Chapter Text
When Wooyoung first met Yeosang, it had been love at first sight.
Wooyoung always joked about it, but he knew that behind the joke was an adamant truth. The very second Wooyoung had laid eyes on Yeosang – years ago when their cheeks were both ruddier and Wooyoung’s hands were smeared with paint and Yeosang had leaves in his hair – Wooyoung had known it was love. It wasn’t the love that he saw his parents experience every time they laid eyes on each other or the time of love he watched unfold on his TV the first time Yeosang and he watched High School Musical together.
That was a different love. Even from a young age, Wooyoung was sure he didn’t want that with Yeosang.
But sometimes, on particularly hard nights after Wooyoung has broken up with another ex who treated him like shit, sometimes on those bad nights when Yeosang seemed so sure that no one could ever love him, on those really bad nights when they huddled together in a small bubble of mutual misery, sometimes then, Wooyoung really wished he could love Yeosang like that. He wished he could kiss away every insecurity his best friend had and love him in the way he deserved. But Wooyoung couldn’t bring himself to do it, because no matter how hard he tried, Yeosang would always be his best friend, his other half, his heart.
So, no, Wooyoung tragically never fell in love with his best friend, but that was probably the least of his problems.
The brunt of his problems lay in his ever present desire to start again. To wipe the hurt away and start anew, like a breath of fresh air away from the pollution that had clogged his life. Wooyoung had felt this for years now, since he and Yeosang were third years in high school and Yeosang hit a growth spurt that finally pushed him to be taller than Wooyoung. Not by much, but that extra centimeter was something Yeosang never let go of.
But it wasn’t the growth spurt that pushed Wooyoung over, or the looming threat of Seonghwa and Hongjoong leaving them for college, or the cute guy in chemistry who doodled flowers and wrote notes to Wooyoung. It was the sudden family secret that spilled from his mom’s mouth one night at a perfectly unassuming dinner. It was the confession that Wooyoung’s ‘cousin’ who had lived with them when Wooyoung was more concerned with beating Yeosang at learning how to read and practicing addition, was actually Wooyoung’s brother, who had run away from home when he was 14. It was the stuttered apology to Wooyoung as his fork clattered against his plate because there was a brother out there that Wooyoung didn’t know about. One that used to hold Wooyoung when he cried, played with him for hours in their backyard, and cuddled him to bed all night.
What ensued after was one of the messiest nights of Wooyoung’s life. He wanted answers, answers that his parents couldn’t provide because even they didn’t have the full story of where he went or why he left or why he never thought to reach out to Wooyoung, even though he claimed he loved Wooyoung more than anything in the world. Memories of his brother that Wooyoung had suppressed for years rose to his consciousness and Wooyoung, understandably, broke a little. He fled his home and sought refuge in his best friend’s arms.
After that night, Wooyoung had become sort of obsessed with the idea of finding his brother. Of getting answers, getting closure, and hopefully, he would be able to forgive his parents, his brother, and himself. Himself, because Wooyoung couldn’t quite believe that he had just erased an entire person from his memories.
Yeosang was nothing but supportive, scouring the internet for declassified police reports of missing persons files, accounts of runaways, shelters and group homes that his brother could have stayed at. Their search was futile, but Wooyoung held out silent hope. He knew, deep in a stubborn part of his soul, that his brother was out there and that Wooyoung could find him, even if it took a lifetime.
It was a quiet night when the letter arrived in the mail. Yeosang and he didn’t check their mailbox often, only ever to retrieve bills or coupons, so it came as a major surprise when a letter arrived for Wooyoung one week out of the blue. He had stared at the return address for a few seconds before the name registered to him, and he had dropped the entire pile of mail. Because his brother’s name was burning holes in his eyes. His brother had found him.
Yeosang likely knew something was wrong the second Wooyoung burst into their apartment and hurried immediately to their shared room, but like the absolute angel that he can be – when he isn’t dead set on being a menace and teasing the shit out of Wooyoung – he didn’t say anything, just ordered them both takeout from Wooyoung’s favorite restaurant, put on High School Musical, and cuddled close to Wooyoung to stop his spiraling thoughts.
Wooyoung was at first at a loss of what to do. Their school year was coming to a close, and both Wooyoung and Yeosang had agreed to enjoy a relaxed summer, with Wooyoung working part time at a smoothie shop down the street and Yeosang continuing research in one of their school’s labs. Wooyoung was so tempted to let it rest, to indulge in their opportunity for real rest and recovery.
But Wooyoung was stubborn. He was stubborn, and flighty, and he could never let anything rest. So he set about his plan.
You see, Wooyoung had always been scared that perhaps Yeosang and he were slightly too dependent on each other. When Wooyoung had voiced these concerns to Hongjoong and Seonghwa one night, they had both nodded their heads emphatically in unanimous agreement. Yes Wooyoung and Yeosang were too dependent on each other, yes they relied on each other maybe an unhealthy amount, yes they were possibly incapable of living without each other. And Wooyoung had spiraled again.
Because Wooyoung couldn’t imagine not existing the way he did with Yeosang. A life without Yeosang was a life he didn’t want to live. Yeosang was the love of his life, his very heart. But what if they were hurting each other? What if this life was hurting Yeosang and Wooyoung was perpetuating that hurt ?
Wooyoung wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
So, he set up a challenge. Exist without each other for 2 weeks. Easy enough. In theory, at least.
Maybe Wooyoung didn’t think his plan out all the way through. Maybe Wooyoung should have just talked to Yeosang and explained himself. Maybe Wooyoung could have spared both of them this mutual agony by just getting his shit together.
