Oh my gosh, so this idea came to me last week and I thought, "Oh hey, this'll be a cute little one-shot."

8200+ words later, I have now decided to post this as a two-shot.

Why has Myungyeol done this to me???

Enjoy my foray back into the fanfiction realm!

“I got a boy meotjin! I got a boy chakhan! I got a boy, handsome boy, Naemam da gajyeo gan...” Sungyeol continued humming along with Girls Generation through his headphones, as he continued to draw out the border on his Large Print graphics assignment. He continued drawing with his Intuos Pen, watching as the swirls appeared in a bright sky blue on his billboard design. As much as he was enjoying his Large Print Advertising class, the file size continued to kick the of every computer he tried to work Photoshop in.

Hence how the third year Graphics Design major found himself in the shared computer lab on the same floor as both the Graphics and Photography departments. Since both programs were considered by the university as “visual arts”, university staff had the brilliant idea of having the two share a computer lab, with each computer fully-equipped with the latest and greatest Photoshop Program Suite. Great idea in planning, not so much in execution-- Sungyeol and his fellow majors had found quickly that the Photography majors were territorial about the lab, leaving the Graphics students unwelcome and left to do their designs on their own software.

Sungyeol usually avoiding the lab at all costs; hell, Sungyeol usually left campus as soon as his last class finished on Thursday morning. Although Sungyeol was lucky enough to end up with only four days of classes a week, as a third year, he found that his Fridays were filled with finalizing and finessing his design assignments and (trying) to get ahead as much as he could. Of  course, he did still find his own ways of having fun… more on that later.

Sungyeol let out a sigh as he pulled his glasses from his face, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He pushed his long bangs out of his face and placed his glasses back on his nose. He had been staring at the computer since he got out of class at one thirty that afternoon. It was slowly creeping towards five o’clock. As much as he wanted to leave and go home, his laptop couldn’t handle the file size of his assignment. Thus, Sungyeol found himself in “enemy territory”, curled up on the corner computer, trying to finish his billboard assignment as quick as he could before the latest Photography class let out.

The loud voices that began to muffle Taeyeon’s soprano through his headphones let him know that he misjudged his timing. Sungyeol cursed silently under his breath, trying to quickly make the final swirls to complete his design before any of those voices made their way into the lab.

No such luck. A small group of boys, led by the coldest jerk-of-them-all, made their way into the lab. Sungyeol just hunched over his Intuos tablet and prayed that they wouldn’t notice him.

A hand coming to a swift rest next to his elbow proved to him otherwise. “You’re in my seat.”

Sungyeol looked up and was greeted by a devilish smirk on the face of one Kim Myungsoo. Sungyeol had to admit, the boy had a nice face; the unfortunate part was, he knew it too. Kim Myungsoo, with his cold demeanor, yet charming smirks and dimples, had the entire Photography department in the palm of his hand. Despite only being a second-year, his seniors praised the boy for his technique and eye for detail, while those in his year and below, looked up to him in awe.

Sungyeol scoffed. Who did this kid think he was, talking down to an older student? And who the hell has an assigned seat in a freaking computer lab?

“I don’t think you heard me,” the Photography major said. “You’re in my seat. That means move, Graphics major.”

“I don’t think you realize that this is a shared lab,” Sungyeol bit back, keeping his eye on the monitor as he finished the final final on the border. “I have just as much right to use it.”

The other boys in the room got quiet, observing the quickly escalating tension in the room. Myungsoo seemed to crack slightly, Sungyeol noticed-- oh ho, the Ice Prince does have emotions-- but quickly, pulled back on his dimpled smirk. Sungyeol continued to ignore him, quickly beginning the saving process.

“Maybe you think you do,” the younger threatened, lowering his voice. “However, with you being outnumbered and all, that fact seems debateable.”

“Oh my ing lord,” Sungyeol groaned, unplugging his tablet as his file finished saving to his Dropbox account. “Who would have thought the little second-year, Photography Prince would be so territorial over a ing computer?” He turned his head to face Myungsoo as he finished putting the tablet securely in his backpack.

Sungyeol almost missed the glare that formed on Myungsoo face, one he quickly hid as his ice-prince facade returned. “Oh look, the Graphics monkey thinks he’s tough. How precious.”

Fatigue finally hitting him hard, Sungyeol couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. “Look, you ing prick, you and your little Photography goons don’t own this lab. And learn some ing respect when you talk to a senior!”

The photographer scoffed. “Respect? For a Graphics monkey? Don’t make me laugh!”

“You know what? you, kid!” Sungyeol threw his backpack over his shoulder, pushing Myungsoo along the way with his hip, and stomped out of the lab. He didn’t even care about the deep-bass chuckle he heard following his exit.

~*~

“Seriously, who the made them kings of the ing visual arts floor?!” Sungyeol screeched, falling back on the couch in frustration.

Sungyeol’s roommate, Dongwoo, stared at him from behind the kitchen counter. “Isn’t it true though that most graphics majors don’t even go there? I mean, they do use the lab more from what you tell me.” He took a measuring cup from the cupboard behind him and began pouring rice from the bag.

“Who’s side are you on anyway?” Sungyeol wailed, sitting up in dismay. “You’re my roommate; you should side with me!”

