Hakyeon and Hongbin actually ended up exchanging phone numbers.
Wonshik remained in his passive-aggressive status, arms folded and head purposely turned away from the smiling duo.
He wasn’t jealous – as Hongbin had suggested at some point when Hakyeon was away –, his slightly possessive attitude wanted to be just a mere statement of his supremacy in that whole story.

Because those two were talking like old friends and it was upsetting.
Wonshik was actually assaulting his own order - apparently Hakyeon’s favourite cake was something called ‘The Bomb’, the name explaining itself once the melted chocolate inside the tart found his way on Wonshik’s tongue ( making him moan quite embarrassingly ) - with bitter feelings and wounded glances sent at the two laughing guys; he was trying really hard to avoid Hakyeon’s bright smiles and high cheekbones, highlighted by his stretched lips. 
They were still physically hurting him.

It was one of the rare days in which the bar slowly filled with people claiming orders and sitting down at free tables, Wonshik was almost thankful for that because it meant that Hakyeon was too busy to pay attention to them ( or Hongbin ) since Jongdae was already too occupied with slacking off on the job, actually sleeping on the counter, quiet snores coming out of his opened mouth. Yet, Hakyeon still had the time to walk past them and whisper cheerful comments on the old lady some table far from them who seemed interested in Wonshik.
« Do you possibly want her number? It might be your only chance with a girl, even if a little mature. »
Wonshik replied with an eloquent middle finger and red cheeks.
Even if his two friends seemed soulless people who liked to make him miserable, he still felt saddened while bidding them goodbye ( Just Hakyeon, Hongbin was invited to go away multiple times ) at the end of the day.
 

That first meeting between his two friends had the high-schooler decide that, now that he was free, he was going to visit the older boy daily. Just to keep him in an atmosphere free of Hongbin and his pointed stares.
Wonshik stared too; his afternoons were spent with eyes blatantly fixed on the elder’s face while the other talked his ears off when the place was empty or just smiled at other clients from behind the counter when the bar was crowded.

« You’re a creep. »
Jongdae passed by sometimes, amusing himself with comments on Wonshik’s obvious stares and debatable habit.
Wonshik usually snarled at him, keeping from himself the justification that at least he wasn’t ogling his bum but just settled for something harmless like his pretty face ( his eyes might have drifted down at some point but it wasn’t really his fault, it’s not like he could always have perfect control over his body, it just happened. )
His eyes weren’t the only busy part of his body, his jaw was also feeling the fatigue of munching on unhealthy amounts of cakes to the point he could actually feel himself slowly getting fatter.
Ryeowook, the chef, has taken a liking to him so Wonshik was covered with new types of cakes and cookies and smoothies and sweet beverages and maybe he should start working out again or at least cut down the constant stream of sugars because his stomach was filling out just as quickly as his wallet was becoming lighter.
Fortunately, he wasn’t there just to chew and put on weight, he also talked a lot.
They talked a lot, both when Hakyeon was on a break and during working time. Usually the older sat down in front of him at some point, a casual question ready on his lips and an excited gleam in his eyes.
From there, the conversation usually carried on till someone broke them off, usually an annoyed Jongdae or the boss of the bar, Jungsu. They hadn’t a specific topic of discussion, what they started off with was never the same thing they concluded, usually switching from music to stupid jokes to school and works and sometimes even personal related issues like Wonshik’s problems with girls.
Soon enough, the topic ‘Wonshik is an awkward turtle’ was slowly put aside and they moved on more deep discussions.
( ‘Do you think Jongdae sells drugs? He looks like a dealer.’

‘He is more probably an addict, don’t be silly.’ )

Days followed each other and they were still talking, still developing their relationship; sometimes meeting at the park near the bar and sometimes walking around the block just to finish a discussion interrupted by the bar’s closure. It Wonshik suddenly upon an intense gazing contest with a red faced Hakyeon: they were flirting.
Or at least, Wonshik was.