But no, because Wooyoung isn’t like that. Instead, he created an elaborate plan and began to set up the pieces. He mapped out where his brother lived, the easiest way to get there, and then the most fun way to get there. He did research, hours of it, on the strangest roadside attractions he could find. He tried to pick ones that he knew Yeosang would like, like Billy’s Build Your Own Bouquet and the Museum of Sandcastles. And he also picked ones that would push Yeosang out of his comfort zone a little, like Aunt Pesha’s Pickled Apples, the Museum of the History of Pornography (Wooyoung had cackled when he found that one, because he could already imagine Yeosang’s face), and the waffle house in the woman’s skirt.
And then he began dropping the hints. He made them far enough apart to not raise suspicion, but made sure to say them in instances that Yeosang would remember, like randomly while they were studying for finals or when they were having a quiet dinner together. He sowed the careful seeds of his plan to ensure that Yeosang would follow him and have the adventure of a lifetime.
And then Wooyoung left.
And it was one of the most painful things he has ever done.
But then he met San. Sannie who hadn’t thought twice before whisking him away to safety. San who gave him food, supplies, a bed to sleep in, a warm shower and a homemade meal, even if it was leftovers. He met San, who definitely thought that Wooyoung was homeless or on the run, but didn’t question him for a second.
It might have been the second time Wooyoung had fallen in love at first sight. Not to the same extent that he had with Yeosang, but Wooyoung could sense the undeniable pull that San had, and prayed to any deity that would listen that Yeosang would meet San too. That San would take care of Yeosang with the same gentle touch and warm indulgence. Wooyoung hoped and prayed, and then hoped and prayed some more because he knew, in his heart of hearts, that San could be so good for Yeosang.
He didn’t say any of this, of course not. Instead, he hitched a ride to Aunt Pesha’s. At Aunt Pesha’s he petted her cats, teased her for the silly names, teased her some more while snacking on some apples, and maybe learned to love a part of himself that could make friends with anyone in any situation.
And then he was off to the pornography museum, and there he met the receptionist who had been standoffish at first, especially when she saw the lengthy letter he put in the guest book for Yeosang to find. But then she warmed up to Wooyoung when he bought the stupid little gifts for Yeosang and had laughed with Wooyoung over the grow your own boyfriend gift. And Wooyoung fell a little in love with the part of himself that could make strangers laugh.
And then he had gone to Billy’s Build Your Own Bouquet, and had met Danny, Luca, and Elio. Danny had taught Wooyoung how to make a bouquet with so much patience. Luca had waved off Wooyoung’s attempt to pay them with a fond smile. Elio had insisted that Wooyoung stay and read part of his book out loud to him. And Wooyoung had found himself so grateful for his ability to find a family wherever he went.
Then Wooyoung had met Yunho in all his glory. Yunho who joked with Wooyoung endlessly, who teased him in such a familiar fashion, Yunho who could match Wooyoung’s energy step for step. Yunho, who had sent Wooyoung off with a slightly sad smile and a promise that Wooyoung would always be welcomed back to the little valley haven, should he return. And Wooyoung had fallen just the smallest bit in love with him as well.
Then was Bug’s test kitchen, with Mingyu who reminded Wooyoung about the joys of cooking for someone you care about, and the waffle house where Wooyoung was reminded of his adventurous spirit and willingness to try anything, even sour cream and onion flavored syrup.
And then there was Mingi, who sat with Wooyoung in the jazz club for hours, ignoring his manager’s disapproving side eye just so that he could chat with Wooyoung. Wooyoung had found solace in Mingi’s dorky humor which reminded him so much of Yeosang’s, in Mingi’s deep soothing voice that had reassured Wooyoung he would look out for Yeosang, in Mingi’s warm hug that fit pieces of Wooyoung back together that Wooyoung hadn’t realized had fallen apart. For the third time on that trip, Wooyoung fell a little bit in love.
Then came the museum of sandcastles, where he painted on the side of the building, bought the most outrageously disgusting snacks he could for Yeosang to try, and soothed his soul by standing at the ocean’s edge, Seunghun holding his hand in a steadfast reassurance. Wooyoung was reminded of what true peace felt like.
And then Wooyoung was at his brother’s.
Wooyoung had tried to time the trip so that Yeosang would always be a couple of days behind him. But Wooyoung could never be completely sure if that was accurate.
So, he spent one night at his brother’s. His brother was as kind as he remembered. He explained to Wooyoung that their parents had been disastrously broke when he had run away. He explained that he had thought it was for the better, considering he had been their ‘mistake’ child anyway. He explained that he wanted Wooyoung to have all the resources in the world, to have a childhood full of plenty , the childhood that he himself had been deprived of. He told Wooyoung that he had never blamed his parents, but that he had never felt like he could return. He told Wooyoung that he regretted it so much now, and that all he wanted was to return home, to reconcile with their parents, to meet their youngest brother who had been born well after he had lost contact with his family.
And they had cried together. For the years they had lost, but also for the years they saw ahead, full of family bonding and vacations and no more money worries because they were all in a better place now.
His brother had gushed over how proud he was of Wooyoung, for getting into university, for making such great friends and pursuing his passion with so much ambition.
His brother offered for Wooyoung to stay with him for a couple of weeks, so that they could learn about each other again. Wooyoung had agreed all too readily. He wanted this and needed it. Wooyoung stayed with his brother another day, and then, trusting his calculations, went to the Cryptid Museum, where he met Jongho.
Jongho was a menace, and reminded Wooyoung of his little brother in all the right ways. Jongho warmed up to Wooyoung quickly, and soon they were swapping banter as though they had been friends for years. Jongho had comforted Wooyoung in his own way, with his unassuming smile but wicked sense of humor that rivaled Yeosang when he was in a sassy mood. He promised to pass on his message to Yeosang, said he would give Wooyoung a ‘love tap’ when he returned from the beach, and then had engulfed Wooyoung in one of the sturdiest hugs Wooyoung had ever felt before. And, once again, Wooyoung had fallen in love. He buried his face in Jongho’s neck and soaked up the love he felt.
