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One of the earliest things that Wooseok learned as an early childhood teacher was that small children said the funniest things and it was his personal opinion that no age group was funnier or weirder than five and six year olds.
Maybe that's because that was the age he had contact with on a daily basis but Jinhyuk had once told him he could write a hilarious sitcom based on the classroom stories he had so he’s probably not alone in thinking that. Wooseok is used to nonsense coming out of the mouths of children and at their age he finds it adorable because they don't know better.
The past few weeks though it's not been the students that have been spouting dumb shit but adults who should know better. Or at least know how to keep their mouths shut.
That's less adorable in fact it's downright annoying.
There's a reason Wooseok prefer to interact with kids.
And Seungwoo.
One
Even though Wooseok can hear Seungwoo’s class next door doing what sounds like an inquiry investigation he really cannot find the energy himself this afternoon to anything nearly as involved so after reading them a story when they come in from lunch he let’s his kids off to do play rotations. Or as far as the kids are aware they have an afternoon of free play.
He does have plans to pull some of the kids aside to listen to them rude but at first he sits at his desk, watching them play and making any anecdotal notes about their development - reporting season might be over but there’s still technically time to make changes before the end of the term.
“Excuse me teacher,” Wonyoung stops in front of his chair, a baby doll perched precariously on each of her hips.
“Yes Wonyoung?” Wooseok asks, putting down his tablet. He can just tell this is going to be another interesting one; Wonyoung is one of the more eccentric kids in his class and he’s often amazed by the things that come out of her mouth.
“You can hold my baby for me?” she asks precariously thrusting one of the dolls in his general direction.
“Can I hold your baby for you?” Wooseok restates her question correctly taking the baby before she drops it, he’s really not in the mood to deal with tears right now, “Of course I can hold your baby for you.”
“Thank you,” Wonyoung nods briskly before she lays the other doll down on the table and starts to strip it of it’s clothes.
“What are you doing there Wonyoung?” Wooseok asks asks he casts his eyes around the rest of the room just to make no one’s getting up to anything ridiculous. It’s surprisingly quiet for free time but he knows he’s not lucky enough for that to last long.
“Baby needs changed,” Wonyoung answers, drawing his attention back to her.
“I see. Do you want me to help with this one?” Wooseok asks referring to the doll he currently has sitting on his lap.
“No. I’m the mummy so it’s my job but I am needing help. It’s hard being a single mum with no help from wife.” She tells him, pausing in her changing of the baby to fix him with solemn eyes.
Wooseok nods his head seriously trying not to laugh, “It is hard to do but you’re doing a wonderful job Wonyoung.”
“It’s because I’m smart.” She responds as she redresses the doll. It doesn’t wear a nappy so all she’s ended up doing it is stripping it’s clothes before putting them back on.
“You are,” Wooseok agrees, noticing out the corner of his eye the way that Serayah is creeping towards the classroom bell.
“Serayah,” Wooseok calls out, watching as they pause with a guilty look on their face, “What are you doing?”
“Nothing?” Serayah says in a way that’s totally unbelievable. That’s Wooseok’s favourite thing about kids this age; they developmentally haven’t learned how to lie convincingly yet.
“Should you be doing nothing now or should you be playing?” Wooseok asks, a loaded question. He knows you’re not really supposed to ask children rhetorical questions but it works for his class.
“Playing.” She answers. Wooseok doesn’t speak again, just watches her until she slinks away to join a group of boys playing lego on the floor.
Wooseok then turns his attention back to Wonyoung who is standing expectantly in front of him with the now clothed doll held upside down in her arms.
“Sorry Wonyoung, where were we?” Wooseok asks, expecting her to want to swap the dolls.
She doesn’t. Instead she asked him, “What about you? Do you have a wife?”
Wooseok blinks for a few seconds totally blindsided by the question before he finds himself answering honestly, “no.”
“Oh okay,” Wonyoung says looking entirely unbothered, “Do you have a husband?”
“No,” Wooseok shakes his head, confused where this line of questioning has come from. Most of his students are still too egocentric to ask him these kinds of things.
“I think you should get a husband,” Wonyoung says with a serious face finally seeming to remember the doll in her arms as she holds it out to Wooseok, “Swap now.”