“I’m just saying,” Dongwoo replied, placing a hand up in surrender.

“Just because we don’t have  to use that lab for all our work, doesn’t mean we still can’t be in there,” Sungyeol said.

Dongwoo nodded. “OK, true. But, did you really have to explode on them?”

“Ice Prince was being an though!”

“Fine, fine, fine!” Dongwoo sighed, pouring the rice into the cooker and setting the cook time. He left their small kitchen and plopped down on the couch with Sungyeol. “Wait, tell me again; who is Ice Prince?”

Sungyeol grabbed the throw pillow underneath him and squeezed it, letting out a long groan. “That ing second-year, arrogant prick, Kim Myungsoo!”

“Isn’t that the guy you said was amazingly hot? ‘Chiseled by the gods’, if I remember correctly?”

Sungyeol promptly threw the pillow in Dongwoo’s face. The older boy struggled, as Sungyeol began beating him with the pillow, trying to silence the squeals of ‘Love spat! Love spat!’ Sungyeol gave up, removing the pillow from Dongwoo’s face, and moving back to his original end of the couch.

“It’s just ing annoying,” Sungyeol said. “Trust me, if I could have done it on my laptop, I would have. Why the hell am I being punished for actually doing my ing work?”

“Don’t worry about it Yeol,” Dongwoo said, patting the older boy’s knee. “Just relax; after all, it is Thursday. You’re coming to see me tonight at work, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it. I need it after this afternoon,” the younger sighed.

Dongwoo stood up, his wide smile returning to his face. “Awesome. I’m going to get ready. You just chill; go watch that drama episode you have saved on the DVR.” With that, the older turned, walking into his own bedroom to get ready for work.

Dongwoo was one year older than Sungyeol, but they treated each other as best friends. When Sungyeol was looking for his own place after moving to Seoul from his hometown, he found an ad for a roommate at the coffee shop near campus. He gave the number from the flyer a call, met a wild-eyed, crazy-dyed-hair boy with a bright smile, and the rest was history.

Dongwoo never finished his college education; he went to school for a year before realizing that his true passion was dance and teaching. He took a job as a full-time dance instructor during the week at a school a few blocks away from their apartment. Deciding that wasn’t enough and after hearing from one of his students about a new club opening a few districts away from them, Dongwoo applied on a whim for a bartending job, and surprised himself and Sungyeol by getting immediately hired. It may be a bit of a commute back and forth, but it was only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, plus the tips were substantial.  

Sungyeol stopped in a few weeks after Dongwoo had started just to get a feel for the place. He never was much of a club-goer, but he made the extra effort for his roommate, switching out his glasses for the contacts he had stored in the medicine cabinet, and styling his long bangs up and out of his face. The place wasn’t too crowded and the ambiance much more subdued than most clubs he pictured. Yes, it was crowded, but the music didn’t overpower the conversation and people could still mingle.

It was soon after that night that Sungyeol found his escape. One Thursday, after a particularly rough midterm, Sungyeol came into the club, intent on forgetting all about his professors and his grades and his workload for one night. He threw back a couple shots and proceeded to dance until he felt the urge for one more beer and venting to his best friend over it. Dongwoo played his role as the caring and counseling barkeep, as Sungyeol drunkenly berated his professor and the exam itself and even his lucky pencil that decided to break an hour before the exam-- how could it do that to me, Woo???

Despite his hangover the next morning, Sungyeol found himself feeling much better. Now it had worked itself into a routine: every Thursday and Friday night (only two days of the week; he did have to study at least ONE night), Sungyeol would shed his quiet, studious ways, change out his glasses, make himself look hot, and proceed to dance and drink that week away. Plus, he had no qualms about seeing anyone he knew because of the distance the club was from their apartment and the university. To Sungyeol, it was the perfect escape.

A hand suddenly grabbed his leg that was draped over-top the couch. “OK Yeol, I’m off. See you in a few hours?” Dongwoo said, glancing down at the younger.

“Yeah,” Sungyeol sighed. “I’ll eat and relax here for a bit. Be there later.”

“All right,” Dongwoo replied, his mother-hen side surfacing. “I already have the rice going and my mom brought over some sides this morning. Don’t you dare order in!”  

“I won’t, geez!! Go to work!”

Dongwoo giggled as he wandered out of the apartment.

~*~

Sungyeol tipped his glass back, as he finished the last drops of the drink in his hand. He set the glass back down at the bar, letting out a satisfied sigh, and turned around to take a glance out over the club floor. For a Thursday night, the club had quite a few people. The lights were dim, with the colored lamps on the dance floor occasionally sweeping over the bar area. Bodies swarmed the dance floor, losing themselves in a heavy club beat. Sungyeol enjoyed the atmosphere; a party-like vibe, with the music loud and the drinks flowing, but the laughter and cheers of the crowd around him helped Sungyeol feel the stress of his week melt away. He forgot all about his assignments, the few designs he had to work on over the weekend… he especially forgot about one certain raven-haired, of a second-year who continued to believe he owned the visual arts floor.

