, Hoya's hand slapping his back lightly to clear his airway.

“What guy?” he wheezes out. “What makes you think there’s a guy?”

Sungyeol narrows his eyes and pokes his cheek. “Well, you’ve been acting twitchy the whole fifteen minutes we’ve been here,” the choding drawls, “and I can’t think of any other reason you’d voluntarily go to a basketball match.”

Woohyun flounders for an excuse (he’s usually so good at making excuses), almost cringing when he settles with, “We should try and get into the school spirit.”

He swears there’s a plate shattering in the background as Hoya and Sungyeol stare at him in disbelief.

“School spirit?” Hoya repeats faintly, looking like he’s greatly concerned for Woohyun's mental health. Frankly, Woohyun himself is worried for his own mental health. He’s the last person to care about school spirit.

Sungyeol suddenly grabs Woohyun's head and starts shaking it, like he’s trying to guess the inside of a present. “We’ve been in school for two months!… There’s something wrong with your head,” he announces seriously, ignoring Woohyun's protests of let go of my ing head, Lee Sungyeol! “Do you have a concussion?”

“If he has a concussion, I doubt you shaking his head like that would make it better,” Hoya points out, stopping Sungyeol from shaking Woohyun's poor abused head any further. The moment Sungyeol releases Woohyun's head, the latter makes it a point to hit the former several times.

“Don’t touch me,” he hisses, gesturing wildly at Sungyeol to keep him away. “No more touchy!”

“So… who’s the guy?”

Woohyun's face is suddenly aflame and he sputters for a moment. “Even if there was a guy,” he spits out, “I wouldn’t tell you! Not after that crackpot stunt, you asylum escapee.”

There’s a mischievous glint in Hoya's eyes and Woohyun barely holds in a groan. He forgets that Hoya is someone to be watched out for. He’s not sly the way Sungyeol is, all loud and in your face. Oh no, he’s sly like a fox, hiding until he finds the perfect moment to pounce. “So…” he drawls quietly, “there is a guy.”

Woohyun glares. “I hate you both so much right now.”

“Oh look, the game’s starting,” Sungyeol says brightly and Woohyun barely holds in a sigh of relief when their attention shifts off him.

He’s starting to regret his decision greatly halfway through the game. The ball sails into a hoop and Sungyeol and Hoya stand up and cheer with the others, hugging in what they insist isn’t an utterly gay manner (but it definitely is). Woohyun doesn’t stand, but lifts up enough to see Dongwoo receive a pat on the back from one of his taller members (of which there are quite a few) and it’s at that moment that the elder’s eyes lift to his.

Woohyun's breath catches in his throat; although it might seem like it, he’s not quite sure Dongwoo can see him among the crowd. However, there’s that Dongwoo smile again and maybe he can believe that he can see him.

A ball comes flying out of nowhere and smacks into Dongwoo's face. Woohyun winces, but he imagines he can still hear the elder’s laugh as he waves it off, even over the outraged cries of the spectators.

•●•●•●•

Sometimes he sees Dongwoo in the hallways and he’s tempted to say hi or at least make a comment about catching a ball with his face and how that’s not done in basketball, but the words stick in his lungs and almost choke him.

Woohyun doesn’t know why it’s like that. He’s usually a very confident person, but there’s something about Jang Dongwoo that makes it so difficult to speak.

Maybe it’s the way Dongwoo's friends seem to surround him, or the way Sungyeol and Hoya are right there.

Either way, he doesn’t talk to him for the rest of the year and that’s okay.

•●•●•●•

They meet again the following year. Woohyun isn’t lost, or a freshman, but he’s definitely alone. Maybe that’s why they meet in the first place.

Woohyun is watching the band onstage – his eyes particularly drawn to the lead singer with small eyes but wonderful vocals – when he spots Dongwoo out of the corner of his eye.

Well, his hair, really. Sometime about a month ago, Dongwoo had decided it would be a good idea to dye his hair a bright red. It’s not that he’s been keeping tabs on Dongwoo or anything. He just notices things here and there. It’s not stalking.