He didn’t even know he was capable of actually flirting with someone before meeting Hakyeon.
( « Ehi, hyung, does your left eye hurt? »

« I think not, why? »

 « Because you've been looking right all day. »

« Memo for you, Wonshik, never ever listen to Jongdae’s advices. » )

And maybe he really wasn’t that good but it came so easy and spontaneous, words flowing out of his mouth even before he could stop and think about them; compliments, appreciations and even stupid cheesy pick up lines that Jongdae liked to suggest him while Hakyeon was away.
He exaggeratedly liked it.
There was something in the way the elder’s lips curled in an embarrassed smile, that attracted Wonshik;  body leaning over the table and smile growing a little bit cockier at the view of the pink blossoms on the other’s high cheekbones and ear’s tips.

Unfortunately, since he was unlucky by nature, his jubilant mood had to be ruined somehow.
That Wednesday afternoon, exactly five months after they first meeting, Hakyeon wasn’t at the bar.
And so the day after.
And the one after that.
And again and again until a week has passed and still no news of the older boy had arrived to Wonshik.
He was slowly growing paranoid, dropping by the bar every day just in hope of catching a glimpse of the older and meeting instead the blank stare of a sleepy Taekwoon or the gigantic smile of a tall and lanky guy with way too little gracefulness to carry stack of plates between tables.
Towards the half of the second week Wonshik was feeling so desperate that he asked Jung Taekwoon for information.
Hakyeon owned him a lot, that was sure.
But, Taekwoon wasn’t going to tell him anything, nor if Hakyeon was okay nor if he was dead and buried under meters of sand, he just send him judging stares that turned into an annoyed roll of eyes  the thirteenth ( frantic ) question about the older boy and then into a hissed ‘just call him’.
But he had tried, multiple times. He was starting to get desperate, not the normal kind of ‘desperate’ but the kind  that put him in front of his mobile for hours, typing and erasing lots of different messages that ranged from ‘are you okay?’ to ‘haven’t seen you recently’ and finishing off with a ‘PLZ TELL ME UR NOT DEAD’. His head collided with the wood of his desk, fingers tapping nervously on the black screen on his phone, there was this oppressive sensation in his chest that grew heavier as days passed, it was the same kind of feeling he got when someone rejected him.
But this time it was a lot worse, usually it lasted a few days spent with junk food and sad songs and then he was back anew but we are talking about Hakyeon.
And Hakyeon wasn’t like his other crushes.
There was something between them, maybe Wonshik was just being delusional but it couldn’t be denied that at least they were friends.
And Wonshik wasn’t keen on being rejected by friends but again, it wasn’t a refusal, was it? He didn’t confess or anything, they didn’t even talk about potentially dangerous things; the brunet just disappeared.
And Wonshik really needed to ear the other’s voice or at least catch a glimpse of his smile and he hadn’t even realized when Hakyeon became an obsession, it was just another thing linked with the older that happened spontaneously.

« You have it bad. »

And Hongbin wasn’t helping, at all.

When Wonshik had decided to pour out his heart in a felt confession to his best friend, he was bet with a triumphant cheer and a exclamation about money gained.
Maybe he should start searching for loyal friends who don’t gamble on his private life.

« So, you are now on the dark side? » , Hyuk seemed totally serious, sat on the desk in front of Wonshik with his legs swinging in an excited pace and an amused smile on his lips.
Wonshik sent him a regretful gaze, shaking his head lightly; the youngest boy had spent too many hours with Hongbin to be considered normal.
He was actually expecting it, the youngest of the three had been silent for a couple of week and it was only a matter of time before he made his comeback some way or another.
He just chose to barge in the classroom and laugh at his face loudly and quite rudely to be honest.
 
« He has always been » Kong intervened, grinning delighted « girls knew, that's why they refused him. » his hand patted sympathetically Wonshik’s shoulder.
He still wasn't helping.

