05
Winter Designs
Woo Bin curses as soon as he leaves the restaurant. That just had to happen. If he wasn't hurting for some extra cash he'd have said no in a heartbeat. The way Jong Suk's smile falls, his eyes becoming distant and cold, replays over and over in Woo Bin's head and he feels even worse. He closes his eyes on the train trying to blink the image out of existence. He finally got to go on a date, or at least some thing like a date, with Jong Suk and this happens.
He spends the days leading up to Christmas working and trying to build up courage to go see Jong Suk. He doesn't feel he has the right but he wants to. It takes all day for him to build the courage to go to Jong Suk's house on Christmas Eve. And by the time he gets there it's so late he debates leaving again.
He stands on the stoop trying not to mangle the flowers he picked up on the way here as an after thought. They're pretty but he almost wants to tear them apart to relieve his nervousness. What if Jong Suk isn't even gay? Just because he likes fashion that doesn't really mean much. Woo Bin sighs. Maybe the flowers are too much.
No, he thinks, he's going to do what he came here to do. He raises his finger to the doorbell and nearly pushes it before losing his nerve and dropping his hand. He repeats this several times when he hears the cough behind him. He jumps and turns around. Oh is the only thing running through his mind.
"Ah, Jong Suk...ssi. I thought you'd be home. Um. I," Woo Bin stumbles over himself and he could just ram his head against the wall, "I'll just go. God this is embarrassing."
Woo Bin can't look at Jong Suk. He doesn't want to see the possible disgust or even worse, pity that might be there. He walks down the stairs and nearly falls when Jong Suk grabs his bicep.
"Don't go," Jong Suk's voice is barely a whisper. Woo Bin looks at him and wants nothing more than to pull him into his arms. "Please don't go," Jong Suk says again.
A tear falls from Jong Suk's eye staining his cheek on the way down. Woo Bin can't help himself. He cups Jong Suk's face and wipes the tear away before pulling him into a hug. Woo Bin loves the feeling of having the smaller man in his grasp. He loves that he can wrap his arms around him. That Jong Suk is solid and real and actually there.
He's even more elated when Jong Suk's arms tentatively wrap around Woo Bin's waist. Woo Bin revels in Jong Suk's hands the fabric of his sweater under his jacket. They stay like that for a while. He doesn't know why Jong Suk was crying or why Jong Suk is clinging so hard to him but he doesn't care. Jong Suk buries his head in Woo Bin's shoulder and slight sobs wrack through his body tearing Woo Bin apart.
Woo Bin comforts himself by knowing that he's comforting Jong Suk right now. He rubs soothing circles around Jong Suk's back until he calms down. Jong Suk pulls away wiping at his eyes and sniffling.
"Sorry," he mumbles.
"It's fine. I'm glad you're okay. Let's go inside. You're gonna catch a cold like this," Woo Bin replies buttoning up Jong Suk's jacket and pulling him up the steps. Jong Suk punches the numbers into the pad to let them in and Woo Bin grabs his hand again. Jong Suk walks up the stairs with an impatient Woo Bin at his heels. They reach the third floor and Jong Suk unlocks his apartment.
"Don't mind the mess," Jong Suk says pushing open the door. Woo Bin looks around. There are a few pairs of shoes here and there and a blanket thrown over the couch but nothing messy.
"What mess?"
Jong Suk shrugs off his jacket throwing it on the couch and toes off his shoes, "It seems messy to me."
"You'd hate to see my apartment," Woo Bin mumbles. He takes off his own shoes and follows Jong Suk to the kitchen area of the studio apartment to the right of the door. Jong Suk seems to ignore the comment though. Woo Bin takes off his jacket and hangs it on the chair.
"Would you like tea or hot chocolate?"
"Hot chocolate sounds great," Woo Bin says and sits at the table watching Jong Suk as he flits about the kitchen. Jong Suk grabs the kettle filling it with water and setting it on the stove to boil. He reaches up flashing a bit of his stomach from under his sweater. Woo Bin looks away until he hears Jong Suk set mugs down on the counter before opening the pantry and grabbing packets of hot chocolate.
There's nothing else to do but wait for the water to boil. Woo Bin watches Jong Suk search for things to keep him busy walking up and down the small kitchen looking at things.