A few girls passed by Sungyeol, probably on their way to the dance floor, but not without giving him a glance and wink along the way. Sungyeol may not have been interested in that necessarily, but it was nice knowing that he succeeded once again in making himself look hot. He traded his usual black-rimmed glasses for contacts, making his large doe eyes prominent on his face, even going one step further and outlining them with some eyeliner. His long bangs were gelled up and out of his face, putting the moles along his cheek and neck on display. He had on a pair of dark washed skinny jeans, making his long, long legs look even longer, complete with a white v-neck, leather jacket and lace-up combat  boots. This was Sungyeol’s night to go wild and enjoyed the complete 180 he could pull off every week.

“Yeol! Hellooooo!”

Turning around, Sungyeol caught Dongwoo’s grinning face from behind the bar. “Sorry Woo.”

“It’s fine,” Dongwoo said. “Not feeling like going out on the floor tonight?”

Sungyeol shook his head, pushing his stool closer to the bar once more. “Nah. I just feel like sitting and drinking tonight. I’ll probably save everyone out there from my crazy dancing until tomorrow.” He smirked to himself, knowing just how ridiculous he could get after a few drinks were in him.

Dongwoo let out a laugh. “I see, I see. You at least feeling better?” Sungyeol nodded silently. “Good, you were pretty tense when I left earlier.”

“Yeah, I know. That ing Kim Myungsoo just gets under my skin sometimes. I’m good now; don’t worry about me.”

“Mkay. Ready for another round?”

Sungyeol smirked, holding out his empty glass enthusiastically. “Yes, please!” Dongwoo giggled once again and walked off to make the drink.

Sungyeol turned around once more to look into the crowd again. He let out a contented sigh and leaned his back against the bar.

“Come here often?”

Why the hell am I hearing that Ice Prince’s voice now? Sungyeol thought, turning to face the newcomer, then promptly had to hold back from jumping from his stool. , , , , !

Standing right in front of him was none other than Kim Myungsoo himself. The boy had his raven hair tousled and his bangs pushed out of his face, but Sungyeol recognized those dark eyes and that dimpled smirk immediately. Sungyeol held his gaze and stayed quiet, waiting for the younger boy to let out whatever comment he had at the ready. After a minute though, the younger just shifted from one foot to the other and said, “I’m sorry, did you hear me?”

Sungyeol sat perfectly still. Does he really not recognize me? Sure his glasses were a little big on his face, and ok, maybe he was a little anti-social on campus, but seriously? The two of them had just had a screaming match hours ago and this kid can’t even see the same face?!

The staring contest between the two was broken as Dongwoo returned, drink in hand. “Here you are Yeol!”

Sungyeol snapped out of his silence, taking the offered drink. “Thanks.”

Dongwoo glanced over to Myungsoo, who still had his gaze on Sungyeol’s face. “And you made a friend! Hi there, I’m Dongwoo, your friendly bartender and Sungyeol’s roommate.”

! Sungyeol’s eyes widened. Well , if he didn’t recognize me before…

“Ah, so your name’s Sungyeol?” Myungsoo said, finally turning his gaze to Dongwoo. “And hey there Dongwoo. Nice to meet you; I’m Myungsoo.”

Dongwoo cocked his head, letting out another laugh. “Myungsoo, huh? Better be careful around Sungyeollie here; he’s a bit hot-headed around people named Myungsoo!” Sungyeol’s head shot up and he curled his lip in a snarl at his roommate; Dongwoo let out a giggle. “OK, back to work for me! Let me know if you two need anything.”

As the older boy walked to the other side of the bar, Sungyeol dropped his face in his hand and let out an audible groan. it all; you have got to be kidding me right now. He picked his head back up and glanced over at the younger boy, still perched in the stool next to him. Myungsoo’s eyes had returned to his face, as though he was studying it. Sungyeol prepared himself for the eventual moment when the boy would begin the inevitable argument between them.

“You never answered my question before.”

“What?” Sungyeol placed his hand around his glass, glancing at the younger next to him.

“Do you come here often?” Myungsoo repeated, inching closer to Sungyeol’s stool.

Sungyeol bristled, still not quite sure what was happening in this moment. Did Kim Myungsoo really not recognize him? Granted the two weren’t exactly mortal enemies, but today’s argument was not the first exchange between them. He finally decided to it and run with whatever strange situation he now found himself in. “Yes, I do,” he replied. “As you saw, the bartender’s my roommate, so I come out here during some of his shifts. It’s cool; I can hang out with him at the bar, he gives me extra drinks when his manager’s not looking, and if I had a bad week, I can drink and dance the night away.”

“I see,” Myungsoo said. He broke eye contact, much to Sungyeol’s relief, and glanced out around the club. “I’ve never been out here. This is kind of far from where I live, but my brother and his boyfriend wanted to try it out, so they dragged me along.”

Sungyeol snorted. “Do you really have no friends that you have to be dragged out to a club by your brother?”

Myungsoo broke out into a bashful smile, something that Sungyeol didn’t even know the boy was capable of. “OK wow, that really sounded lame.” He let out a small chuckle, as he ran a hand sheepishly along the back of his neck-- when the hell did he get to be this dorky and cute? Sungyeol wondered.