(Somehow, he’s unconvinced.)

He sneaks in one more glance at the lead singer before pushing off the post he had been leaning against. He walks up next to Dongwoo, who’s also (blessedly) alone.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Woohyun says nonchalantly, smiling hesitantly. The elder jumps a little, clutching his chest. The shock doesn’t last long as his face splits into a grin. Woohyun has seen it a few times from afar (it’s not stalking if they just happen to be in the same place and if he quite possibly – but theoretically – unlikely looks for him) but this one is different from the others. He doesn’t know how, but his heartburn thingy is acting up again because his heart is squeezing.

“Hey, you,” Dongwoo says brightly, ruffling his vibrant hair. “I didn’t really see you around much, you know.”

Woohyun isn’t surprised. Over the school year, it’s glaringly obvious how their social circles don’t intersect at all. Dongwoo is the classic jock (almost); friendly, popular and social. And then there’s Woohyun – choir boy, damn near anti-social and extremely content with his grand friend count of two. They aren’t meant to mix and he’s actually quite surprised the elder hasn’t noticed that.

“I’ve been around,” Woohyun says instead, slipping his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “How’ve you been lately?”

It’s almost like they never stopped talking since the previous year. The conversation flows easily and the words come out smooth. There’s this slightest buzz of nervousness crawling under Woohyun’s skin that is completely random. He doesn’t know why it’s there, but it settles in the pit of his stomach, creating flutters.

“I saw you at the game,” Dongwoo says suddenly. Woohyun nearly chokes on his ice cream. He glances at the elder as he swings his feet. They’re sitting on the bleachers again, waiting for the fireworks to start.

“Which game?” Woohyun manages to choke out. He’s been going to all of Dongwoo's games, not that he expects him to notice. He’s mainly been hiding in the back and Hoya and Sungyeol don’t make it a habit to follow him after the first time.

Dongwoo's smile fades slightly. “Only that first game,” he answers, scratching his head. He looks at the younger, an unspoken question in his eyes.

Woohyun shifts uncomfortably. “I told you I wasn’t into basketball,” he says, answering the question without really answering.

“Oh.” Is it just him or does Dongwoo sound a little disappointed? “Well, we’ve had a pretty good run this year! Man, you should have seen us.” He listens to Dongwoo's chatter with half an ear, mesmerised by the twinkle in the elder’s eyes. There’s an excited spark in his eyes that makes Woohyun's stomach swoop.

“ – and, well, the guy hit me in the face with the basketball,” Dongwoo says, frowning slightly as he rubs his jaw at the phantom pain. Then, he’s smiling again, teeth flashing in the dark. “But he got a foul and we kicked their asses, so I guess that’s okay.”

“You know, you’re not supposed to catch the basketball with your face,” Woohyun blurts out, remembering the thought that had flitted through his mind after the first game. It’s funny how things like that tend to stick in his mind long after they’re supposed to (but only when it comes to Dongwoo).

Dongwoo's grin is a little sheepish this time as he ruffles his hair once more. “I know. Sometimes it would help if they didn’t aim for my face though.”

The younger bites his lip, upper teeth worrying it slightly as he glances away from the night sky to look at Dongwoo. “Did it… hurt?” he asks hesitantly.

“Not at all,” the elder chirps. “Just a bruise. Basketball is a pretty violent sport, you know.” His eyes are twinkling again and Woohyun looks away with a derisive snort.

“Soccer is a violent sport,” he mutters. “Basketball is just bouncing a ball around and throwing lucky shots.”

“Hey, it’s not throwing lucky shots,” Dongwoo protests light-heartedly. “It takes real skill, okay?”

“I don’t think so,” Woohyun scoffs. He turns to throw another sarcastic comment, but the words don’t come out. He nearly gasps when he realises how close Dongwoo is. He can almost see the colour of his irises, the different shades of brown they’re made of.

He almost thinks Dongwoo is going to lean forward and kiss him, but the moment disappears when the sharp whistle of oncoming fireworks shatters the silence, lighting up the night sky.