“You think I should get a husband? Where do you think would I find one?” Wooseok asks obliging her and swapping the dolls.
She’s quiet for a long time, long enough to strip the second doll and redress it.
“I think you should marry Mr. Seungwoo,” She says after much consideration before shrugging, “I can have my daughter now please.”
Wooseok blinks in surprise although he supposes Seungwoo was the only adult besides Hangyul and her parents that she saw him interact with with any regularity.
“Oh and why’s that,” Wooseok can’t help asking.
“Because she’s my daughter,” Wonyoung insists, raising her foot to stamp it. Wooseok shoots her his best teacher look before she can and she lowers it gently to the ground.
Wooseok could leave it at that, he probably shouldn’t encourage students to talk about his personal life, but he’s genuinely fascinated what made her suggest it
“No I mean why should I marry Mr Seungwoo?” Wooseok asks as he hands the doll back to Wonyoung.
“He’s nice to you and helps you stretch for tall things you can’t get because you’re littler than them,” she tells him matter of factly taking the doll from him and promptly dropping it on the table top. Wooseok tries not to laugh.
“Well you should always marry someone who is kind to you,” Wooseok agrees, as the noise in the classroom starts to rise. He really needs to put an end to this conversation and go and deal with that.
“Yes, and Mr Seungwoo is very kind so I think you should marry him soon.” Wonyoung tells him swinging the other doll around by it’s arm.
“Soon?” Wooseok asks distracted noticing that he hasn’t seen Dohyon in a little while. Especially unusual considering when the noise gets too loud he’s usually the centre of the issue.
“Yes. Now. We can plan the wedding for now. Everyone can help. I be flower girl,” Wonyoung insists.
Wooseok looks back at her, wondering what’s going on and why she’s so set on this. It’s obviously not just idle conversation,“Why so soon?”
“Because when my sisters teacher get married she had a baby soon and she bringed her to class. I want to play with a real baby.” Wooseok can’t hold in his laughter this time. Wonyoung really shouldn’t be let anywhere near a real baby.
“I don’t think so Wonyoung,” Wooseok tells her gently, ready for the fight she’s sure to put up.
“Yes! I want to make a wedding.” This time not even Wooseok’s look is enough to stop her stomping her feet “I’d be doing a good job.”
Planning a wedding would be a good source of student directed sociodramatic play. But Wooseok is under no circumstances going to pretend to marry Seungwoo in front of their students.
“Wonyoung!” Yujin calls skipping up to them and dragging a toy pram behind her, “I found a pram for your babies.”
“I don’t want babies I want wedding,” Wonyoung insists much to Yujin’s bafflement.
Wooseok is wondering how on earth he’s going to diffuse this when Dohyon starts screaming blue murder from the bathroom. A few seconds later Minhee runs up to him, pushing past Yujin non to gently.
Wooseok is about to scold him about manners when he speak in a jumble of words and the concern slips from his mind, “Dohyon got stuck in the bathroom.”
Wonyoung shrieks in laughter, skipping off to the toilet presumably to laugh at her classmates misfortune. Wooseok takes a seconds to sigh, cursing the fact that he’s sent Hangyul’s out with the case management group, before he goes off to deal with that. After that all talk of weddings is dropped for the day.
And hopefully forgotten for good.
Two
Of course Wooseok has to tell Seungwoo as soon as he can about Wonyoung's suggestion. As soon as he can turns out to be later that afternoon when they're camped out in Wooseok's classroom programming for the rest of the term.
"You know," Wooseok calls out to Seungwoo who is in the kitchen connecting their classrooms doing who knows what, "I had an interesting conversation with Wonyoung this afternoon."
"Oh yeah?" Seungwoo calls back with a laugh already evident in his voice, "Aren't all conversations with Wonyoung interesting."
"Interesting even by Wonyoung standards," Wooseok clarifies. He could, and should, get up and see what Seungwoo is doing but he’s just got down into this tiny chair and he’s not sure he wants to put effort into getting up. Instead he activates the holographic interface in front of himself and pulls up all the documents they’re going to need.