And then there was just one more thing left for him to do.
He didn’t have to wait long for Yeosang to find him, as he had predicted. Some sense in Wooyoung called him to glance over at the boardwalk, seeing Yeosang and San walking hand in hand. Yeosang was already looking at Wooyoung with a small, private smile. San’s gaze latched on to him, and Wooyoung saw the small tick of his lips.
And Wooyoung knew they would be okay.
It was a bit like a movie scene, watching the two best friends reunite. Sure, there was no dramatic running or emotional music to back it up, but Yeosang and Wooyoung moved in sync, reaching out for each other at the same moment and the next they were in each other’s arms, clutching each other with so much love and affection.
San watched as Yeosang’s hands found the back of Wooyoung’s head, fisting his hair gently and holding him against himself. Wooyoung’s arms found Yeosang’s waist and he held , as though trying to morph their bodies into one entity that couldn’t be separated ever again.
“Oh my god it’s so good to see you!” Wooyoung cried, his voice both ecstatic and heartbreaking at the same time. “Oh god, Yeosangie, I’m so sorry, for everything. I have so much to tell you but I’m so sorry .”
“It’s okay Woo, I’m here now. It’s okay, we’ll be okay.” Yeosang murmured, rocking them back and forth and cradling Wooyoung against himself. “You’re an absolute idiot, but it’s okay. I think I understand.”
Wooyoung nodded, though San wasn’t sure he knew what he was nodding for. They stayed like that for a while, but San didn’t want to interrupt them. They both needed this. Sure, this was the first time San was actually seeing them interact, but he still knew they needed this. It was written all over Yeosang’s adorably scrunched up face and the way Wooyoung’s arms were gripping Yeosang as though he was in desperate need of their souls being merged into one.
Eventually they separated, although it looked as though it physically pained Yeosang and Wooyoung was bouncing on the balls of his feet as though he were ready to launch himself at Yeosang for round two.
Wooyoung cleared his throat and looked at San with a beaming grin, “Hello Sannie ! Did not expect to see you ever again. And schmoozing up to my best friend, of all places. And of all people, for that matter.”
San couldn’t help the fond smile that spread across his face. As annoying as it was, Wooyoung’s joy was absolutely infectious. “Good to see you too, Youngie. I’ve definitely not missed your unnecessary commentary.”
“You’ve missed every part of this hot piece of ass and you know it !” Wooyoung declared, before latching himself to Yeosang’s side. “So you got yourself a cute lil man, now did you? My sly, sly best friend, look at you go!”
He accompanied this with a small boop to Yeosang’s nose, which made Yeosang’s nose scrunch up and a small huff to pass his lips.
“How is that sly !” Yeosang defended himself, “If anything, it’s the opposite of sly! It’s…it’s obtuse!”
“I think honest would be a better antonym than obtuse.” San pointed out.
Wooyoung waved him off, “Anyone who casually uses the word ‘antonym’ doesn’t get a say in the matter.”
“That isn’t… just check a thesaurus!”
Wooyoung frowned at San before glancing at Yeosang, “You really had to pick this one?”
Yeosang scoffed and hit Wooyoung’s shoulder, “Shut up, you’re just mad because you don’t know the difference between an antonym and a synonym.”
“That’s…” Now Wooyoung frowned at Yeosang, “I know one means the same and one means different, I just don’t know which ones which!”
Yeosang smirked and shrugged his shoulders as San laughed. It was strange, seeing the two of them together, melding into each other, bickering back and forth in such a genuine, familiar way.
Sure San kind of knew Wooyoung – Wooyoung had stayed at his home and eaten his leftovers, that bonded people in a very special way – but he also didn’t really know Wooyoung. He mostly knew of Wooyoung, from the smattering of stories that all the people on the road trip had told him so far, from Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s soft voices, from Yeosang’s own soul as he searched desperately for his best friend. Wooyoung, to San, was an amalgamation of what others had told him and his own limited time with Wooyoung, spent together in his parents’ convenience store hours and experiences away from today. From now, with Wooyoung standing in front of him, both a familiar and foreign figure in San’s life.
San swallowed and forced himself out of his head.
That wasn’t important. Not right now. Not with the pair of best friends standing in front of him, both having been through a, no doubt, tumultuous past few weeks. San’s instincts kicked in, and his hand was reaching for Yeosang before he could even process the gesture. It was second nature at this point. If Yeosang was possibly upset, San wanted to help, to soothe.
Yeosang’s hand grasped San’s in a steady grip and when their eyes met, San realized that maybe he also needed to be soothed.
“You okay Sannie?”
And god , Yeosang’s voice was still the tender, deep symphony that San had come to love. Had come to associate with everything good in this world.
“I’m good, Sangie.” San said, offering him a smile and feeling his heart burst when it was returned.
“This…Somehow, I think I expected this.” Wooyoung said, glancing between them with ill-concealed glee. “I mean – God this is another instance where I should keep a diary because, i really need to start writing my ideas down – the second I met Sannie I was like ‘oh, he’ll get along with Sang’ but then I was all, ‘what are the chances they meet’ cause Sannie and I only met on a whim and I thought the chances were very low. Turns out the chances were very high.”
Yeosang rolled his eyes, “I told you before, you’ll get annoyed at yourself trying to keep a journal because you’d be too much of a perfectionist to ever want to write in it freely.”
Wooyoung sniffed, “Nothing wrong with wanting to always put your best foot forward.”
Before Yeosang could bite back the response that San could see was on the tip of his tongue, San piped up.
