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- Just as a few of the other members, Sungwoon and Daniel plan a date at the Wanna One exhibition
- They go when it’s about to close so they can have some private time and not get seen by so many fans.
- They get permission from their individual companies and also warn the staff of the exhibition so they’re allowed special entry because it’s them but when they get to the door the security guard is indifferent.
- “Sorry guys you can’t come in we’re closing”
- Sungwoon isn’t covering his face like Daniel is (he’s all bundled up in winter wear) so Sungwoon is lowkey offended they’re not recognized
- Sungwoon and Daniel look at each other dumbly and then turn back to the security guard.
- “Do you know who we are? You don’t recognize us?”
- The security guard does not care at all and barely gives them a second glance
- He gives them the driest “Sorry” so Sungwoon rips Daniel’s hat and mask off and turns him around to all the fans lingering around the entrance
- There are gasps and murmurs and everyone freaks out.
- “Oh my god KANG DANIEL WAIT OMG HA SUNGWOON!”
- Sungwoon turns around smugly after apologizing to Daniel and returning his hat and mask.
- The fans start questioning the security guard
- “what’s wrong with you? You don’t let them into their own exhibition? Don’t you see who they are?”
- One fan unravels her group banner and points to it
- “Right here and here! Wanna One center and Wanna One main vocal hello???”
- The security guard is taken aback and actually gives the guys a second look to verify that they are indeed the official members
- He bows curtly and says “my apologies. Please enter and check in at the front desk. They’re waiting for you.”
- Sungwoon smiles victoriously and Daniel just chuckles behind his mask
- “You’re shameless” he says to Sungwoon
- “The disrespect. We built this building with our money and he won’t let us in? Ridiculous. This is an homage to us.” Sungwoon rants
- “Hyung relax we’re in. We didn’t have to pay either!”
- Sungwoon grumbles. “I’m not paying for anything. What’s the point? I’m sure we get some royalties for this too.”
- He points at a huge picture of Wanna One and points at himself.
- “Royalties for use of name and likeness! Take my picture please.” He says as his whole demeanor changes when he poses in front of the picture
- Daniel laughs and takes a few shots before handing the phone off to its owner for his approval
- Sungwoon sticks his thick lips out as he reviews the photos and gives Daniel a cute “thank you”
- As always, Daniel assumes his position, throwing an arm around his hyung’s shoulder and they officially enter the exhibit
- Thankfully there are no fans where they are because it’s closing time and they should all be finishing the walk through so they’re a bit more carefree with the skinship
- Passing by every room is literally reliving every experience from an outsiders’ perspective.
- It’s weird yet intriguing and triggers all sorts of memories. Even the ones they had forgotten about.
- Everything is “oh, remember this? remember that one time?”
- Looking at their debut pictures is trippy
- Their future selves saying hello to their past selves
- They get to the room where each individual member has a glass case dedicated to themself and they’re placed in the order that they used to stand in which puts Daniel’s and Sungwoon’s almost next to each with Jisung’s display in between
- They gawk and coo at each other’s baby pictures for a good while and tease each other for not being as cute now
- There are pictures from Wanna One Go season 1 in Sungwoon’s display including the photo in front of the carousel where they were linked together by the belts
- He remembers how Daniel was paired with Seongwoo and allows himself to be petty
- “How was it sleeping with Seongwoo for the night?” He asks and points to the photo for clarification
- Daniel detects a hint of jealousy so he milks it because at that time Sungwoon was in his “I don’t have feelings for you/ I’m gonna focus on my career” stage.
- “It was really warm actually. A good night spent.” Daniel responds and it’s the truth
- Sungwoon gives Daniel his back as he scoffs internally and rolls his eyes making sure the younger doesn’t see
- (But he does through the reflection in the glass)
- “Maybe if you showed me more love the fans would have paired us together instead but you were so busy rejecting me...”
- Sungwoon turns around with his hands in his peacoat pockets and stares at Daniel.
- “What’s your point?” He asks bitterly
- Daniel’s mouth pulls up into a grin.