« You're terrible, both of you. »
He snarled, pushing away the hand weighting on him and glaring quite offended at the two smiling boys. They both lifted an hand, showing a couple of thumbs up. 
« I hate you, I really do. »

« I’m curious. » Hyuk said, jumping a little on his seat and looking extremely enthusiastic. « How is he, hyung? »

To be honest, Wonshik felt relieved that neither of them was put off by the whole new ‘my crush is a boy, yo’ thing, after all he did feel nervous that morning when he told Hongbin just before entering school and obviously nothing could be told to the red head without including little Sanghyuk and his explosive personality.
And he was also fortunate that the latter didn’t exclaim the news out loud in the hall, he wasn’t ready for total exposure.
Still, it was a nice feeling when Hyuk smiled at him and told him a rather skimpy joke on homouals.
( « It seems like when you’re around someone, you just can’t think straight. Get it? Get it? »  )
Sure, Hongbin had cleared a lot of times that he wasn’t interested in trivial things like gender, claiming that his partner just needed to be alive and possibly good looking. Hyuk, instead, was a wild card since he was currently dating the prettiest girl in the first years and had been jumping from girl to girl since he was a little kid ( Wonshik envied him a lot, before, but now it was all square because, yeah, Hakyeon ), Wonshik should have known that the younger was too clever to care about it.
It was still relieving, lifting an huge weight from Wonshik’s chest and giving space to a bubbling sensation of happiness. 

« He has pretty hands and a nice back view. », intervened Hongbin, nodding with a serious expression but immediately ducking his head to hide the smile that was threatening to pop up ( and also avoid the smack Wonshik was trying to give him. )
« Oh! » exclaimed Hyuk, quite theatrically, hand covering his mouth in attempt both to emphasize his ( terrible ) act and to cover his chuckles. « He sounds amazing! », the youngest elbowed his friend, finally bursting into an high pitched laugh.
Wonshik had promised to himself not to react, he had to endure and ignore them because they weren’t worth precious energies.
Energies that he could spend staring at his phone and hoping for a sing from the waiter.

« If you keep staring at it that way, it will probably burst into flames, hyung », Sanghyuk’s words faintly reached his ears and immediately travelled out of his head without a second thought. Hongbin tapped lightly on his shoulder to distract him and dove forward, retrieving the cell phone.
He thoughtfully stared at it for a while, tapping his fingers on the black cover.
« Have you texted him? »

The last time he had checked, his phone counted twenty seven messages; the last one being half an hour before and reading a rather calm ‘calling the cops if u don’t reply’.
Sincerely, he was going to send the twenty eighth before the end of lunch break.
« Just once or twice. »

« Oh! », Hongbin exclaimed, turning the phone in Wonshik’s direction. « You got a new message. »
Even before the last syllable had left  Hongbin’s lips, Wonshik was already up and snatching the phone, cuddling it in his hands.
He looked anxiously at the lighted screen, unlocking it frantically and gnawing his bottom lip in the wait because it was taking way too much time just to load the messages’ page.

The name ‘Hakyeon’ flashed on the screen and Wonshik’s heart took a dive toward his stomach, an harsh sigh leaving his lips.

Hakyeon hyung » I’M SO SORRY OMG

That meant the elder was alive.
His heart was pounding vigorously, flooding him with warm relief and insane happiness and everything because of those three words.
His phone lightened again, the message opening instantly.

Hakyeon hyung » EXAMS LOTS OF EXAMS SRY SO SO SRY

Wonshik breathed a laugh, feeling incredibly light; the happy bubbles were back in his chest and this time they were accompanied by a bright smile and quiet chuckles of relief.
He just had exams.
Exams.
He had probably isolated himself in order to concentrate on his studies.
Yes, that made him feel better, at least he knew the waiter wasn’t dead or even worst: avoiding him.  On the other hand, he felt the sheer need to flip something ( possibly Hakyeon ) because he had been so worried and rather desperate and the elder could have at least warned him about possible weeklong disappearances. ( Wonshik betted that Taekwoon knew).
His phone flashed another message.

Hakyeon hyung » Still sry. C ya later?

That message had the power to erase completely the slight irritation he was feeling, washing away the burning sensation of betrayal and giving him back the ability to breathe like a normal human being and not an enraged animal. ( Sanghyuk was dying laughing and Hongbin was watching the two of them with mixed emotion ranging from amusement to disgust. )
Wonshik took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart; it was just a message, why did it have to affect him so much?
He quietly typed a ‘sure c u later’ and put the phone back in his pocket.

« Oh my God, you’re blushing like a damn schoolgirl. Dude, have some dignity.  »

Hongbin still wasn’t helping him but he couldn’t wash the smile off  Wonshik’s face, either.

Indeed, Hakyeon was at work that afternoon but Wonshik couldn't consider himself happy.