“As world shattering as it’s been to see you two interact in real life, I think you guys need to talk.” San said, giving both of them very different looks. To Yeosang: it’ll be okay, this needs to happen and you’ll feel so much better after you’ve talked it all out. To Wooyoung: you fucker, I love your best friend as much as you do, you two need to talk about everything so that you both can heal.
It seemed they both got the message as Yeosang nodded determinedly while Wooyoung cringed slightly before sighing, likely knowing that he at the very least owed this to Yeosang.
Wooyoung looped his arm through Yeosang’s, “Alright, my heart, I believe I owe you a big ice cream cone and a very lengthy explanation.”
“I believe a shared ice cream and a reasonable length explanation sounds perfect.” Yeosang amended, sending Wooyoung a look that Wooyoung blatantly ignored.
“I’ll be back at the cryptid museum when you guys are done.” San said, pressing a light kiss to Yeosang’s temple, waving at Wooyoung who was pretending to wretch, and leaving the pair behind with a slightly heavy heart.
San wanted to stay. Wanted to hear the story, to know the truth. But now wasn’t the time, now was for Wooyoung and Yeosang to talk through it, to hopefully settle whatever happened and come back feeling better. Now was for San to wait, to provide them space, and provide Yeosang to comfort of knowing that he had a pair of arms to fall into when this was all over.
He did eventually find his way back to the cryptid museum, but not before stopping and buying everyone some slushies from a street vendor and dipping his feet in the water for a little, basking in the summer sun and the sound of people milling around and enjoying their days.
When he got back to the museum, Mingi and Yunho had set up camp with Jongho behind the cash register, playing what looked like Mario Party on Jongho’s switch as the youngest perched behind them, trying to distract them.
“Who’s winning?” San asked to announce his presence. Only Yunho glanced over, offering San a large wave.
“I am, Mingi sucks at this.”
“You keep cheating!” Mingi sulked.
“Just because Jongho is cheering for me more doesn’t mean I’m cheating,” Yunho said, attention already back on the game.
“Jongho, cheer for me too!” Mingi turned enough to pout at Jongho, who only started cackling when Mingi’s character died. “You guys are rigging this!”
“We’re not doing anything!”
“I have slushies.” San said, holding them up to get everyone’s attention, “Cherry, blue raspberry, and green apple.”
“Oh, can I have cherry?” Mingi asked, before whipping back to the switch when his character died. Again. “ San ! You’re helping them, aren’t you?”
“Just for that, you can have the green apple,” San grumbled, eliciting a whine from Mingi and matching cackles from Yunho and Jongho.
San settled onto a seat beside Jongho, passing out the slushies without really paying attention to who grabbed what. His mind was wrapped up in Yeosang and Wooyoung. Despite San’s own insistence that it would turn out okay – that talking about it would be enough – he couldn’t help but worry. He had no idea why Wooyoung had done the things he had done, and though realistically it couldn’t be anything too drastic that a friendship couldn’t also be mended, there was always a slim chance that it was something truly bad.
Jongho seemed to sense San’s distant mind as the next second he was knocking their shoulders together with a cocked head, “Are you okay? I’m guessing you found Wooyoung.”
“Isn’t he ‘Wooyoung hyung’?” San asked.
Jongho just smirked, “No, he would be too happy. Gotta keep him in his place.”
San laughed and nodded his understanding. Yet again it seemed like Wooyoung had found someone who was equal parts fond and exasperated by him.
“But seriously, is everything okay?” Jongho tried again when San didn’t continue talking.
San opened his mouth, thought for a second, before snapping it closed again with an annoyed huff.
“Everything will be okay once they talk, just waiting for them to finish talking is driving me crazy.” San finally settled on. It was the truth, after all, albeit watered down quite a bit. Jongho probably knew that too, but didn’t push it. San wasn’t actually annoyed, just anxious, and maybe a bit wary.
“Mario Kart as a distraction?” Jongho proposed. San appreciated that the younger knew not to pry too hard. San wouldn’t know what to say anyways.
“Yes, as long as you’re all ready to get your asses beat.”
Jongho laughed and kicked at Mingi gently, “Hand over your controller, winning is a lost cause for you anyways.”
San laughed along with the others as Mingi complained loudly. He let his heart settle.
He eventually lost track of time, somewhere between Jongho insisting they switch to Rocket League and Yunho schooling all of them. No other customers wandered in, but Jongho seemed unconcerned about it, so San let himself relax, let his mind stay occupied and really enjoy his time with his new friends.
Wooyoung and Yeosang made their presence known sometime in the afternoon. Wooyoung burst through the backdoor with an exclamation of, “I’ve successfully won your man back, Sannnie!”
Which was quickly followed by Yeosang’s annoyed, “As if you could get this ass.”
“Yeosangie~ You wound me!” Wooyoung whined, draped across Yeosang as Yeosang dragged him through the store to the quartet who were watching them with amused expressions. “Don’t lie, we’d make a fucking hot couple. Could make real good money if we did a porno.”
“You say that too casually,” Yunho said with a grimace.
“I’m taken.” Yeosang deadpanned, though he made no move to shrug Wooyoung off as they finally reached the cash register.
San laughed and resisted the urge to reach out to Yeosang, “We’ll keep it in mind in case we ever go broke.”
“You’re never gonna go broke.” Wooyoung beamed, pinching Yeosang’s cheek and leaning in close, “This bastard is gonna be the best doctor to ever do doctor shit! He’s gonna get paid like a fucking king.”
“Good to know,” San said, looking at Yeosang whose face was bright red. “Sangie, looks like you’ve got a budding sugar baby on your hands.”
“Gold diggers.” Yeosang scoffed, but he sent San a small smile.
“Woah, Yunho? Mingi ?” Wooyoung suddenly exclaimed, letting go of Yeosang and all but pouncing on the two. “How the hell did you two get here!”