Myungsoo let out a sigh and returned his gaze back to Sungyeol with that same dorky, bashful grin. “So I kind of have this reputation in my major. I’m seen as some sort of savant, I guess, in it.” Sungyeol let out a snort without meaning to. “No seriously!” Myungsoo said, laying a hand along the edge of the bar in front of him. “I mean, I love what I do. I’m a Photography major and I’ve wanted to study it since I was a kid. So after first year finished and everyone saw the skills I had, suddenly everyone in the department was talking to me and asking for advice, wanting to hang out with me, blah, blah, blah. As nice as all the attention was, no one really wanted to know about me; they all have this image of me being this cool photographer with an eye for artistic vision and whatnot. I don’t really have that many friends.”

Sungyeol just stared at the boy next to him. What creature has taken over Kim Myungsoo’s body that he is now this adorably awkward kid? Is he playing me?

Myungsoo let out a breath and rubbed his neck again. “Wow, that might have been a bit much. Sorry; I already had one round at the table with my brother and it’s hitting me harder than I thought.”

Sungyeol ran his hand along his glass, finally picking it up for a sip. “It’s fine,” he replied. “That’s what coming out and drinking is for, right? Venting to the bartender or some stranger and going home feeling better.”

Myungsoo smiled brightly, having finally gotten Sungyeol into the conversation. “Exactly! I’m so glad you said that. I don’t feel like I freaked you out as much now.”

Sungyeol felt a small laugh leave his lips-- he couldn’t help it. How the hell was the Ice Prince so damn cute? “So, you said you’re not from this area?”

Myungsoo shook his head. “Yeah, I live with my brother and kinda with his boyfriend too-- Woohyun’s staying with us so freaking much-- but we live two districts over, near my university. Woohyun was raving about this place because he heard about it from a customer at his restaurant and my brother just can’t refuse him.”

“Gotcha,” Sungyeol replied. “Well, as you saw earlier, that giggly bartender is my roommate. I needed a place to unwind after class some days, so when he got the job here, seemed like the perfect fit. We’re a little farther out too, but I like the vibe here.”

“So how often are you here exactly?” Myungsoo asked, inching just a little closer.

Sungyeol noticed, but didn’t shy away this time. “Usually on Thursdays and Fridays. I’m done with classes on Thursday, so I let out my stress then and come out Friday just to have one more day of fun.”

Myungsoo hummed in understanding. “So, hypothetically, if I were to come out again, I’d probably see you?”

“Hypothetically, yes,” Sungyeol replied. “Why? Interested in me?”

Myungsoo smirked, very similar to the devilish grin Sungyeol was more familiar with. “I might be.”

~*~    

It was Monday and Sungyeol was still confused about what the hell had happened last week. First, he sees this kiddish, dorky, awkward side to the charismatic Kim Myungsoo, but the boy also semi-confesses to being interested in him. Oh yeah, there was also that whole thing about Myungsoo not realizing that this Sungyeol from the club is the same Lee Sungyeol, who is so lovingly called Graphics Monkey by him every time the two cross paths.

Sungyeol sighed and just shook his head. Why was this bothering him so much anyway? Myungsoo showed up one time, one time, at his favorite club. They had a weird conversation, but the kid didn’t even realize they knew each other. Why did he care about the boy? It’s not like they were going to be seeing each other again.

Pushing his glasses back up his nose, Sungyeol readjusted his laptop on his lap, as he continued searching through a stock photo database. He had a three hour gap between his classes on Mondays, and with the sunlight streaming in through the windows, he had perched himself in one of the many alcove seats in the visual arts wing to kill time.

Another student wandered passed his alcove, camera in-hand. One of the photography classes must be having a lab right now, because this was the fifth student Sungyeol had seen so far. He popped his earbud back in as he focused on his work for a little while longer. After another half hour, Sungyeol finally put his laptop to sleep and moved his legs down from the ledge, taking his headphones out as he turned.

“ing hell, you moved!”

Sungyeol quickly glanced up, recognizing Myungsoo’s all-too-familiar voice nearby. He stuffed his laptop in his bag. “What are you whining about?”

Myungsoo glared at him, standing just a few feet away, his-- expensive, Sungyeol noticed-- camera, in his hand. “You ruined my shot, Graphics Monkey!”

Are you ing kidding me? I’m back to this stupid . He slipped his bag over his shoulder and stood up. “Oh shut up; it’s not like the furniture’s going to shift because I moved.”

“You would never understand,” Myungsoo huffed. “It must be nice for you graphics majors, getting to use all our hard work in your little designs. You have no idea what it takes to get you that shot.”

“Are you questioning my design skills?” Sungyeol argued back. The arrogance of this kid!

Myungsoo snorted. “What skills? You take my images, my work, and just arrange it, maybe give it a pretty border or outline. Who’s doing the real work there?”

Sungyeol was seeing red, but he bit his cheek, trying to keep his full anger at bay. “You have got to be ing kidding me! Sure, I may be using your little pictures, as you so kindly pointed out, but who the hell are you to say that what I do doesn’t take some sort of creative planning and vision? Is your head so high up your own that you think photography is the only true creative art? Let me tell you, your warped arrogance doesn’t make you look cultured; you look like a pretentious and I cannot wait for the day when someone knocks your arrogant right out from under you. Hell, I would love for it to be someone in my major, just to see you eat your own !”