“Well then, this I’ve got to hear,” Seungwoo returns to the room with two cups in his hand. The cup of black tea he puts in front of Wooseok whilst he cradles the second cup which almost certainly is espresso soda to his own chest as he sits on the table. Seungwoo always claims he’s too small to be sitting for kids furniture and Wooseok honestly doesn’t blame him, “What did Wonyoung have to say?”
Wooseok waits until Seungwoo has taken a sip of his drink before he answers, “She wants us to get married.”
He takes a great deal of satisfaction in the way Seungwoo’s eyes widen and he starts to cough though unfortunately there’s no spit take involved.
(On second thought as funny as that would have been Wooseok really doesn’t want to have to clean it up).
Despite his initial reaction Seungwoo is remarkably calm when he asks, “Oh yeah, why?”
“Because she thinks I need a husband so she can have a real baby to play with,” Wooseok answers, remembering the way she’d manhandled those baby dolls. Hopefully her parents weren’t planning on more kids anytime soon.
“Makes sense I suppose,” Seungwoo said. The longer you did this job the more odd things you just accepted as making sense. A hazard of the profession, “Why does she want us to get married though.”
“Because you’re kind to me and help me reach things that are up high,” Wooseok says with a wry smile. His height honestly isn’t that much of an issue in the classroom; in fact something of a blessing because at least he can fit in children’s furniture (almost) and doesn’t have to bend in half to hear children when they talk to him.
“Sounds like she thinks you need a stepladder not a husband,” Seungwoo quips. Wooseok pulls a face at him in response. Seungwoo is the one that has more problem with his size in their classrooms anyway.
“Well she was trying to plan our wedding not make me a step ladder,” Wooseok retorts. Just imagining the chaos that would be his class trying to plan a wedding is nightmare inducing.
“It would have been a good opportunity for sociodramatic play though,” Seungwoo says having the same first though Wooseok had, “It is good practice to follow the students interests after all.”
“I will kill you,” Wooseok vows, “I have enough blackmail material on Jinhyuk to force him to help me and then they’d never find your body.”
Seungwoo laughs not taking his threat very seriously, “Yes but then you’d have to work with another teacher.”
“Maybe they’d be better than you,” Wooseok mutters under his breath just to be contrary; he knows he couldn’t do much better than Seungwoo.
“They’d probably be worse,” Seungwoo says serenely. Stupid man knowing how much Wooseok relies on him, “What did you say to Wonyoung?”
“Nothing thankfully, Dohyon managed to lock himself in the toilet so I had to go deal with that,” Wooseok sighs. That hadn’t been a fun experience but it had distracted Wonyoung’s attention for the rest of the afternoon so small mercies.
“That child really is Hangyul’s nephew,” Seungwoo says consideringly.
“He spends half his life with Hangyul and Seungyoun he has no real hope,” Wooseok laments. It’s not true, Dohyon is one of the most well adjusted kids in his class despite also being one of the youngest, but he does unfortunately tend to mimic Hangyul and Seungyoun.
“He spends the other half his life with you though so I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Seungwoo says with that disarming sincerity half smile of his.
Wooseok ducks his head to hide the way he flushes at the empty compliment. As common as kind words from Seungwoo are sometimes they still manage to throw him off balance, “Cheesy.”
"You have butterflies your hair," Seungwoo points out instead of acknowledging Wooseok’s faux discomfort, shuffling sideways on the table until he’s sitting as close to Wooseok as he can manage; legs pressed to the side of his chair.
“You can probably thank Hitomi and Chaewon for that,” Wooseok sighs. They were the ones that had been using the foam butterflies in their craft this afternoon though all the kids had made a game out of sticking things into his hair so it presumably could have been anyone.
“Cute,” Seungwoo comments with a wide smile. The tell tale noise of a shutter indicating he’s taken yet another picture. Wooseok is pretty sure there’s an entire album on his phone dedicated to weird things five year olds have done to Wooseok. Once he’s done that he puts down the phone and starts picking the butterflies out of his hair.
“How come you never get made over,” Wooseok leans his head against Seungwoo’s hip so he can get the butterflies at the back.
“I set boundaries with my students,” Seungwoo says primly, fingers combing through Wooseok’s hair in a way that’s more relaxing than it has any right to be.
“Your students climb all over you,” Wooseok retorts. Not that it’s not adorable but Seungwoo really has no room to speak about boundaries.