The brunet was currently napping with his head leant on Taekwoon’s shoulder; the two were placed by the counter, sitting in two high stools that were usually taken up by the hasty customers that hadn’t time to properly sit at a table.
The quiet (creepy) boy was entertaining himself with a book, a course book by the look of it, and merely paid any attention to the high schooler who was staring at him with a noticeable frown.
When said high schooler was about to make clear his dissatisfaction, Taekwoon blocked him with a clear sign to keep quiet, an held up finger because, as he mouthed later, Hakyeon was sleeping.
Wonshik had that figured out pretty clearly, thanks.

Wonshik was utterly displeased by the turn of events.
First, he hadn’t been able to reach the older in any way and now, there he was, peacefully attached to Taekwoon.
He mumbled his distaste under his breath, shaking his head and letting himself fall on a stool near them, eyeing the object of his attention like a kid denied his favourite toy.
He wasn’t convinced that the elder was okay, yet. His mind has been full of theories about wounds and illness and the bags under his eyes, coupled with the paler tone of his usually tanned skin wasn’t helping him thinking that the waiter was okay; he was also wondering if the boy was skinnier because his cheekbones looked pointier than the last time he had seen him ( and Wonshik knew them like the palm of his hand ) but he couldn’t be sure since the elder’s cheek was smashed on someone's shoulder.
Did he already said that the “someone” wasn't Wonshik? ( Because it wasn't ).

« Is he okay? », the dark haired boy diverted his eyes from the elder for a second, just the time to catch the light nodding of Taekwoon before he reverted his attention back onto the thick book he was reading. ( ‘Tonal Harmony and Composition 2’, Wonshik shivered just reading the title. )
Hakyeon's head suddenly snapped up, eyes squinting at the soft light of the evening and sleepily mumbled something that resembled a ‘was that voice Wonshik’s?’.
Then, their eyes met.
And Hakyeon smiled.
And Wonshik had to stick his nails into the flesh of his palms to keep himself from sprinting forward and enveloping the elder in a tight hug ( because damn if he had missed him ); he opted, instead, for a quiet wave and a little smile. The waiter sat straighter in his chair, leaving Taekwoon’s side ( Wonshik felt slightly pleased by the centimeters now separating them ), greeting him with a lazy wave and stretching his smile just enough to make Wonshik’s insides churns uncomfortably. The youngest felt his own smile growing larger as seconds passed by, Hakyeon fidgeted in his seat, expression faltering a little when the younger just kept staring at him.
Taekwoon rolled his eyes and took the opportunity to retire in the back room, mumbling a ‘so awkward’ on his way out.

The place was, like usual, almost completely deserted; the only exception being Wonshik, a business man enjoying the free internet connection and a couple probably having a uncomfortably silent date.
The quiet atmosphere seemed heavy on their shoulders and maybe Wonshik should have stopped looking at the older as if he was trying to memorize every single crease and curve of his face ( he had already achieved it, to be sincere ) but the waiter wasn’t diverting his eyes either and that was quite encouraging in Wonshik’s mind. ( Ignoring Hakyeon’s blatantly puzzled expression. )

« I'll bring you our new cake, Ryeowook hyung was waiting for your feedback before selling it », he said, tongue stumbling a little on his words and body jumping up to quickly retreat in the kitchen.
Wonshik blinked, not having really caught the other’s words but nodding nevertheless because he might have heard the word ‘cake’ and they were coming from Hakyeon anyway, in his current state the boy would have granted him anything.
Still, Wonshik wasn’t done with the staring, so he kind of might have settled his eyes on the figure of the brunet, noticing his shuffling feet and drooping shoulders.
He definitely was tired, that much was obvious even for Wonshik, but why wasn't he resting at home? Not that Wonshik was complaining, he was more than happy to have the elder there in front of his eyes and for himself but he would have preferred him to be healthy and well rested. When Hakyeon came back with closing eyes and a plate with a huge slice of cake tilted dangerously in his hand, Wonshik decided that the elder really needed a good amount of rest; he declined Hakyeon’s offer of a warm drink and watched him basically collapsing on the seat beside him.