Sungyeol took a deep breath, glaring right back into Myungsoo’s eyes. The other boy’s expression was intense, yet Sungyeol could see some emotions: anger still, shock at the older boy’s outburst, maybe a slight hint of intimidation? At this point though, Sungyeol didn’t give a rat’s about how the younger felt. He grabbed onto the strap of his bag and quickly left the alcove.

~*~

Thursday night rolled around and Sungyeol was still angry about his encounter with Myungsoo. He may not have been as livid as he was the first 48 hours after his confrontation with the photography major, but he could definitely hold a grudge. At this point, he let the image of the awkward, dorky Myungsoo leave his mind; there was no way in hell that Kim Myungsoo of all people had a shy, adorable side like that to him. The boy had obviously been playing him; hell, he probably knew exactly who he was talking to that night.

Sungyeol slammed his glass on the bar a tad too hard. Dongwoo happened to stop right in front of him at that moment. “Seriously Yeol, already?”

“Shut up and get me another, Woo. I’m really not in the mood.”

Dongwoo stood in front of his roommate, throwing the towel he had been wiping the bar with over his shoulder. “Are you still pissed about what that Myungsoo kid said to you on Monday?”

Sungyeol started, staring at Dongwoo incredulously. “Of course I am! Dongwoo, how the hell could I not be? The kid just belittled the entire industry that I want to be a part of! He basically compared what I do to an elementary schooler taking a piece of Clip Art and putting onto their little essay cover pages. Do you realize how insulting that is?!”

Dongwoo visibly started. “Look, I’m not saying I agree with him; it was an incredibly rude thing to say--”

“No, more like -ish!”

“--Regardless, you shouldn’t be dwelling on it!” the bartender finally snapped. “Yeol, it’s been over three days! You haven’t crossed paths with the guy since then-- from the sounds of it, I highly doubt you will-- but put it out of your mind.” Sungyeol opened his mouth, ready to protest. “NOPE! I’m not saying forget it; I’m saying don’t let it ruin your night. You’re out here, you’re all hot and done up; forget about the Ice Prince and let go tonight, got it?”

Sungyeol relaxed his shoulders and laid his arms on the bar. “You’re right. Who the cares what Kim Myungsoo thinks? He’s just a ing prick anyway!” A wide gummy smile started forming on Sungyeol’s face.

Dongwoo’s characteristic grin appeared as well, seeing his roommate’s demeanor light up.”Ok, good. I’ll be right back.” He grabbed Sungyeol’s empty glass and went off to the other end of the bar.

Sungyeol took a couple deep breaths, trying his best to calm his adrenaline-pumped heart. Yes, Dongwoo was right; tonight was all about him. Not the Lee Sungyeol who was passionate about his design and wanted to succeed with his studies-- that boy could wait until Saturday to return-- but the hot, charismatic Lee Sungyeol, whose model-like appearance, upswept hair, alluring eyes, and brilliant smile, could charm the pants off of anyone in this club. Hell, with how he was feeling, that might be a good way to get the edge off.

Dongwoo returned, two glasses in hand, handing the brightly colored glass to Sungyeol. As the younger gave him a strange look, the bartender smirked, “I told my boss you had a rough week and he’s letting me toast with you. Calm down, it’s just water.” Sungyeol tilted his glass towards his roommate, ready to go. “So, what are we toasting? To not giving two flying s about anything?”

Sungyeol grinned, sitting up proudly. He clinked his glass with Dongwoo, screaming out, “More like, ‘ you Kim Myungsoo’!”

“As nice as that would be, you should really buy me a drink first.”

ING HELL! Sungyeol screamed internally. Dongwoo giggled at the retort, slightly impressed with the raven-haired boy’s wit. Sungyeol visibly stiffened over his drink. “The are you doing here?”

“Sungyeol!” Dongwoo hissed. The taller boy ignored him.

Not catching the venom in Sungyeol’s words, Myungsoo continued to give his dimpled smirk. “Missed me?” He scooted his stool minutely closer to Sungyeol, oblivious to the other boy’s tense gaze.

“Like hell,” Sungyeol retorted. Dongwoo promptly smacked his arm. “Ouch! What?!”

Dongwoo fixed an intense gaze on his roommate. “Quit being rude!”

“Whatever,” Sungyeol pouted, moving his abused arm back to his side.

Dongwoo gave the boy one last look, before turning to the newcomer. “Hello again Myungsoo! Can I get you something?”

“Just a beer, thanks Dongwoo,” the younger replied, as the bartender walked off to fetch the drink.

Myungsoo turned back to the tall boy, giving him a quick once-over. “I’m glad you’re here. I was hoping to see you again.”

Sungyeol huffed over his drink. “Well, you saw me.”

The younger boy’s smirk turned into an awkward giggle again. He still hadn’t seemed to pick up on the other’s semi-obvious ire. “Exactly. So how’ve you been?”

“Oh, just peachy!” Sungyeol managed to hold a groan, but just barely. What the hell kind of game was this kid playing? Could he not tell that his presence was not wanted?

Myungsoo glanced back at the tall boy, seeming to finally noticed the tension throughout the older’s body. “Are you ok? You look upset…”

Sungyeol finally couldn’t take the boy’s two-sided personality anymore; if this kid was playing him, Sungyeol was putting a stop to it now.”You know what? I am! Maybe because certain s in my life keep popping up and not realizing when they are clearly unwanted!”