“But they would stop if I asked them to.”
Wooseok’s not sure he agrees with that; and anyway it’s not like he ever tells his kids to stop sticking craft supplies in his hair. It’s kind of fun and harmless. Unless there’s glitter involved.
Wooseok sighs against Seungwoo’s hip as he continues to run his fingers through his hair. He’s probably playing now - the kids didn’t have that many butterflies to begin with and at least half of them ended up on their drawings. Not that they know what a butterfly is yet but the girls love the shape.
“You feeling alright?” Seungwoo asks softly, continuing his ministrations. Wooseok feels the tension drain out of his shoulders, going boneless and letting Seungwoo support most of his weight.
“Just tired,” It’s not exactly the world’s most comfortable position but the way Seungwoo is playing with his hair is nice enough to make up for it.
They really need to start the programming so they can go home but Wooseok gives himself a few minutes more to relax.
It’s probably a good thing they don’t get started because only a few minutes later they’re interrupted by the arrival of the new school officer, Miss. Kim. Wooseok doesn’t remember her first name.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Miss Kim says, knocking on the doorframe after speaking which kind of defeats the purpose, “I just have a quick question for Seungwoo.”
“Sure,” Seungwoo says. He doesn’t move his hands so Wooseok stays where he is, “what’s up?”
“Have you moved address by any chance? Not that I’m stalking you but your most recent performance review was returned to us.”
“Yeah, I have,” Wooseok can almost see that guilty smile that he’s sporting; no way for Miss Kimto be mad at him. “Sorry I forgot to update the records.”
Wooseok on the other hand is annoyed enough to pull back and glare at him, “That was four months ago.”
“Reports were also four months ago,” Seungwoo offers with a charming smile.
Wooseok narrows his eyes, “How come I managed to do both then?”
“You’re just that much more organised than me?” Seungwoo suggests. That’s not even close to true, he probably though Wooseok would update his details with the school for him like he did everything else.
“It’s no problem,” Miss Kim interjects. Wooseok turns to look at her for the first time this conversation and wonders why she looks so giddy; kind of like Wonyoung when Dohyon was stuck in the toilet this afternoon, “Just tell me your new address and I’ll update it in the system.”
Seungwoo pauses as if he has to think about it, which is entirely unbelievable so Wooseok jumps in for him, “It’s the same as mine you should have all the details you need in the system.”
“You live together?” Miss Kim questions, gesturing between them like it wasn’t obvious who she was talking about.
“Yes,” Wooseok says slowly wondering why she seems so interested in their living arrangements. He’s lived with Seungwoo since university, it’s hardly news. “What about it?”
“It’s just, have you two ever maybe considered dating each other?” She asks. Wooseok has no idea what Seungwoo’s face is doing but he knows he’s glaring.
“Excuse me?” Seungwoo asks, as always much more polite than Wooseok would be.
“It’s just, you’re cute - together and like aesthetically - and weirdly co-dependent and you live together so maybe you should date? And stop giving all the female staff false hope?”
Wooseok blinks, unable to believe she’s just said that. It’s one thing for the kids to be gossiping about his love life, but the other staff is another thing.
“Who are we giving false hope?” Wooseok asks keeping his voice as level as possible. Miss Kim is only a kid just out of high school working her first real world job; Wooseok has to remember that.
“Oh no not me,” Miss Kim rushes to explain, creating a big X in front of her chest with her arms, “Not that you’re not lovely men but that’s not really, my preference,” she says before blushing bright red clearly not intending to out herself.
“Miss Kim,” Seungwoo says gently cutting her off before she works herself up even further; kind of the way he talks to his students actually, “Refocus on the point please.”
“It’s just you have to know like half the single staff want to date both of you right? Even though you spend half your life down here in your early childhood bubble, not that there’s anything wrong with that because god knows if the other classrooms were as nice as yours the teachers would probably spend their breaks in them too,” she starts to ramble and Wooseok starts to tune her out. She’s not wrong they don’t really get up to the main school much but that’s more because of their triple duty load and the long trek than any sense of elitism.
“Miss Kim,” Seungwoo prompts again, firmer this time, “What are you trying to say.”
She takes a deep breathe, before she says firmly, “Just that you guys are cute, and have chemistry. Have you considered dating.”