« I'm so sorry », the elder started, coughing a little to clear his throat and perching his elbows on the counter. « I had exams and I was lagging behind in basically everything so I cut down any contact with the outer world: turned off my phone, disconnected internet and lived off of coffee and instant meals. »
Typical life of a college student, he assured between a yawn and a rub of his eyes when Wonshik expressed his concern.

« Still, you look tired to me, want to nap some more? » the high schooler tapped lightly on his own shoulder, his eyes looking everywhere else but Hakyeon and his voice really tried ( and failed ) to sound casual. The older boy eyed him for a while, gaze lowering until his shoulder and then shifting it to the entrance and the empty room.

« Ah, » he exclaimed, « hell yeah. »
The tiny smile he gave him almost ( ALMOST ) made Wonshik wail pathetically. The brunet mop of hair collided softly with his shoulder, head settling comfortingly in the crook of his neck and arms attaching themselves around Wonshik’s own; basically, the waiter was curling against his side and Wonshik was having serious problems behaving normally.
Hakyeon's hair was tickling his cheek, his breath coming out in short puff against his collarbones and the tip of his nose was brushing lightly against his neck; really, he wasn’t expecting that much of a contact in a short time. He was torn between laughing in celebration or crying pitifully. He could feel every part of his body in direct contact with Cha Hakyeon’s person tingle pleasantly, from his tight just pressed against Hakyeon’s to his neck, now turning a deep shade of red together with the tips of his ears ( and probably everything else, he was just really glad that neither Jongdae or Hongbin were there. )
However, under all the discomfort from his stiff position – kind of difficult to relax with your crush attached to your side, isn’t it? – and the uncomfortable rising of his body temperature, that was something he could definitely get used to.
Something that he was actually working on making habitual.

« I got just one or two hours of sleep per night, pity me », Hakyeon’s voice startled him, too close and too strong at the same time, like a blow at his self control, the words reflected against his skin in short breaths. The older snuggled even closer ( almost giving Wonshik an instantaneous heart attack because physical contact), one hand coming up to grab Wonshik's hoodie and his head moving a little to seek a better place on his shoulder.
Was it wrong to take advantage of him? After all the elder was glued to his side, so a really great move would be take benefit from the situation. Silently thanking whoever created Hakyeon as a touchy and clingy being, Wonshik pushed his stool closer with his legs, arm freeing himself from Hakyeon’s to wrap hesitantly around the waiter’s slender waist. 
« Gosh », breathed Hakyeon, followed by a little noise of appreciation, « you're softer than Taekwoon. »
He sounded blissful and completely gratified, a serene smile making his way on his lips and his eyes closing slowly. Wonshik was, as of now, smiling so much his cheeks hurt; the overly contented expression on the waiter’s face was ten thousand time worth the uncomfortable position.

 « Should I see that as a compliment or as a 'you're fat'? ».
 Hakyeon chuckled quietly, smacking effortlessly Wonshik’s chest. « Even if you're really getting chubby cheeks, » he teasingly said, opening an eye to send him a mocking look and closing it again once having completed his task, « it was a compliment. Taekwoon is just sharp angles and muscles. »
Well, that wasn’t really okay.
The dark-haired boy frowned a little, looking down at the head of brown hair with discontentment written on his features. That was a blow at his dignity, he hadn’t spent hours in the gym trying to grow out of his pubescent state to hear that he was a good pillow; he was quite proud of his muscles, thank you.
Truthfully, he hadn’t actually been near the building since the whole Hakyeon-thing had started but he was still quite fit, he hoped.
« I've muscles too, you know. », he mumbled defensively, causing another breathy laugh from the older.

« I know, I've noticed your really nice arms. »
As proof, he lifted an hand and blindly prodded at his biceps, missing the target and jabbing quite harshly his armpit.
Wonshik blushed a little ( just a little, he swears ) and made a mental note of exercising his arms more.
« Right » he coughed awkwardly  « so, exams; why hadn’t you prepared them first? ».