He nearly laments the loss of the moment, but he’s quick to remind himself that they belong to different worlds. Dongwoo has his multitude of friends and active social life while Woohyun has his quiet Saturday nights and two annoying best friends (that he really does care about, but he’s reluctant to admit it out loud as of this moment, or any moment). They will never work.

He doesn’t feel that way about Dongwoo, he tells himself furiously, glancing to the side at Dongwoo's awed expression.

He has to admit that he’s shocked when Dongwoo grabs his hand after the fireworks show and drags him… somewhere.

“Come on,” Dongwoo says without preamble. “I want you to meet a friend of mine.”

Discomfort immediately settles in his stomach. The words we don’t belong keep flashing in his mind. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea – ”

“I think you’ll like him,” the elder insists. “Trust me.”

There’s a voice in his mind that’s blubbering, screaming nonononono, but his body isn’t responding, mindlessly following the redhead along. His eyes light up when he notices the lead singer he had been eyeing earlier and he runs a hand through his hair self-consciously.

“Woohyun, this is my best friend, Sunggyu,” Dongwoo introduces. “Sunggyu, meet Woohyun.”

Sunggyu's eyes twinkle (not as much as Dongwoo's does) as he holds out a hand for Woohyun to take. The younger smiles a little nervously, grasping the hand tentatively.

“Nice to meet you,” Sunggyu says. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

•●•●•●•

Woohyun thinks that Sunggyu is the perfect boyfriend. He’s considerate, sweet and he has an amazing voice that is perfect for harmonising with his own. Sunggyu's a little busy sometimes and a lot more social than he’s used to, but he does try to make time and Woohyun is content with that.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t still uncomfortable when Sunggyu drags him along to parties. He’d probably be more comfortable if Hoya and Sungyeol were around, but parties aren’t their kind of scene; those two prefer hanging out at the library, which Woohyun wouldn’t mind at the moment. He wouldn’t mind at all.

He spares another glance at the punch bowl (spiked. Of course) and pushes his cup away with a disgusted sigh. He scans the room for Sunggyu, but he’s gone (as usual).

He feels a presence nearing him and has a scathing retort to deter whoever might try to hit on him. He manages to bite it back just in time when he sees Dongwoo instead of some stranger.

“What are you doing here?” Dongwoo asks, genuine concern in his voice. “I didn’t peg you for the party type.”

“I’m, ah, not,” Woohyun says, shifting his weight from one foot to another. “Sunggyu asked me to come along.” Except it was less ask and more come on, baby, it’ll be fun while dragging him out the door.

Dongwoo peers around him, as if expecting his best friend to be hiding behind him. “So where is he?”

Good question. Woohyun wishes he knew the answer. He simply shrugs, trying his best not to show how upset he is. The strange thing is… he’s not upset as he should be. There’s no denying he is upset, but shouldn’t he feel more, well, outraged that his boyfriend is leaving him alone at a dumb Christmas party he doesn’t even want to be at?

Dongwoo frowns, but it’s so brief that Woohyun thinks he probably imagined it. Frowns don’t sit well on Dongwoo's face. The elder’s face was made to grin and laugh. Seeing a frown on it… it makes him look too serious. “How have you been?” he asks and Woohyun allows himself to relax for the first time in a while.

However, the music makes it a little difficult to hold a conversation, so they take their conversation out to the balcony. It’s cold out, with white snow drifting down from the sky, but it’s quiet. Woohyun can finally hear himself think without needing to shout.

They let the silence envelop them. Unlike with Sunggyu, he doesn’t feel the need to fill the silence with mindless chatter. He has to wonder if there’s something wrong with him – he feels more comfortable around his boyfriend’s best friend than he does his own boyfriend.

“So… you haven’t been catching basketballs with your face again, have you?” Woohyun jokes lightly as the silence nears awkward.

“Uh, no.”

Liar. Woohyun had watched his last match and he had seen the way the basketball had damn near smashed into his face. Even in the dim lighting, he can see the fading bruise on Dongwoo's cheek that he’s so obviously trying to hide from him.