“He meant about the other staff,” Wooseok picks up his long discarded cup of tea just so that he has something to direct his energy into that’s not an eye roll or snarky comment.
“Oh, well you know. You’re both hot and kind of mysterious so people want to date you, no big deal,” she explains looking set for another rant, “I guess they think they have a chance because you’re nice to them and both seem to be single.”
“Okay, thank you,” Wooseok says loudly ready for this conversation to end and resolute to not go up to the main school during his down time any time soon, “If the address details were all you needed we’re supposed to be doing our programming now.”
“Right, programming,” she raises an eyebrow skeptically; probably justified since that’s not exactly what they were doing when she walked in.
“Goodbye Miss Kim,” Wooseok says pointedly when it becomes clear that she’s waiting for something, “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay I can tell when I’m not wanted. Goodbye,” she waves before finally leaving the room. Empty handed.
“How long?” Wooseok asks, leaning back against Seungwoo, “Will she even notice tonight? Should we move it somewhere else?” Not that he’s feeling petty.
“Don’t prank the poor girl, she had some insightful information to share,” Seungwoo disputes with a laugh, “and I’m sure she’ll realise any second.”
Sure enough Seungwoo’s only just finished talking when Miss Kim rushes back into the room to pick up the tablet she left behind, saluting this time before she scurries off again, hint of a blush dusting her pale cheeks.
Wooseok waits until he’s sure that she’s gone for good before he turns to Seungwoo with an incredulous look, “Twice in one day? What the fuck? And is please date so that I don’t have to listen to heterosexual nonsense in the staff room better or worse than Wonyoung wanting a baby?”
Seungwoo doesn’t give him an answers and instead just laughs at him.
Three
Wooseok genuinely cares for all the students in his class; he enjoys the time he spends with them and nothing makes him prouder than watching them grow and mature as little tiny people.
That said his DOTT periods are the highlight of his week. Especially because Seungwoo shares all but one of them with him and so he can either get a boatload of work done or absolutely nothing depending on his mood.
Today as he wanders through the kitchen into Seungwoo’s classroom he has a case file for one of his students clutched in his hand and a favour to ask of Seungwoo.
Wooseok is not surprised to walk into Seungwoo’s classroom to find him perched precariously between a chair and table trying to hang some of his students work from the light fixtures. He is annoyed though.
“You’re not supposed to be doing that,” he says, leaning against the doorframe. Seungwoo startles at the sound of his voice, dropping the art piece in his hand onto the floor.
“You’re going to kill me one of these days,” Seungwoo grumbles, jumping down from the chair with a wince to pick up the drawing.
“I wouldn’t if you stopped doing stupid things and listened to your doctor,” Wooseok nags, walking further into the room and plucking the picture from Seungwoo’s hands before he can climb back up on the chair, or the table, or any piece of furniture really, “This is what you have an EA for.”
“EA is with the kids,” Seungwoo reminds Wooseok as if his own Hangyul wasn’t also with his kids right now.
“This is not pressing,” Wooseok snarks, throwing the piece along the table before reaching up and pushing on Seungwoo’s shoulders to force him to sit. Of course he doesn’t have the strength to actually force Seungwoo to do anything but he’s counting on Seungwoo just listening to him for once. “Only you could make a knee regeneration take weeks instead of hours to heal.”
To his surprise Seungwoo does fold under the pressure of Wooseok’s hands. Of course he grabs Wooseok’s waist in the process the two of them missing the chair and ending up sprawled on Seungwoo’s reading mat in a pile of limbs, Wooseok thankfully mostly on top because Seungwoo was heavier than him.
“This isn’t doing your knee any good,” Wooseok comments from where he’s lying. His words come out a bit muffled on account of the fact his face is somewhere in Seungwoo’s shoulder but he doesn’t have the energy to get up; the position surprising comfortable.
“Then get off me,” Seungwoo says cheerfully, wrapping his arms tighter around Wooseok in direct contrast to his words.
“I would get off you if you let me go,” Wooseok retorts. Seungwoo does no such thing, just shifts them slightly so that Wooseok is no longer resting any of his weight on his knee.