 « College and work, they are difficult to coordinate. » Hakyeon should stop sighing right now, because every breath was directed on Wonshik’s skin and he would have done even without the shivers on his back.  « I think you noticed how deserted this place is, most of the times, even if I could work full time, my salary wouldn't be enough to pay bills. »

His face scrunched up, nose wrinkled and lips twisted sideways in a clear display of annoyance.
Wonshik was staring again.
He diverted his eyes, stubbornly promising himself to just stare at the bottles lined up over the counter and not at Hakyeon’s ( perfect ) being, whichever part of him. The bottles were nice, colorful and organized from the darker to the lighter, they were all syrups for decorations and sweet drinks and added a nice decoration. He was quite sure that the elder was the responsible for that organization, it seemed like something he would have done, because Hakyeon was a perfectionist and liked to make sure that everything was in a well designated place, whether it being bottles or people; he worked harder than everyone else in that place. Not that it was difficult considering the other employees but it still was a great achievement and he felt proud of his dedication toward his job.
And he was staring once again.
Bottles, bottles, bottles.

« Why don't you ask your family for help? », he said, tapping his fingers on the other’s waist, trying to ignore the warmth of the body pressed against his but failing miserably because there weren’t possibilities that he could ignore Hakyeon and his presence.
He also smelled good, he noticed. It was really annoying, especially because the smell was kind of addicting, it was fresh and a little fruity, almost girly like the ones Wonshik’s sister liked to wear but less nauseating and more pleasant. ( And it wasn’t because he was being biased, it just smelled better, okay. )
Hakyeon snorted a little, a dry laugh escaping his lips and his eyes opening to narrow in a significant glare.
« We aren't really on good terms, they have disowned me years ago. »

Well, that was shocking.
Wonshik’s fingers stopped and he gaped at the older, jaw slack and features full of disbelief; he was almost waiting for a ‘joking’ told between laughter but instead he was met with a resigned look and lips pressed in a tight line.
« Why? », the younger crooked out, still incredulous.
There was something so wrong in those words; Wonshik was so used to his standard family ( composed by a chaotic older sister, a nagging mother, a carefree father and two weird dogs ) that the idea of Hakyeon, the optimistic and always cheerful boy, actually not having a family was absurd. Absurd in the ‘how can it even happen’ kind of way.

« They are a little narrow minded » he started, quiet and hesitant, « always been » he added, as an afterthought. His fingers had started drawing patterns on Wonshik’s hoodie, tracing lightly the swell of his pecks and dipping down towards his stomach.
It was distracting, to say the least, Wonshik found really difficult to concentrate on the bottle, right now. 
« And I wasn’t the perfect son, so they kind of started giving me a hard time; cutting off allowance and forcing me to drop out of dancing classes when I was sixteen. », he sighed again at that, fingers trading with the hem of Wonshik’s shirt. « I really liked to dance, you know? My mother started taking me there when I was eight, since she lacked a daughter she decided to put me in ballets shoes, I really enjoyed it, though. »
He shrugged, sighing again and ugh, he really should stop.

«  Then at sixteen, they decided I was too grown up to ‘twirl around in tights’, so they started denying me one of my favourite hobbies. I really miss dancing, I still dance in my room when Jaehwan is out. » he grinned sheepishly, patting Wonshik’s stomach.
« They let me continue until that age mostly because I was fairly good, you know? I won some competitions but then I lost one in Japan and they forced me to hang my shoes. »

He took a pause, knitting his brows in concentration before continuing with a slight heavier tone, voice full of something akin to regret.
« My teacher was so kind, he let me practice alone when the room was free, even if I couldn’t pay, he said that I had the talent to become someone », here it came another sigh ( and another shudder from Wonshik ) « Seems like he was wrong after all, I had to stop dancing when my parents disowned me, four years ago », he scrubbed his face with his hands, lifting his head to send a little glance at the younger before fixing his gaze on the surface of the counter. « Actually I wasn’t disowned for dancing or my little acts of rebellion, it was other things that brought them to do it. »

« What kind of things? I mean, you weren’t a drug dealer or something, right? » Wonshik sometimes tried really hard to lighten a little the atmosphere; his hand left the waist of the waiter to form small comforting circles on his back.

« Don’t be ridiculous, I went directly into human trafficking . »

For a while, just a while, Wonshik’s sense of humor failed greatly and he actually looked horrified and utterly shocked; then he regained a little bit of common sense and managed to sputter a quick laugh.
Hakyeon seemed pleased of his ( not so ) well made joke.