- “That I love you.” He says to save face in a way but he also really means it
- The dimness of the room shields Sungwoon’s hot face and ears and he continues walking without saying anything back.
- When Daniel slides their palms together Sungwoon subtly squeezes Daniel’s hand in response to his profession of love
- A silent “me too”
- Arriving at their fake dorm room in their first apartment is a little sad.
- Although they lived in such close quarters and sometimes it was too cramped for all 11 of them plus managers, they made so many memories there.
- It was there first home together
- Where they really learned about each other
- Sleeping habits, eating habits, whose feet smelled the worst, whose body was the best, who liked to cuddle, who liked to be alone
- Where Sungwoon learned the taste of Daniel’s lips when they all had a movie night in the living room and everyone fell asleep
- They made out on the couch next to an unknowing Jihoon as the ending credits rolled
- The bedroom is eerily perfect with personal touches of items they really used
- “Me, Jisung hyung and Seongwoo hyung spent so much time talking instead of sleeping at first. Then it was hard to even say goodnight because we would be asleep before our heads hit the pillow.”
- Sungwoon places his hand on Daniel’s cheek and thumbs at the skin beneath his eye.
- “You had so many schedules. I worried about you a lot.”
- Daniel smiles softly and covers Sungwoon’s hand with his own.
- “I missed you a lot. And the guys. There was a lot of things I missed out on because of those solo schedules. They were fun and worth it but sometimes I think would it have been different if I didn’t become the center?”
- “You would have won everyone over regardless. You’re too cute.”
- “I’m not that cute.”
- Modesty could be Daniel’s middle name
- “Jihoon is really cute. He could have dominated that position easily.”
- Sungwoon laughs and lays on the bed. He curls up and hums into the sheets after taking his shoes off.
- “Smells like old memories.” He says as Daniel snaps a picture.
- Sungwoon feels the bed dip by his feet and opens his eyes to Daniel crawling over him.
- “What are you doing? They can see us!”
- Daniel drops his hands on either side of Sungwoon’s head and a dangerously attractive smirk appears.
- “No one is watching us.” He whispers huskily and gazes at Sungwoon until his defenses fall and he connects their lips softly but with prowess
- Sungwoon finally brings his hands up to Daniel’s neck and Daniel breaks away with a smack of their lips.
- “Do you know how many times I imagined us doing this in the dorm?” He pecks the elder and lays himself between Sungwoon’s legs.
- “Is this like a teenage fantasy come true?”
- Daniel grins and nods “yeah.”
- Hooking his right arm around Daniel’s neck Sungwoon pulls him back in.
- It’s gets warmer between them and Sungwoon grinds his hips against Daniel’s. Daniel pulls away breathlessly with his eyes closed.
- “Don’t do that...”
- Sungwoon drags his palm down to Daniel’s lower back and grinds into him again as Daniel bites Sungwoon’s bottom lip and squeezes his eyes tighter.
- “Hyung please not here.”
- Sungwoon folds his hands around Daniel’s back and kisses the corner of his mouth.
- “Okay”
- Daniel ducks his head into Sungwoon’s shoulder and groans.
- “You make me crazy.”
- Sungwoon laughs giddily and bumps their heads together.
- “Shall we move on?”
- The room they save for last is THE room
- The one with the 11 ranking seats with the LED blue path up to the top.
- The seats are similar albeit a few differences that only the boys themselves would be able to identify.
- “Seat number 56 was my chosen seat with Taehyun hyung right next to me. What a shitty day for our emotions.”
- “Says the guy who got double A’s.”
- Sungwoon can’t stop the broad smile that stretches across his face. It was a proud moment.
- “I sat at 21 with the MMO hyungs. I was a chubby faced kid back then.” Daniel crosses his arms and stares up at seat #1.
- “With pink hair.” Sungwoon adds.
- Daniel laughs. “With pink hair.”
- For a while they gaze up at the seats quietly. Remembering their successes and failures as they fought their way to these seats but also visualizing the other kids smiling down at them as if it were the finale once again. A few weeks short of their grand debut.