“Unsurprisingly, Yeosang and San rounded us up for their road trip.” Yunho said, patting Wooyoung’s back. “Or, your road trip, I guess, technically.”
“I think I’m actually psychic!” Wooyoung said, separating himself from them and spinning to point at Yeosang, “I knew you would follow me,” he then pointed at San, “I knew you would like him,” he then patted Yunho on the chest, “I knew they would basically adopt you and Gumbo,” he then patted Mingi’s cheek, “and I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist Yeosang’s sweet puppy eyes. I’m basically a genius!”
“Can that really be used to classify a genius?” Jongho asked with a snort. “Also, you have no evidence that you ever actually thought that. I’m beginning to think you’re a pathological liar. And a kleptomaniac.”
“Woah, is it just ‘attack Wooyoung’ day or something?” Wooyoung asked, clutching dramatically at his chest. “What could I have possibly done to invoke the wrath of Jongho?”
“Need a list?”
“I’ve only known you for like 4 hours!”
San took the opportunity to scoop Yeosang towards him, pressing a light kiss to his birthmark in the process. “How’d it go?”
Yeosang sighed, but he had a small, fond smile on his face that warmed San’s heart.
“Good. He explained everything and, well, I understand him better now. And I forgive him, even though he practically begged me not to.”
San snorted, nuzzling his head into Yeosang’s soft lochs, which still smelt like their early morning beach trip. “Good, I’m glad you both got closure. Is he okay?”
“Better than okay,” Yeosang leaned backwards a little so that he could look San in the eyes, “This is the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time. I didn’t see how… unhappy everything with his brother was making him, because he had been that way for such a long time. But now I see it. He looks at peace again, he feels whole again. I’m really happy for him.”
“If your career as the next best doctor doesn’t work out, you’ve certainly got a knack for poetry.” San teased, staring adoringly down at Yeosang. He couldn’t help it. This boy meant the world to him. “I’m happy for both of you, truly.”
“Alright lovebirds, I still haven’t given San my shovel talk yet, so no funny business. Especially right in front of me.” Wooyoung complained, looking as though he were two seconds away from corralling Yeosang back to his side.
Yeosang shot him a look, “You’re not giving San the shovel talk.”
“It’s my duty as your best friend - nay - soulmate in this life and every other, to make sure that your men treat you right!” Wooyoung said with a small foot stomp, reminding San of the first time they met.
“He treats me right.” Yeosang deadpanned. “Leave him alone.”
“I absolutely will not, do you know me!”
“That’s why I’m saying it now!”
“If you don’t let me give him the shovel talk then I will show up at your wedding, unannounced, protest your marriage, steal all your gifts, and definitely drink your champagne.” Wooyoung threatened, causing Mingi to laugh and Jongho to send him an incredulous look.
“You won’t even be invited to my wedding with that attitude.” Yeosang sniffed.
San laughed, “Why are you entertaining him?”
They both ignored him.
“What do you mean I won’t be invited to your wedding? I’m gonna be your best man! I’m gonna walk you down the aisle and give the best speech ever. Charles doesn’t have anything on my writing skills!”
Yeosang looked bewildered as everyone else cackled, “Who the fuck is Charles!”
“From Four Weddings and a Funeral ,” Wooyoung said, before pausing and looking generally hurt, “Have you never seen Four Weddings and a Funeral .”
“Why would I have watched that?”
“Because it has young Hugh Grant in it and it’s a classic!” Wooyoung nearly shouted, before taking a deep breath. “Okay, we’re watching it when we’re back home. No complaints. Awe, Yeosangie, you’re so cute!”
“What just happened?” Jongho asked.
San certainly didn’t have an answer, but somehow this felt right.
Wooyoung’s energy was surely infectious and the friends spent the rest of the day laughing and chatting on the beach, leaving poor Jongho to sulk in the museum until his shift ended and he could join them. Much like Yeosang’s presence was peaceful, and Yunho’s made anyone around him happy, Wooyoung’s presence was so joyful and bursting with life, enrapturing San and the rest of their friends.
Yeosang and Wooyoung were glued most of the afternoon, from sharing a frozen lemonade to gleefully telling embarrassing stories of each other, their relationship was palpable and heartwarming. And San was more than happy to watch his boyfriend be so natural with his best friend. San almost felt honored, in a strange way, to see their connection for himself.
Even though Yeosang spent most of his time with Wooyoung, he would periodically wander back to San with a wide grin and red cheeks. Once it was to just kiss San’s cheek, another time it was to feed him the rest of the frozen lemonade, another time it was to make sure San reapplied sunscreen, before pressing a delicate kiss to his lips and pulling away with an impish smile.
It was a gentle type of love that San reveled in, and tried to return in equal measure.
Yunho and Mingi spent most of the afternoon in the water and occasionally their voices got so loud that San could catch their conversations from his perch on the warm sand.
“I swear this time! I definitely saw a fish!” Mingi insisted, head close to the ocean’s surface to try and catch a glimpse.
“Are you sure it was a fish?” Yunho sounded unsure, but San watched with amusement as he crept behind Mingi. “And not a… shark !”
Yunho lunged and tackled Mingi into the water, who shrieked and thrashed for a second before emerging laughing.
“You know, someday you’ll be in hell, and the devil will ask you why you think you were punished to eternal damnation and it’ll be because of how you tortured me one summer!” Mingi said, splashing Yunho in the face.
Wooyoung plopped down next to San with a small smile, knocking their shoulders together in a friendly way.
“It’s good to see you again, Sannie.” Wooyoung said earnestly. “Well, honestly it’s good to see all of you. I really didn’t expect to see Yunho and Mingi here. You… I kinda predicted you.”