The younger boy moved back slightly, now nervous. “I’m sorry; did I do some--”

Sungyeol turned, facing the frightened Myungsoo straight-on. “Look, I think it’s pretty obvious who the people are that I do and do not want to be around at the moments. And honestly, all I want to do now is finish my drink and get into that crowd of people to forget about certain asses that keep finding their way back to me!”       

“Myungsoo, here’s your drink.”

The younger boy broke the stare with the taller, turning to face Dongwoo. “Right, um, I actually have to go. Thanks anyway.” With that, the raven-haired boy jumped off the stool and made quick steps towards the exit.

Dongwoo placed the untouched drink in front of him, turning to face the tall boy. “What the hell was that?”

Sungyeol looked up, seemingly calmer with the other boy gone. “What? He’s gone; big whoop.”

Dongwoo pushed the drink to the side, leaning even closer to Sungyeol. “Did you just blow up on that boy because of your issues with that other prick? Sungyeol, seriously?!”

“You don’t get it, Dongwoo!” the taller bit back. “He IS that prick. He is Kim Myungsoo, the second-year, the Ice Prince, the stupid photographer!”

Dongwoo stared at Sungyeol, incredulously. “Are you ing serious right now?”

“Do you think I could make this up?!” Sungyeol screeched. “He saw me in here last week, chatted me up, and doesn’t even realize that I’m the one whose life’s work he’s ted on the entire semester!”

Dongwoo blinked and took a moment to compose himself behind the bar. “Wait, so he has no idea that you two go to the same university and that the same guy he’s been getting into screaming matches with on campus, is also the one he’s been making moon-eyes at over the bar here?” Dongwoo asked, shock still evident in his tone.

Sungyeol sighed. Finally, someone else sees this madness! “YES, that’s it! At first, I thought he was trying to play some joke, but he seriously has no idea who I am, Woo.”

“Huh, interesting.”

The taller took a sip of his drink. “I don’t get it. I thought I was the one with a weird, double life, but this guy… it’s like he’s two different people. Arrogant photographer by day, adorable, dorky boy by night.”

Dongwoo smirked. “So, you mean like your perfect mirror image?” Sungyeol visibly bristled, staring back into Dongwoo’s smirk with disgust. “Maybe you two are more alike than you thought.”

Sungyeol groaned, running a hand through his hair, slightly undoing some of the hold of the gel. Suddenly, something the other boy had said came back to his mind. “What the hell do you mean ‘moon eyes’?”

Dongwoo smirked. “Please Sungyeol. I may be across the bar half the time, but it’s so painfully obvious. Myungsoo watches you… closely. And even when you two are looking at each other, he gets this even goofier look in his eyes. Trust me, Yeol; that boy is interested, and not just in whatever you two talk about. He’s interested in you.”

Sungyeol dropped his head to the bar. “Dear Lord, I must be drunk. I’m imagining you saying something the most ridiculous things right now!” Dongwoo started giggling, and Sungyeol moved to punch the older boy over the bar, missing by a hair. “Get away from me and go back to work!”

The older boy continued giggling, his cackles getting a little louder as he got further away. Sungyeol shook his head in disbelief. Kim Myungsoo? Interested in me? What fresh hell is this?

~*~

Sungyeol’s Friday may have been a day off from class, but that just meant he made a fortress of design books, his sketchpads, his Intous pad, and his laptop in the living room, drawing out the figures needed for his classes on Monday and Tuesday. Both him and Dongwoo slept in on Fridays, but both boys were up by late morning, Dongwoo to head off to his dance school, while Sungyeol started his study-binge. The day passed quickly, and Sungyeol soon found himself back at the club, watching Dongwoo mix drinks in front of some middle-aged women, who were not-so-subtly checking out his arms as he swirled the martini shaker in his hand.

Sungyeol rubbed his forehead, feeling a spot where he had dabbed just a little too much hair gel. He always forgot how much lighter his face felt once he pulled his bangs off his face and wasn’t balancing the weight of his glasses on his nose. If only he didn’t feel so lazy in the mornings (or more like not wanting to sacrifice his alone time with his morning coffee), maybe he could carry this style over when he went to class. Although judging by the current double-identity he found he could pull off, everyone just may think he was a transfer student and not the quiet Lee Sungyeol, who usually had his face down in his design books and/or laptop.

Sungyeol let out a wry chuckle as he took a sip of his cocktail. Dongwoo loved trying samples out on him and Sungyeol could feel just how strong this one was-- it was ing delicious, but the bartender may be having to pull Sungyeol off of the dance floor later if he fed Sungyeol too many more. He ed the sleeves of his shirt and rolled them up to his elbows, then proceeded to the top two buttons of his navy shirt; the alcohol in that drink was already making him feel hot and he wasn’t even doing anything.

A body soon placed itself in the stool to Sungyeol’s right. Sungyeol glanced over out of the corner of his eye and flinched. Oh boy, he’s back.

Sure enough, Kim Myungsoo sat in the stool beside him, cautiously glancing at the taller boy, all while trying to not be obvious. Sungyeol felt his heart flutter ever so slightly; had he really hurt that boy so much the night before?

