box
[boks] verb
1. To mix drinks by pouring into and out of a shaker once.
2. To enclose or confine as in a box.
 

Hyuk was more than weirded out when he came in for work the next week and he found N where Hongbin was supposed to be.

"... Uh, where's Hongbin-hyung?" He asked, glancing all around the pub for the brunet. He was slightly afraid that if Hongbin weren't here, the place would collapse into a ruin of chaos. He was practically their only stable column.

N smiled brightly from behind the bar. "I gave him a suspension, so I'm taking his place."

"Wait, a suspension? What for?"

The boss giggled mischievously. "Hongbinnie's been naughty lately..."

Hyuk turned to Leo for translation.

"Suspension under act of violence." The redhead spoke into his mic. "Four days of compensation."

The busboy let out an 'ah' and nodded. He turned back to N, still weirded out by the sight. "Can you even bartend?"

N opened his mouth in mock offense. "How dare you, Hyuk-ah! It's not like I opened a bar without any bartending knowledge! Who do you think taught Hongbin his skills?!"

"Google."

"I'd hit you if you weren't cute!" The boss retorted at him. "Anyway, Hongbinnie's going to stay home this week to reflect over his actions. I'll be taking over until he comes back!"

"And I assume the reason why Ravi-hyung isn't here either is because he went to go visit him?"

Ken came out of the kitchen chewing on a fork. "Didn't he say he was staying home too because he was injured?"

N had an epiphany and wearily slapped his forehead . "No, I think Hyukkie's right. He made that excuse to go visit Hongbin! Oh my god, he's a bastard."

"It takes one to know one," Hyuk muttered to himself. "I've noticed it from before, but does Ravi-hyung have a crush on Hongbin-hyung or something?"

"No way," the chef exclaimed very sarcastically. "You must be Franklin!"

"I think you mean Einstein, Ken-Ken," N chuckled. "Yes, Ravi has a huge man-crush on our Hongbinnie, just like how Ken has a crush on Banshee."

"Wait, what?!" Ken faintly blushed. "No I don't!"

"Who's Banshee?"

"DON'T," the blond pointed threateningly at the busboy. "SPEAK OF HER!" He then stomped off to the kitchen. 

N let out a quiet laugh and filled Hyuk in. "Usually we have taxis drive drunk customers home, but Banshee is special. We call her that because we don't actually know her name, and whenever she comes in she wails like a banshee. Anyway, when she gets drunk, Ken always drives her home personally. Sounds mighty suspicious, doesn't it?"

"Or not," Hyuk stared blankly. "What if you're just over-exaggerating?"

The other scoffed. "Silly Hyuk, I never exaggerate, much less over-exaggerate! Now let's open up the shop before the customers turn mutant and eat us!"

--

Ravi paced wearily, heart thundering in his chest. He told N that he was going to take a day off today under the excuse that he was injured, but he was actually visiting Hongbin. He had laughed at the boss for falling for such an excuse, but now he was laughing at himself for being such a chicken.

He was standing in front of the brunet's house, shivering in the cold. Many a time he tried to ring the doorbell, but shied away at the last second. This routine was committed repeatedly for the past ten minutes, to the point Ravi's legs were numbing because of the wind.

The janitor tried to think of what to say once he did ring the bell. "Uh... Hey, I'm cold, so can I come in? No, that's stupid. I just wanted to check up on you so— no, I could've just called then!" He let out a strangled grunt and bashed his head against the wall. 

Whilst bashing, he heard a faint 'ding dong' sound. When he looked up, he realized he was bashing his head against the doorbell. 

"Coming!" Hongbin's voice came from inside and Ravi took the initiative to freak the hell out. Somehow he managed to compose when the brunet opened the door just a smidge.

Staring at him through the crack, Ravi could only utter a simple 'hi'.

"Hi." Hongbin responded quietly, and remained there with the door barely open. 

The janitor stood for a good awkward moment before looking at his eyes. "... Hongbin, were... Were you crying?" The brunet's usually beautiful orbs were stained pink and swollen.

He denied it immediately. "N-No, I wasn't. I wasn't crying. I'm a man, a manly man." He glanced hesitantly at Ravi's bandaged cheek and opened the door a bit more. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just fine," Ravi pat his bandage to prove it but he hit it too hard and ended up wincing. "... No seriously, I'm fine."

Hongbin somewhat accepted the answer and pushed his door open all the way. "... Thanks, Wonshik. For protecting me." 

Ravi shrugged, a little embarrassed. "A promise is a promise, right?"

"Right."

The two stood there in silence again. They stared at each other, and Ravi found Hongbin to be getting closer by the second. As the moment went on, Hongbin got closer and closer until their noses were nearly touching. 