San laughed, “So you said earlier.”
Wooyoung hummed, “It’s true though, you just gave off such ‘I’ll help anyone in need, but especially if the person in need is a pretty boy with doe eyes’ kinda vibe.”
“Is that a vibe someone can give off?”
“It’s the type of vibe you give off, so I guess so.” Wooyoung teased. “But seriously, thank you. I mean, I’m sure it wasn’t how you imagined spending your summer, but I’m glad he had someone. And I’m really happy that someone was you. It might be kinda hypocritical of me to preach about his happiness after everything I put him through. But I wanted this roadtrip to be fun for him, and I think you were a big reason he was actually able to enjoy it.”
San nodded, shooting Wooyoung a knowing smile, “You don’t need to feel guilty about all of this. I don’t know the story, but I do know that this couldn’t have been easy for you either. So I’m happy for you too, that you were able to find some closure.”
“And…” Wooyoung pressed with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
San rolled his eyes, “And, I guess , thank you for doing it, otherwise I wouldn’t have met Yeosang.”
Wooyoung laughed, “You’re welcome. I hope you know I’m gonna take credit for getting you two together. I’m gonna rub it in Yeosang’s face constantly. He’s gonna hate it!”
“Don’t annoy my boyfriend too much, otherwise he’ll pout and when he pouts I’m ready to commit war crimes to make him happy again.” San said, though he made sure to send Wooyoung a smile, just in case he took him too seriously.
“You’re smitten.” Wooyoung said with a beam, “It’s so cute!”
San had the foresight to bat his hands away when he tried to pinch his cheeks.
“But seriously. I’m really happy for both of you, and I might joke about it, but I know you two will treat each other right, and that’s all I could ever hope for for him.” Wooyoung said, suddenly serious again. His eyes were wide and genuine, and San could tell he desperately wanted San to understand, to know that Wooyoung not only approved, but was ready to root for them and their relationship.
“You both deserve the type of love that…that only each other can give, you know?” Wooyoung took a deep breath and looked away. San followed his gaze to where Yunho and Mingi were trying to wrangle Yeosang into the water from where he was making a small sandcastle. “You both have such gentle souls. Like it would physically pain you to cause any amount of pain to another person, like your life would be complete if you could help even one person. I used to worry that someone would take advantage of Yeosang’s selflessness, he’s not great at protecting himself. But with you..,the way you treat him. It’s so soft ; you look at him like he’s the most precious thing in the world, and treat him so gently. And you…he treats you the same way, he looks at you the same way. I never thought I would meet someone who could give that same reverent love back to Yeosang, but you do it so naturally because it’s just your nature to treat the things you love with so much tenderness.”
San was never one that was too quick to tears, but he had to look away and blink away the wetness in his eyes, taking a stuttering breath to orient himself.
It was a strange feeling, knowing someone was observing your relationship and finding it beautiful and fulfilling, even from the outside. And San in no way needed outside validation to know that he was treating Yeosang with the utmost care and love, but having Yeosang’s best friend recognize the special bond they had…well, that meant something.
“Anyways, I’m gonna go make a sandcastle next to Yeosang’s and then wage war against his defensively lacking kingdom, if you would like to join.” Wooyoung gave San a bright smile before standing again and taking off in a run, shouting “Sang you better prepare a moat real quick! The Jung Empire is coming to decimate the Kang Kingdom!”
San laughed but jumped up to defend his boyfriend’s honor, if only in a made up sandcastle war.
When Jongho finally finished his shift and locked up the museum, he wandered out, accompanied by two familiar yet very unfamiliar frames.
“Hey! I got two more of your wayward friends!” Jongho shouted as he approached, getting everyone’s attention from where they were laying on the warm sand, after having been worn out from the rest of the day.
“Seonghwa-hyung!” Wooyoung shrieked, jumping up and spraying sand onto everyone else as he launched himself at Seonghwa.
Hongjoong looked affronted as the other two landed in a pile on the sand, “Are you serious? I’m the one who actually drove .”
“Hi hyung,” Yeosang said with a laugh, embracing Hongjoong warmly, whose frown melted away as he returned the hug with a small smile.
“Hi Yeo, it’s good to see you…and others?” Hongjoong said, peering over Yeosang’s shoulder at where San, Mingi, and Yunho had all stood up.
Yeosang laughed and pulled away, gesturing to them, “These are San, Mingi, and Yunho. Guys, this is Hongjoong-hyung and Seonghwa-hyung, mine and Woo’s childhood friends.”
Hongjoong gave them a friendly nod, zeroing in on San and elbowing Yeosang, “This is Sannnie?”
Yeosang rolled his eyes, “Yes that’s Sannie. You have met him over the phone several times.”
“Just checking. He’s taller than I thought.”
San snorted and stepped forward, arms circling around Hongjoong before he could complain, “Nice to finally meet you in person, hyung.”
“Gosh your voice is prettier in person, too.” Hongjoong muttered and San was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to hear that, but he still laughed.
“Thank you. Yeosangie likes my voice too.”
“It’s a very soothing tone.” Yeosang defended himself weakly as San pulled away, turning to instead gather Yeosang into his arms.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” Seonghwa said, maneuvering Wooyoung into Hongjoong’s arms, and turning to hug the rest of them. “Yeosangie has told me a lot about you all! Well, I guess a relative amount, considering he’s only known you guys for a few days. God that’s super weird to think about.
Mingi was beaming as he hugged Seonghwa back with vigor, and Yunho accepted the affection with a friendly smile and sturdy arms. Seonghwa turned to San and Yeosang, smirked, and wrapped the both of them up in a warm hug.
“You don’t understand how good it is to see you again, Sang.” Seonghwa murmured. His voice sounded tight, but as he pulled away he gave them a comforting smile. “And I have to say, you sure know how to find good company.”