"Are you planning to wear away the floor beneath your feet?"
"What," Jong Suk replies looking up.
"Why don't you sit don't," Woo Bin says. Maybe small words would be best right now.
"Right."
Jong Suk sits down across from Woo Bin and leans on the table. Jong Suk stares at the kettle on the stove his thumb coming up to poke at his lip. Woo Bin coughs to cover up a laugh. He like seeing Jong Suk perturbed like this. He'd always seemed chic and composed so this pacing and nervousness makes Woo Bin happy to see this side of the other. Even if he's the one possibly causing it.
"If...if you're uncomfortable I can go," Woo Bin suggests.
Jong Suk's eyes land on Woo Bin panicked and wide like a deer caught in the headlights. Woo Bin is doesn't know what to do. He was joking and he definitely wasn't expecting that reaction.
"Hey are you okay," Woo Bin asks.
"Do I look like I'm okay," Jong Suk replies his voice cracking, "I just cried into your shoulder for half an hour. I don't even really know you."
"Right. Stupid question. I'm sorry. If it helps I know you. Well sort of," Woo Bin wants to stuff his foot in his mouth as soon as the words leave his mouth he regrets them. If Jong Suk didn't find him creepy before he definitely did now.
"What do you mean," Jong Suk asks. Woo Bin wishes he could back track but there's no way he'll get out of explaining things now.
"I, um, well. I used to watch you on the train. Not like creepily we just rode a lot together at the same time. And I, uh, I thought you were cute," Woo Bin stumbles through his words. It's not exactly the truth but he isn't about to admit to taking the train at the same time everyday even if he didn't need to just to see Jong Suk.
"Really," Jong Suk asks. Woo Bin gears up for. Prepares for the the hurtful words and looks of terror. Instead he's greeted with a hand gently laid on his. He looks up and Jong Suk is smiling at him.
"That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard. So...does that mean you knew it was my sketchbook?"
Woo Bin nods. He's speechless; unable to form anything coherently enough that he'd want to say it out loud. Jong Suk opens his mouth to say something. The kettle whistles blowing his thought away with the steam as he gets up to turn it off. Woo Bin stands up and follows him. He's not thinking when he comes up behind Jong Suk and wraps his arms around the smaller's frame.
When Jong Suk doesn't protest his arms tighten the hold and he puts his head on Jong Suk's shoulder. He's so happy to be here like this. He'd go as far as to say this is the best Christmas ever. Jong Suk fidgets in Woo Bin's arms and Woo Bin lets go backing up a bit.
Jong Suk turns around and wraps his arms loosely around Woo Bin's neck looking up at him. Woo Bin let's the moment sweep him away. He isn't aware he's leaning down towards Jong Suk's lips until he can clearly see the dilated pupil of Jong Suk's eye and they're touching, kissing. Jong Suk smiles into the kiss and presses into it and Woo Bin's hands come up to rest on Jong Suk's hips.
They break away after a few minutes. Both panting, flushed and hot but they don't pull out of each other's arms. Jong Suk rests his forehead against Woo Bin's shoulder and pulls him close.
"I," Jong Suk starts but throat closes it off and he has to start again, "Thank you."
"For what," Woo Bin whispers. He's afraid speaking any louder would ruin the moment.
"Just thank you," Jong Suk murmurs into the material of Woo Bin's shirt. Woo Bin still isn't sure why he's being thanked but he'll take it. Woo Bin leans down and kisses the top of Jong Suk's head.
"No problem."
"So, um, I was wondering."
"Hmm," Woo Bin replies. Jong Suk pulls away to look up at Woo Bin biting his lip.
"Would you want to go out sometime?"
Woo Bin smiles, "I thought we already were."
He kisses Jong Suk again pressing him into the counter. He nibbles lightly on Jong Suk's full bottom lip before pressing his tongue against it and Jong Suk opens his mouth. There tongues dance together until Woo Bin can feel his pants grow a little tight. He pulls away.
"You're right. We already are."
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Alright. Well technically this could be the last chapter. But it's not. The next chapter is basically going to be PWP so you don't have to read it if you don't want to. I hope you enjoyed the double update! Thoughts?
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