He hesitates before reaching out a hand towards Dongwoo's face, turning it so he has a clearer view of the bruise. He feels Dongwoo shiver and figures it must be from his cold hands. He brushes his thumb against the elder’s still slightly swollen lip.

“Did you get this from banging your head on your bedside table then?” Woohyun asks, the slightest twist of sarcasm in his words. “You need to be more careful.”

Dongwoo twists his face away, his hand rising to ruffle his hair. “Ah, don’t worry about me. It’s basketball. Stuff happens.” His attention is redirected upwards to something above Woohyun's head. “Oh.”

Oh? Woohyun follows his gaze, nearly squeaking when he spots mistletoe hanging off the roof. “Oh,” he repeats weakly. “Well, that’s… expected.” It’s a party full of teenagers – what else did he expect?

He looks back down to Dongwoo. His eyes are shining again and it makes him feel warm inside despite the frost nipping at his exposed skin.

“You don’t have to,” Dongwoo says hastily, his hair flopping into his hair as he shakes his head. “I mean, we can just pretend this never happened.”

“It’s tradition. It – it doesn’t have to mean anything if we don’t want it to.”

Is it bad that he wants it to mean something? He has a boyfriend, for christ’s sake. He shouldn’t want to kiss Dongwoo because they don’t belong and it’s not right.

However, his body doesn’t move when Dongwoo leans in, his breath brushing against Woohyun's slightly trembling lips. Dongwoo pauses, hesitating slightly right before their lips brush. His eyes flick upwards again. He seems to be looking for something in Woohyun's eyes, but the younger doesn’t know what he’s looking for. He seems to find whatever it is he’s looking for however, because he’s leaning forward and brushing their lips together.

The kiss is brief, merely a brushing of lips, but it makes Woohyun’s heart flutter in his chest and butterflies invade his stomach. There’s electricity zinging across his skin and he longs to thread his hands into Dongwoo's hair. He’s never felt this way when he’s kissing Sunggyu, which makes guilt flood his heart.

He steps away quickly, pointedly ignoring the hurt written across Dongwoo's face.

“I have to – go,” Woohyun gasps out, turning around and heading out of the house, away from Dongwoo and those feelings that he doesn’t want to have.

•●•●•●•

For the rest of the school year, Woohyun never makes contact with Dongwoo. It’s weird, seeing as Sunggyu and Dongwoo are best friends, but the basketball player remains as absent as the previous year.

That doesn’t mean Woohyun isn’t keeping an eye on him. He is; he’s still going to his games, but he’s remaining more invisible than before.

Up until the Christmas party, it was easy to ignore his increasing fondness for Dongwoo. After all, how can he fall for someone who is so absent? Then the mistletoe incident happened and he realises he’s living a lie with Sunggyu. He can’t feel for Sunggyu the same way he feels for Dongwoo. That’s impossible.

There’s a small part of his heart that’s held by Dongwoo since their first meeting, but it’s been growing with every meeting and every sighting. It almost seems like Dongwoo has all of his heart and Woohyun’s scared.

He’s scared, but it feels right. It feels right and all he has to figure out if he’s willing to take the risk.

He doesn’t have much time left.

•●•●•●•

Sungyeol's eyes are attempting to pierce through his skull and Woohyun has just about had it. The focus is unnerving and unnatural for Lee Sungyeol.

“You’re avoiding someone,” the taller accuses.

“That’s ridiculous,” Woohyun scoffs, scribbling something down on his homework sheet. “I only know you guys and Sunggyu. Who the hell am I going to avoid?”

“Is that it?” Hoya blurts out suddenly, looking up from his textbook with wide eyes. “Are you and Sunggyu hyung having problems?”

Woohyun sighs, prying his attention away from his physics homework to look up at his two best friends. Sungyeol is looking up from the magazine he had brought along (he’s supposed to be doing homework, but Woohyun won’t say anything because the choding is smart enough to get away with it for now) and Hoya is peering at him over the frames of his glasses in concern.