“I want credit for that!” Wooyoung called, wriggling a bit in Hongjoong’s grip, who frowned at him.
Seonghwa looked ready to ask why , but San cut him off before they could dissolve into that spirited rant again.
“Now that we’re all here, should we pack up and go to dinner?” San suggested, glancing at everyone in turn.
He was struck then, very suddenly, with the absurdness of the entire situation. Sure, technically half of the group were childhood best friends who knew everything about each other, but the other half of the group were strangers a week ago. Jongho was a stranger to them all not even 24 hours ago. San, ever the romantic, wanted to believe that fate would have brought them together somehow – maybe from a shared interest in music, or perhaps some underground activist group, if San let his imagination run wild – but truly, there was no guarantee that without Wooyoung, San would have met any of them.
The thought alone had San tightening his hold on Yeosang just the smallest bit. It didn’t matter if that had been a possibility, because it wasn’t anymore. Now, San had gotten to know everyone here – albeit some more than others – and he refused to take this moment for granted.
Everyone was nodding in agreement when San focused again.
“How about Thai food?” Yunho suggested.
“There was a pizza place on the main street.” Mingi added, pouting when Jongho instantly denied it.
“I had pizza last night, let’s get Italian.” Jongho said, “And I live here, so I’ll actually know the good restaurants to go to.”
“Pizza is Italian.” Mingi whined.
“Do you live with your parents?” Hongjoong asked, looking as though he had an idea.
“Yeah, but they’re gone for the summer…Do you guys want to make dinner at my place?” Jongho suggested with the brightest smile San had seen on him yet. “I have a huge kitchen, we would just need to do a supply run!”
“Sounds great, Jjongie. Woo and I are good cooks, so we can take care of dinner for everyone, but maybe someone could make a salad and dessert?” Seonghwa piped up.
“You’re not even gonna ask if I want to help cook?”
“No. You’re helping. You remember the last time Sang and Joongie were let in the kitchen right?” Seonghwa shut Wooyoung down immediately with a roll of his eyes.
“Hey! Among the many ways I've changed on this trip, blossoming into a talented chef has been one of them!” Yeosang defended himself, making all three of his childhood friends look at him as though he were crazy.
“You? Cooked? When!” Wooyoung said with a laugh, “Were there any survivors?”
“Yes there were survivors,” Yeosang said indignantly, “Sannie, tell him how well I did!”
“The ‘survivor’ was San?” Wooyoung scoffed, “That doesn’t count. Sannie would suffer through your cooking if it made you happy.”
“Don’t be mean, you would do the same thing.” Seonghwa said, hitting Wooyoung over the head with practiced ease. “Shall we go? We can split up, people going to the market to get groceries for dinner and those who want to head back with Jongho to help him set up.”
“I call Jongho!” Wooyoung said, wrapping himself around the youngest, who groaned and leaned away. “Jongho, tell me, do you happen to have about 10 bottles of wine at your place?”
“We’ll also go with them,” Yunho said, “Someone’s gotta make sure they pace themselves.”
Mingi slipped his arm through Yunho’s, “Or we match them drink for drink so we have an excuse not to help cook.”
“You can’t say your plan in front of them.” Yunho pointed out.
Mingi ignored him, looking at Seonghwa very seriously, “It’s very dangerous to let drunk people cook.”
Seonghwa laughed and pat Mingi’s head in a surprisingly affectionate move, considering they just met. “You don’t have to help cook if you don’t want to, but don’t get too drunk while we get groceries.”
Hongjoong turned towards San and Yeosang with a small smile, “Ready to get groceries love birds? You can follow behind us in San’s car.”
“Sounds good,” San said, returning the smile as Yeosang nodded. San glanced down at the boy quickly, and couldn’t help but press his lips quickly against his exposed birthmark.
Yeosang looked up at him with wide but adoring eyes, and San was struck by what Wooyoung had said earlier. Never had San been on the receiving end of such adoration. Never had he wanted to return it with such vigor.
San beamed and pressed a kiss against Yeosang’s nose, just to see the way he scrunched it afterwards.
San might just be able to give him the world.
Seonghwa took care of basically everything at the store. He would have Hongjoong go around collecting ingredients while they went aisle by aisle to make sure they didn’t forget anything. Without even pausing to think about it, he put Hongjoong’s favorite yogurt brand in the cart, then Yeosang’s favorite ice cream, and then Wooyoung’s favorite juice.
San snuck his own favorite bag of chips in as well, which Seonghwa definitely noticed, but turned a blind eye.
San was happy to just stroll with the older boys, chatting with Seonghwa as they walked and joining in with teasing Hongjoong when he would appear, only to be sent off to gather something else. It was nice and surprisingly familiar, but San supposed, with this group, he shouldn’t be so surprised about that. If anything, one of the common traits everyone seemed to share was their unending friendliness.
San also felt lucky just to see the other three interact. Sure, it had been obvious how much Hongjoong and Seonghwa cared for Yeosang even from their phone conversations, but watching the easy way they looked out for Yeosang made San’s heart leap.
“Hyungs you should have seen it! Everyone got to paint their own design on the side of the building, it was such a cool idea! We should go again so you guys can paint on it too.” Yeosang was saying, letting Hongjoong tug him out of the way of another shopper.
“Sounds great Sangie, I’m sure your painting was beautiful.” Seonghwa said, stopping to grab something off the top shelf and handing it over to Hongjoong to examine.
“Mine part was pretty, but the part that San-ah painted was amazing, I’ll show it to you when we go back.” Yeosang said, not paying attention as Seonghwa reached out and smoothed down his shirt, dusting some stubborn sand off of it.
“We both did well, Yeo,” San piped up, “Your part was gorgeous.”