Ravi couldn't think, and neither could Hongbin. Perhaps the cold had gotten to their heads. But Ravi didn't say anything when the brunet left a soft kiss on his bandage, and still didn't when Hongbin started panicking. 

"Oh my god— I did not just— that was— I wasn't thinking— I'M NOT GAY!" He cried, slamming the door shut in his face.

The white-haired janitor stayed there, face blank. He couldn't process what just happened. Did Hongbin just kiss him? It felt like rainbows exploded and showered him with golden baby unicorns and chocolate instead.

Eventually he decided it was getting much too cold and to go back into his car. As he stumbled down, the door opened again.

"W-wait," Hongbin called after him timidly. "... Can... Can you come in for a couple minutes?"

So he did.

It was only when his head thawed that Ravi realized they were in Hongbin's house... Alone.

"Sit down," the brunet was sitting on a sofa and patted the seat next to him.

Trying to hide his nervousness, Ravi sat. "This wasn't here last time," he murmured, watching as Hongbin hugged his knees. 

"I felt embarrassed when you guys slept over," answered the bartender, gazing at the blank TV in front of them. "That there was virtually nothing in my house... So I bought this sofa."

Ravi nodded. "Huge improvement."

Hongbin laughed softly. They lapsed into yet another period of silence before the younger spoke again.

"... Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"Promise not to tell anyone else."

"We've already established that I'm an excellent promise keeper."

"No, seriously though." Hongbin sighed a bit. "... I used to live with my parents... Until they kicked me out of the house.”

Ravi looked at him in concern. "Why?"

"I didn't turn out how they wanted," he chuckled bitterly. "So now I live in this house, all by myself." 

His eyes were full of pain, so the janitor didn't say anything. Instead, he placed a hand on the brunet's back and gave comforting pats. Ravi's silent understanding prompted Hongbin to break down; tears fell from his eyes and he began to blubber. 

"... Y-You know... I wish I could work every day... Just because I wouldn't be so damn lonely in this ing house..." 

That was the last thing he uttered before Ravi made him lean on his shoulder. 

Ravi stayed there by his side, until he stopped crying and just until he fell asleep. He forgot about being nervous and only thought about being there for the other. He only thought about protecting him from any form of pain, whether it is punches or past trauma. 

Because he promised.

An hour or so later, Hongbin awoke with a gasp. He realized he was lying on the sofa under a blanket. Ravi wasn't anywhere. He sat up and immediately called for him. "Wonshik?!"

"Over here."

Ravi was in the kitchen, busily chopping away at vegetables. Strips of beef were grilling in a pan, filling the room with a delicious smell. On the same stove was a boiling pot of seaweed soup. But more than the sight of actual food in his house, Hongbin was amazed at the sight of Ravi cooking.

Catching the other's gawks, the white-haired man smiled. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Y-You cook?" He asked, clumsily untangling himself from his blanket. 

"Well, I live by myself too. But unlike you," Ravi paused as a short melodic tune played from somewhere. "I know how to take care of myself."

Hongbin carefully waddled into the kitchen and watched him move about. "What was that sound?"

"The sound of your rice cooker finishing the rice?"

"I have a rice cooker?"

Ravi stared at him incredulously before shaking his head and getting back to work.

"Why are you doing this?" Hongbin had asked, caressing one of his wine bottles.

"I'm deeply concerned about your diet."

"You're concerned about my diet."

"Anybody would be if they knew you had bento and alcohol three meals per day."

The brunet let out a scoff. "I have kimchi on Wednesdays." He gazed at Ravi's back as he cooked, vaguely thinking of what the older man would look like in an apron. "Is that the only reason? Because you're concerned?"

Ravi noticeably stiffened. After a moment of nothing but oil crackling, he answered 'yes'.

Seeing as there was no table and the countertops were occupied by booze, the two had their dinner on the floor. It was a simple meal, but Hongbin found it more than great. It was the most delicious food he has had in a very long time.

Perhaps because it was actual food, and not take-out. Maybe eating with another person made it taste better. But he went with the idea that the reason the food tasted so good was because of the white-haired janitor.

Night time arrived and Ravi decided to head home. Hongbin escorted him to the door.

"A couple minutes' is definitely seven hours, right?"

Hongbin laughed. "Sorry for taking up your time. But thanks. For staying."

"No problem," Ravi headed down to his car. "Night."

"Um," the other hesitated for a second. "Can—can you come over tomorrow? I mean, I know you have work but—"

Ravi smiled at him. "Sure."

okey, it's time to lay off the rabin a bit
BUT THEY SHALL RETURN!