« All joking aside, it was something else more », he hesitates, looking at Wonshik for a brief moment. « personal. »
He took a deep breath and turned to face the younger, startling him with the sudden proximity of their faces. ( Hakyeon’s eyes were a nice shade of brown from that distance, or any distance. )

« I like guys, Wonshik. »

The words came out heavy and almost whispered, as if Hakyeon was afraid of them. It was comprehensible, after all , there still was the possibility of rejection and seeing Wonshik disgusted of him would have been quite devastating. Sure, he had been fortunate to find people like Jaehwan and Taekwoon ( and even Jongdae, even if ‘fortunate’ was an exaggeration ) that didn’t care about other people’s preferences but there still was inside of him, the fear of rejection. Especially from Wonshik because, yeah, he liked the kid. 

Hakyeon was really confused ( and quite scared ) by the emotions on Wonshik’s face.
The boy had blinked rapidly, his mouth opening and making him appear a little dumb(er) with his jaw slacked like that ( the waiter was sure it had cracked at some point. ) Then he had proceeded to arch his brows and then knitting them in visible confusion.

« That’s stupid », Wonshik’s voice sounded a little harsher than usual, making it dip a little lower and coming out almost like a grumble. His hand gripped tighter at the older boy’s waist, in a slightly possessive way that Hakyeon liked way too much.
« You don’t mind that I like boys? », he asked, voice slightly trembling and disbelieving as if waiting for a negative reaction.

Just the second time he repeated it, Wonshik actually processed what it actually meant ( he was usually clever but he was breathing Hakyeon and touching Hakyeon and hearing Hakyeon, so his brain was half working and half gushing over the older boy).
Cha Hakyeon was gay.
Quoting literally: ‘I like boys’.
And Wonshik was a boy.
So Hakyeon liked Wonshik.
( And Wonshik never failed being delusional. )
 
« That’s awesome! ».
He was supposed to say that in his mind, not out loud and with that bright tone and he would have liked to bang his head against the counter, right now. « I mean, that you confessed it to me, yeah. »
At least, he got Hakyeon to smile, cheeks reddening a little in sheer joy and hand coming up to cover his wide smile. Still, the bright eyes directed to Wonshik didn’t fail to make him stutter.

« I’m so glad, for a moment I thought you would have been disgusted. »

Wonshik hoped that the older never connected his sudden happiness to the fact that he stood a chance with Cha Hakyeon. Or maybe he hoped for it? And maybe that the older even liked him? Was that too much to hope for? Maybe yes.
« Why should I? » he shrugged, squeezing comfortingly the elder’s waist. « I have a friend that fancies anything that breathes. Hongbin is disgusting, not you, you’re perfect. »

He should have fixed his brain-mouth filter a long time ago.
That was meant to stay in his mind, damn it.
If Hakyeon was red before, now he was practically glowing, ears and cheekbones of a deep shade of red and a smile that was stretched so wide to seem quite painful; and he was laughing loudly, his hand smacking quite harshly on Wonshik’s chest.
« Wasn’t he the perfect one? »

« No, he is so perfect it’s boring » he denied, scratching his cheek to feign a confidence he didn’t have. If you want to compliment him, that’s the right moment, Wonshk.
« You’re the right shade of perfection, hyung. »

Another thing to add on the list of ‘Wonshik can’t ing think before talking and he would really like a hole to disappear in right now’.
Because the boy really wanted to evaporate, especially if Hakyeon kept looking at him with that amused and quite dumb looking face.
( He was still cute, though ).
« And I should stop talking before I say something else incredibly embarrassing. Ignore me, I’ve been diagnosed with word vomit, it’s critic, I’m terminally ill. »

Hakyeon laughed whole heartedly and placed an hand on the other’s shoulder, giving him the softest smile Wonshik had ever seen and that he was sure he wouldn’t be able to see again, because, judging from his heart’s increasing heartbeat, he was gonna have an heart attack in a few seconds.
« The only illness you have is adorableness, Wonshik, and I really like it. »

Well, we're making progress, aren't we?

Sorry for the late update: school + long chapter + holidays = lack of time.
Hope this is good enough to make up for it. ; ;

Thank you, Marti, again. < 3
( And you readers too. ♡ )