“He’s always too humble.” Hongjoong said, ruffling Yeosang’s hair, who glanced at him with furrowed eyebrows.
“I don’t think I’m too humble.”
“Proves his point.” Seonghwa murmured, looking between the cart and his phone to make sure they had everything. “Alright, we’re good to go, let’s go ring up and head to Jongho’s. Did anyone get his address?”
“Wooyoungie sent it to me.” Yeosang said, wandering back to San’s side and carefully lacing their fingers together.
Hongjoong nudged Seonghwa, who looked up, spotted them, and shared a look with Hongjoong. San wasn’t entirely sure of the silent conversation that they had, but they both turned back to the pair with matching grins.
“You two are cute together,” Hongjoong said casually, leading them towards the cashier, “I’m happy for both of you.”
“And don’t listen to Wooyoung if he tries to give you the shovel talk.” Seonghwa added, “Lots of bark and no bite with him.”
San laughed along with Yeosang, sharing a fond glance with him. San opted not to tell them all that Wooyoung had already given his ‘shovel talk’, which had just been a beautiful observation and approval of their relationship. That little moment would stay between the two of them.
Jongho’s house was a cute cottage on the seashore, that Yeosang immediately gasped about and said it looked like the one from Harry Potter. It was a white wood and rolling sand dunes around it, which made it feel more isolated than it actually was.
Yeosang and San made their grand entrance with their matching bucket hats on, which made Wooyoung laugh a bit harder than warranted. As the rest had promised, they were already 2 glasses into a nice white wine, but they all jumped to help carry the groceries in, and Yunho and Jongho immediately started helping with assembling their dinner.
San and Yeosang wandered around the house together, taking in the beautiful interior, which was much like Yunho’s. There were small knick knacks everywhere, a testament to the family that lived there, and pictures all over of Jongho and his family. The entire house wasn’t too big, but it was more than cozy, and San guided Yeosang to the outside porch immediately, sipping wine and watching the sunset together. Yeosang propped his feet on San’s lap, and San mindlessly caressed his ankles, rubbing them gently and reveling the contact.
It was everything San never knew he needed.
“So, I was thinking…” Yeosang started, sitting up a little.
San quirked an eyebrow at him, “Yes?”
“Well… how soon do you need to get back to your parent’s shop?”
San tilted his head, “Not too soon. My sister took over for me for the summer, so I can honestly return whenever I need. Why?”
“I just…” Yeosang pursed his lips, nodded once, and then shifted, letting his feet fall to the ground and instead curling his body against San’s side. “I loved our road trip Sannie. It was incredible and refreshing, and I feel like I learned so much about myself. But…I was so stuck in my head for so much of it. I mean you helped more than I can ever express, but I wanna do it again. On our terms this time.”
“Sang…” San smiled a little, looking down at Yeosang who refused to meet his gaze, “You wanna traverse the country with me for the rest of the summer?”
“Yes,” Yeosang said very seriously, “We could stay with Mingi for a little, and Yunho and Gumbo for even longer, and visit Danny again. But on our terms, with no rush this time.”
San laughed a little, but was nodding before he could even take the time to think about it. He didn’t need to think about it.
“Let’s do it.”
“Really?”
“Yes! You’re right, we deserve to do something on our own time now, so why not go back to all the people who made this trip so worth it.” San gently tilted Yeosang’s face up and pressed a firm kiss to his lips, “Road trip part two, this time as boyfriends.”
Yeosang grinned and nodded, surging forward to kiss San again. San laughed into it, but wrapped his arms around Yeosang and held him sturdily against himself.
They continued to chat and talk until Hongjoong came to herd them into the kitchen, where a huge pot of pasta, roasted potatoes, and a salad waited for them.
“I can’t believe you were able to pull them away from each other.” Wooyoung remarked upon seeing them enter, but he sent them a teasing grin so they knew he was joking.
“Can you blame me,” San said, draping himself across Yeosang’s back, who staggered slightly at the sudden weight.
“With that arm candy? Definitely not,” Wooyoung said, sending Yeosang a wink, who just flipped him off in response.
“Everyone serve up before the food gets cold otherwise I will get very mad at you all.” Seonghwa said, brandishing a serving spoon at them all very menacingly.
By the end of dinner, everyone was tipsy and pleasantly full. They had finished the food easily, and had moved on to ice cream sundaes. San couldn’t remember a time he had laughed as hard. They had spent the entire dinner swapping stories, with the four childhood friends having plenty of embarrassing stories about each other to tell the group happily. San offered up some of his own, but was more than happy to hear everyone else talking, clutching Yeosang as his cheeks slowly flushed and his heart filled with so much joy.
After dessert, San and Yeosang offered to do the dishes while everyone else moved outside to the porch to enjoy the warm summer night. Yeosang turned on some music, and the pair made quick work of cleaning up, periodically splashing each other with soap or sneaking kisses.
Once they had finished, a slow song came on, and San smiled devilishly at Yeosang, wrapping him up in his arms and starting to sway gently to the song.
Yeosang laughed but went along with it, following San’s lead and rocking back and forth. San pushed him away and twirled him gently, before pulling him back to his chest. Yeosang sighed happily and rested his head on San’s chest, their slight height different being perfect for him to nestle there.
San had no idea how long they stayed there dancing, but songs blurred together – some more energetic that they danced a bit harder to, but plenty of slow songs to sway to – and San focused fully on the beautiful human he was so lucky to have met. To have learned about. To have come to love.
“Our friends are probably waiting for us.” Yeosang murmured, twirling San around twice, their socked feet gliding easily over the tile floor of the kitchen.
San pulled them chest to chest and smiled down at Yeosang, leaning forward until their noses touched, “Let them wait. This moment is for us.”