“We broke up,” he says tersely, ending the conversation with  stern look.

“What?” Sungyeol shrieks, causing the librarian to glare at them. “, Hyun, I’m sorry.”

Woohyun waves it away. “We’ve been having problems for a while now.” They’ve been having problems since their relationship started, in fact. “I saw it coming.” That’s an understatement.

He looks back up when he feels Hoya's hand on his arm.

“We should have known,” Hoya says guiltily. “We’re your best friends.”

“I didn’t talk about it,” Woohyun counters, smiling softly. “Let it go. I did.”

Sungyeol leans forward, frowning in concern. “Are you still going to go to the spring festival tomorrow?” he asks. “If you don’t feel up to it, we could just go to my house and watch movies.”

“And throw popcorn at the screen when the bad guys show up,” Hoya adds.

“Or when the leading lady steals the cute guy.”

Woohyun snorts, rolling his eyes. “I’ll be fine,” he assures them. “We’ll go.”

“Didn’t you, like, meet Sunggyu at the spring festival?” Sungyeol points out uneasily.

“I’ll be fine.”

•●•●•●•

For once, Woohyun's the one who ditches Hoya and Sungyeol, not the other way around. He barely sends them off with a quick see you tomorrow, walking off without hearing their replies.

He needs to find Dongwoo. Weeks – hell, months – of contemplation and he thinks he’s finally made up his mind. Just because he’s finally made up his mind doesn’t mean he isn’t scared though. He’s still terrified, but he’s willing to push it aside because he’s been so… tentativearound Dongwoo for so long and he’s done.

He heard that Dongwoo's getting a scholarship to a college out of town. All the way to Seoul. Seoul… Seoul is so far away. Definitely far away from their small town.

He can’t – he can barely breathe thinking about a whole school year without spotting Dongwoo in the halls, or hearing the elder’s stupid laugh even over the noise of the cafeteria. He can’t imagine not seeing glances of the too-wide grin or see those twinkling eyes once more.

Woohyun wonders when he fell out of like and fell in love with Dongwoo. It doesn’t make sense; they’ve only had three conversations in all the time they’ve known each other. Is it possible to fall in love after three conversations (and careful surveillance that is not stalking)? It sounds like something out of those dumb romance novels Sungyeol likes to read and enjoys shoving down everybody’s throats.

He shoves his thoughts aside as he walks around the festival, looking for Dongwoo. He wanders for two hours without a single sighting and he has to admit that he’s nervous. What if Dongwoo is already on his way to Seoul? They have an early orientation program at the college, don’t they?

He stops in front of the stage, despair slowly filling his heart. There’s a band onstage – not Sunggyu's thank god – and he scans the crowd for the elder, but he’s not there. He looks up at the sky in worry; the sun is already setting and it would be time for –

Fireworks.

Woohyun jerks. That’s it.

He whirls around and almost runs to the bleachers, repeating please be there in his heart. He nearly collapses out of the sheer relief that floods his heart when he sees a lone figure sitting at the top of the bleachers, undeniably Dongwoo.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Woohyun grumbles as he reaches Dongwoo. The elder looks so surprised to see him that it causes his heart to squeeze.

He’s not smiling for once and the twinkle is gone from his eyes. It’s… it’s not right. Dongwoo looks so solemn and old. Much older than his nineteen years.

“What are you doing here?” Dongwoo asks, standing up as if he’s going to leave. It sends a pang through Woohyun's heart and the younger shifts to alleviate the ache.

He forces a grin on his face that feels as painful as it looks. “I just told you, silly,” he teases, but even he can hear how flat with worry his voice sounds. “I was looking for you.”

“Why?” Dongwoo sounds so unsure and by the way he steps back, Woohyun is sure he’s ready to flee.

Woohyun reaches out and grasps Dongwoo's wrist so he can’t run. The grin fades as seriousness sets in. “I need to talk to you.”

“What about?”

“About the Christmas party.”

Dongwoo takes another step away and Woohyun lets him, even if he wants to pull him closer. “It didn’t mean anything,” he says hastily.