- Sungwoon moves to the 11th seat and feels a burst of pride. No matter the ranking or position HE made it. He brought success to his name.
- Not to mention his bank account that didn’t look too shabby anymore
- Daniel takes a picture of him holding up a finger on each hand to represent 11.
- “With your hair under your beanie you look like a beautiful egg.”
- Sungwoon laughs loudly and lightly smacks Daniel’s arm as he pushes out of his seat.
- Daniel seems to be emotionless as Sungwoon waits for him to ascend to his throne. Sungwoon knows he’s trying to stay strong and not let any emotions escape. Just as everyone else had cried their hearts out that night, Daniel had too but that was about it.
- The next day he FaceTimed Sungwoon smiling with reassurances that he was good and that his mind was made of steel.
- “A good graduation” he had called it
- Daniel makes no move to go up to the top so Sungwoon goes first.
- Bouncing up the path to plop down into the top tier chair of Produce 101. It was pretty high up there but Sungwoon couldn’t even imagine the view from the real one
- He looks down at Daniel who didn’t follow him, who is texting on his phone until he feels Sungwoon’s eyes on him and then he aims his camera at him and Sungwoon tilts his head to the side adorably and holds up his index finger
- “Come here” Sungwoon beckons to his reluctant ex-member
- It takes a few moments but Daniel goes up and lets the memories wash over him. The unreal feeling of finishing first over 100 other boys. It would never get old for him.
- Sungwoon hops down and gestures for Daniel to take his seat with a slight bow “my king”
- Daniel chuckles bashfully “Stop”
- Sungwoon offers to take a picture and Daniel nods yes because it may be useful for his Instagram
- “How does it feel?” Sungwoon asks
- “Weird. I can’t believe it’s over.” Daniel responds simply
- “I know.”
- For just under two years, Wanna One accomplished as much as a group who had been together for 5 years. It was a jam packed schedule with barely any time to breath but no one regretted it.
- Instead, they were grateful for the opportunities. For the friendships and bonds created. For all the doors that opened for them to create a better future for themselves.
- It was strange to be apart but even more so to imagine a world where none of this had occurred.
- A world where Sungwoon and Daniel didn’t meet
- A world where Sungwoon and Daniel didn’t fall in love
- And for that reason amongst a million others, they were happy.
- “Do you know the best thing I got out of Wanna One?”
- Sungwoon places his hand beneath his chin and hums. “Popularity?”
- Daniel smiles but shakes his head.
- “Tons of money?”
- “A loyal fan base?”
- “Little brothers?”
- “A promising career in the arts?”
- Daniel drops his head with a burst of laughter. “No, come on. You know the answer.”
- Sungwoon feels warm under Daniel’s stare
- “Me?”
- “Ah finally. The correct answer.”
- Sungwoon places his hands on the top of his head and tries to fight off the big annoying heartfelt smile that wants to light up the whole room at Daniel’s words
- Daniel holds his hand out to Sungwoon and pulls him into his lap
- The chair is big enough for the both of them so they sit comfortably with Daniel’s hands lightly drumming against Sungwoon’s side.
- “How can you say it’s me when you received so many better things?”
- Sungwoon isn’t putting himself down but rather comparing the reality of it all
- “I can’t give you all the things you earned through this experience”
- “You’re right. But you gave me the one thing that no one else could and that equates to so much more than everything else. On a personal level. More than wanting success. I want to love and be loved and that my dear hyung is all you.”
- Sungwoon inhales deeply and falls further into Daniel’s embrace.
- “Went out to get a job and came back with the heart of the nation’s pick”
- Daniel’s eyes crinkle and he laughs with no inhibitions like a perfectly happy child and he kisses Sungwoon’s cheek.
- Without any second thoughts, Daniel locks his arms around Sungwoon’s back and beneath his legs and hoists him up bridal style, jogging down the steps of the place where it all began
- “Make way everyone! I’m going home with my real prize!”
- The empty room fills with echoes of Sungwoon’s high pitched, happy giggles and Daniel’s goofy chuckles.
- If it’s meant to be, it’ll be…
- And baby, it was meant to be