Just when the unspoken tension between the two became unbearable to Sungyeol any longer, he was saved by the appearance of his roommate. “Myungsoo, hey! What can I get for you tonight?”

The younger boy glanced at Sungyeol’s profile once more-- the taller found it adorable for some reason-- and stuttered. “Um, I’m not really sure. Do you have anything you recommend?”

Dongwoo’s small grin widened to his usual brilliant smile. “You bet! We have a specialty drink we’re trying out tonight. How about one of those?” At the younger boy’s nod, the bartender walked off to his station.    

There was a beat of silence and Sungyeol could not hold it in any longer. Why am I so compelled to talk to him right now? The taller boy breathed in deep. “Watch out for these so-called ‘specialty drinks’.” He said wearily, trying to gauge if the younger would talk to him.

Myungsoo seemed to have the same hesitation, but turned his head to face the taller boy. “Really? Why?”

Sungyeol picked up his glass and took a sip nervously. Thank God his hand didn’t shake; that would have ruined his ‘cool image’. “They may look fruity and girly, but they are kicking my . Don’t let him talk you into too many.”

“Point taken,” Myungsoo replied. “Thanks.”

Dongwoo returned, an identical drink to the one in front of Sungyeol, in-hand. “Here you are. Anything else I can get you?”

Myungsoo shook his head and the bartender turned to walk away, but not without giving a warning look to his roommate. Having his roommate make another scene with this boy was the last thing Dongwoo wanted to deal with. The two boys remained silent, looking over their drinks, meanwhile also sneaking glances at the boy beside them.

“Look, I’m sorry.”

Myungsoo raised his head, looking over at the older boy. “Um, thanks. I mean, I don’t know what I did to you to--”

“It wasn’t something you did,” Sungyeol broke in. Technically, it was, but I don’t want to get into that craziness right now. “I was still upset about something that had happened between my classes the other day and I took it out on the wrong person. I shouldn’t have said any of that to you. Myungsoo, I’m really sorry.” The taller boy never thought he would ever say that last sentence in his lifetime.

Myungsoo’s awkward little smile began to creep up on his lips. “Well, I’m just glad I didn’t do something to offend you. I really do like hanging out with you, Sungyeol.”

The butterflies were fluttering again and Sungyeol was starting to feel like it wasn’t the alcohol in his system. “Yeah, well it’s cool having you around, I guess.”

The two boys returned to silence between them, the tense awkwardness immediately gone. Myungsoo took his first sip of his drink and let out a few coughs afterwards. Sungyeol couldn’t hold back a snort. “Oh my God,” the younger said, looking down at the drink. “You weren’t kidding that these things are strong. How many have you had?”

Sungyeol glanced at his glass, taking another sip. “Only my second and I’m already feeling overheated. You may have to keep me from embarrassing myself on the dance floor later.”

“Or I could be right out there with you.”

Sungyeol smirked. “My kind of wingman.” The two raised their glasses in cheers, both taking long drinks.

Myungsoo took a longer swug of his drink, looking over at Sungyeol again. “You mentioned class? Are you still a student?” Sungyeol nodded, taking a drink silently. “What do you study?”

Sungyeol promptly choked on his drink. ing hell! He cleared his throat, hoping the younger just thought the drink was getting to him again. “Uh, I’m in the visual arts department. Graphic Design major.”

“Seriously?!” Sungyeol grit his teeth, waiting for the snarky retort about how Graphics wasn’t an art, blah blah, blah… “That’s so cool!”

The taller boy couldn’t hide his shocked face. “You really think so?”

“Definitely!” Myungsoo continued sipping from his glass, his cheeks already getting a small tint to them from the alcohol. “I mean, I’m a photography major, so I understand the whole creative-art mindset you have to have. With photography though, if I need a certain shot or look or feel, I have to actively search for it or build it, and sometimes I can’t get exactly the vision I want. But you! You can have any creative vision you want and can almost make it from thin air, just exactly how you envisioned it. I’m so jealous of that!!”

Sungyeol’s heart was pounding. There the younger went again, acting the complete opposite of the persona he had in the university corridors; in fact, when did Sungyeol get so positive that this Myungsoo in front of him, with the dorky smile and rosy cheeks, was the real Myungsoo and the Ice Prince he saw four days a week was the persona? “I mean, it doesn’t always turn out exactly how I envision it either…” Sungyeol said, turning away from the enthusiastic younger.

“Oh, don’t be so modest!” Myungsoo said, finishing his first drink and placing the empty glass in front of him. Without even a cue, Dongwoo swooped by, switching out the empty glass for a refill, sending a suggestive wink Sungyeol’s way. Sungyeol snarled at his roommate as the bartender wandered away without a word, only giggles. Myungsoo happily brought the drink up to his lips. “So what year are you in school?”

“Third year.”

“What? We’re only a year apart?!” the younger exclaimed. The boy must have an abysmal alcohol tolerance, because with as excited as Myungsoo seemed to be over everything right now, Sungyeol could only assume it was part of Myungsoo’s drunken habits. “You’re so cool though; I thought you were at least a few years older.”

Sungyeol chuckled wryly. “I guess that’s just the ‘cool guy’ act I have going for me when I’m here. At home, Dongwoo calls me a choding because of how whiny I can get.”