“Didn’t it?” Woohyun counters, taking a step forward. “It meant something to me.”

“It shouldn’t have,” Dongwoo says furiously. He looks scared. Woohyun wishes he knew why. “You’re with Sunggyu!”

“We broke up.” He rakes a hand through his hair in frustration. “You know, I thought I really liked Sunggyu hyung. I did. It’s just – I could never like him as much as I liked someone else. Not as much as I like you.”

“You… like me?” Dongwoo whispers.

“No,” Woohyun says. He can see the elder’s face crumple. “That’s not right. I don’t like you. I love you. I’m in love with you and I don’t even know why!”

“But – why me?”

His laugh sounds a little hysterical, but at least Dongwoo doesn’t look scared anymore. Only confused and maybe a little… hopeful? “I wish I knew,” he snorts, taking a step forward, then another until he’s so close he can almost see himself reflected in the elder’s eyes. “But I don’t mind not knowing.”

It’s quiet again between them. Dongwoo is just staring at him and Woohyun’s starting to doubt himself. What if Dongwoo doesn’t feel the same way? God, he hadn’t even thought of that possibility. He probably doesn’t feel the same way and Woohyun just royally ed up the friendship-thingy they had and maybe it’s a good thing the elder is going off to Seoul –

His thoughts are derailed when Dongwoo grabs his collar and tugs him forward, crashing their lips together. Woohyun's eyes flare wide in shock before he lets them slip closed, burying his hands into Dongwoo's hair the way he’s always wanted to. Their lips move together in an almost frantic manner, but it still remains sweet somehow. The glide isn’t smooth, with their dry and chapped lips, but Woohyun thinks it’s perfect.

They don’t even notice the fireworks going off in the background.

•●•●•●•

“I’m going to be leaving in a few months,” Dongwoo points out later, when they’re sitting down at the bleachers admiring the last vestiges of the spring festival.

“I know,” Woohyun says, snuggling closer into Dongwoo's side. It’s not a particularly cold night, but Dongwoo has his arm around him and he thinks that’s perfect too.

Dongwoo turns his bemused smile towards the younger. “Stalker much?” he teases.

Woohyun huffs in mock indignation, digging his elbow lightly into Dongwoo's side. “It’s not stalking if you’re shouting it out for the world to hear.”

The elder grins. “I was pretty loud about it, wasn’t I?”

“Understatement of the year,” Woohyun snorts.

The grin fades and worry seems to fill every nerve ending of Dongwoo's. “Are you going to wait for me?” he asks.

Woohyun caresses his cheek before slapping it lightly. “Hell no,” the younger replies. “I don’t wait for people. I’m up for a long distance relationship. Are you?”

Dongwoo's grin practically glows in the dark as he laughs, eyes crinkling up into crescents. His eyes are shining again and if Woohyun thought he was beautiful before, he’s absolutely stunning right now. The elder leans forward to rub their noses together and peck Woohyun's lips.

“Yeah,” he answers softly. “Okay. No waiting.”

“Besides, it’ll only be a year before I’ll be joining you at that fancy university of yours,” Woohyun says nonchalantly, barely holding back his smile.

He feels Dongwoo jerk away. “What?”

“Hey, did you know that your university is pretty well-known for its music program?”

“You’re kidding.”

Woohyun shakes his head, smirking slightly. “There was a scout at our choir performance and he liked my solo.” He pokes Dongwoo's shoulder. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, hyung.”

Dongwoo laughs again, holding Woohyun closer. It makes the younger feel lighter and maybe taking that step off the edge isn’t so bad after all, if Dongwoo is there to catch him.

---

A/N: I hope the prompt was done the way you expected it? I have to admit that it was a prompt that had me scratching my head for a while, but it was a fun challenge. I hope you enjoyed reading the story, dear reader, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

StarlightSpirit: This is just... perfect - the development of the characters, Woohyun's realisation. of course I'm sad that you split up my Woogyu but the ending was just perfect! Amazing!