“I absolutely cannot imagine that.”

The two boys started laughing together, immediately regaling their stories from their homelife.  Myungsoo told him all about living with his brother and his boyfriend, especially when the two had their drama-filled start to their relationship. Sungyeol especially enjoyed Myungsoo’s story about how after accidentally walking in on the two of them in the bathroom one night, Myungsoo refused to shower at home, going to the public baths every night for a month, until the two explicitly promised Myungsoo they’d try to give him more “advanced warning”. Of course, all of Sungyeol’s teasing went out the window when he told the story of how Dongwoo got revenge on him for pulling pranks around the apartment by dumping out all his coffee and replacing it with decaf for two weeks straight and the Sungyeol only found out about it when Dongwoo finally broke and confessed to the crime. Sungyeol didn’t speak to the older boy for another week.

Myungsoo also revealed his love of plaid, black, and manhwa. When Sungyeol asked what he read to see if they had any common series, Myungsoo blushed harder and squeaked out that they were all romances because he “just like how cute the endings were.” Sungyeol’s coffee addiction, secret love of prank wars, and admiration of the color pink were all unearthed as the two drank away.

Dongwoo was being sneaky about keeping their glasses full, always sweeping by with another round as soon as one boy ran low. Sungyeol quit counting after number five; Myungsoo had drank a couple of his too fast, so who knows what number he was on. Both boys were getting gigglier with every story they told, leaning unconsciously into one another, an occasional arm or hand making contact. The song on the dancefloor changed to a dance remix of “Mr. Taxi” and Sungyeol immediately snapped his head up from Myungsoo’s shoulder, where he had ended up during their last giggling session. “I want to go dance; come with me ‘Soo!”    

Myungsoo looked over at the older. “I am a terrible dancer though…”

“Who cares?!” Yep, Sungyeol had officially crossed into tipsy-town. “I love Girls’ Generation and I want to dance!” He grabbed Myungsoo’s upper arm and tugged. “Please!”

Myungsoo sighed, but stood up from the seat, letting Sungyeol pull him into the mass of people. The crowd around them seemed just as into the song as the taller boy, forcing the two to be pushed closer together as they got farther into the crowd. Sungyeol didn’t seem to mind the crowd and started swaying his hips, arms thrown in the air, as he moved with a huge grin on his face. Myungsoo couldn’t help but join in the action, his own grin mirroring Sungyeol’s and slowly letting his body get used to dancing to the beat.

One song turned into two, then three, then they quit counting. The two boys stayed close to one another, even as the crowd around them thinned out slightly. The song had shifted to something with a slower, more sensual rhythm. At some point, Myungsoo’s hands had made their way to Sungyeol’s hips, while Sungyeol kept one hand on Myungsoo’s waist and the other wrapped around his back, swaying together.

The butterflies were back in Sungyeol’s stomach and he could slowly feel his high from the alcohol wearing off. He had no idea how tipsy or sober Myungsoo was feeling at the moment; neither boy spoke or looked at the other’s face, keeping their eyes closed as they swayed together, or looking out over their partner’s shoulder.

Sungyeol felt one of Myungsoo’s hands wander from his hip up the front of his shirt, along the buttons. Myungsoo’s finger came to a rest at the two opened buttons, revealing a couple of Sungyeol’s moles and his well-defined collar bones. Sungyeol turned his gaze to the younger boy’s face, watching as the boy stared at the spot his finger rested, then up to meet each other’s gaze. Myungsoo’s voice was quiet over the music, but Sungyeol still heard him.

“I really, really like being around you, Sungyeol.”

Sungyeol kept his eyes locked into the younger boy’s dark eyes. “I like being with you too.”

Instead of the embarrassed, dorky grin Sungyeol had gotten used to seeing from Myungsoo, the younger’s lips turned slightly into a small joyful smile. It was probably one of the most beautiful expressions he had ever seen, and it was from a boy who, a few weeks ago, Sungyeol would have passionately declared his hatred for.

Of course, Sungyeol didn’t get the chance to stare at it for too long, as immediately, the smile vanished as Myungsoo pressed his lips against Sungyeol’s full ones.

Myungsoo’s lips were so tentative and soft; Sungyeol couldn’t resist immediately kissing back, responding enthusiastically to the younger. Myungsoo’s hand on his waist tightened and the hand at his collar moved behind his neck, deepening the kiss further. Sungyeol pulled the boy closer, until their bodies were touching, continuing to the younger’s bottom lip and slowly coaxing his mouth open, allowing for his tongue to enter. Myungsoo continued kissing back, pushing his own tongue against Sungyeol’s, letting out a slight moan.

And that is what brought Sungyeol’s sober mind back. He was here, dancing with Kim Myungsoo, holding Kim Myungsoo, making out with ing Kim Myungsoo. This was so so wrong… but why didn’t he want to stop? Sungyeol’s eyes shot open and he quickly broke off from Myungsoo, the younger looking so adorably confused with his wide eyes and slightly swollen bottom lip. Without a word, Sungyeol immediately ran off the dance floor and out of the club for the night.

~*~

So there you have Part 1. Leave a comment below if you'd like.

Part 2 is outlined, just not yet written. That's my goal for the weekend, everyone.