“Seungwoo,” Wooseok huffs in exasperation. He doesn’t exactly have the time to waste at the moment, no matter how cute Seungwoo is when he gets in one of his moods.
“Wooseok,” Seungwoo mocks him in return, little pout on his face.
“My kids are learning to walk in anti gravity or repair shuttles or whatever it is they do in space class these days, your class is doing who knows what-“
“Library,” Seungwoo interjects dryly.
“Your kids are in Library and I have three hours worth of cutting up to do so if you could let me go I wouldn’t appreciate it,” Wooseok says. He’d honestly be perfectly content to sit here on the floor with Seungwoo for the next ninety minutes but that’s not really what he’s paid to do.
“Fine,” Seungwoo sighs. He let’s go of him after one final big squeeze, letting Wooseok scramble off of him before he pulls himself up using the stationary trolley. Then he hobbles over to the single regular sized chair in the classroom, taking twice as long as usual “What did you come in for?”
“Eunsang is driving me crazy,” Wooseok sighs, hauling himself into a sitting position and leaning back against the stationary trolley, “Or rather his parents are, it’s not really his fault but crazy I am going.”
“Oh?” Seungwoo prompts him to continue.
“He doesn’t hear or understand half of what’s said to him and number of times I have to repeat instructions for him especially if the class is noisy,” Wooseok starts to explain. Half the time he has to get Hangyul to sit with Eunsang and show him what to do but there are 22 other kids in the class and Hangyul’s meant to work with them all.
“Sounds like an auditory processing disorder of some kind,” Seungwoo says thoughtfully. Obviously. Wooseok had been able to come to that conclusion himself.
“That’s what I thought, but his parents are refusing to get him in to see someone because they refuse to accept there’s something wrong with their darling son,” Wooseok rolls his eyes. Parents are genuinely some of the most infuriating people on the planet; parents should legally have to take classes in child development.
“Damn,” Seungwoo says thoughtfully, “Have you tried explaining to them-”
“Yes, I’ve tried explaining multiple times to both parents but they don’t want to listen to me,” Wooseok sighs. He doesn’t know if it’s because they’re older than him or they just have their head buried in the sand but they refuse to believe him, “Do you think maybe you could give it a shot?”
“I’m not his teacher,” Seungwoo points out.
“They’re not listening to his teacher and I’m at my wits ends. I can’t keep going on like this for the rest of the year and Eunsang can’t keep going on like this for the next 12 years. He’s going to start falling behind sooner rather than later,” Wooseok insists. Luckily they’ve managed to prevent that so far but after year 2 there are no full time EAs and class sizes start getting bigger.
“I’ll give it a shot, but if they don’t listen to me you’re going to have to report it to the department,” Seungwoo says like Wooseok didn’t know that. Like the whole reason he was asking Seungwoo wasn’t to prevent that whole beuqacratic nightmare from happening.
“They’ll listen to you, everyone listens to you,” Wooseok flutters his eyelashes in Seungwoo’s direction, “You’re so clever and handsome and knowledgable and charismatic…”
“You’re only nice to me when you want something,” Seungwoo waves a finger at Wooseok like he might tease one of his kids.
“It’s part of my push pull charm.”
“Heavy on the push,” Seungwoo shoots him a glare with absolutely no heat behind it.
“Only for you darling,” Wooseok smiles his winning smile, about to go over and get into Seungwoo’s space just to annoy him when someone clears their throat, causing Wooseok to flinch in shock banging his head against the trolley.
Seungwoo laughs way too hard despite the coloured pencil that Wooseok throws at his head; especially for someone that almost fell off a desk from being surprised not ten minuets ago.
“Umm, excuse me,” someone says from he corner of the room Seungwoo has set up as an earth monitoring station. Wooseok whips his head towards the voice to find a boy that looks about the same age as Hangyul staring at the two of them in fascination, “I don’t mean to intrude but I have a question,” he looks at Seungwoo not quite meeting Wooseok’s eye. Interesting.
“Has he been in here the entire time?” Wooseok hadn’t noticed anyone else in the room but then again he’d had pretty strong tunnel vision over the sight of Seungwoo being an idiot. Who the fuck is he? He doesn’t ask because Jinhyuk tells him that’s rude. “Have you been here the entire time?” he asks the boy, voice more accusing than he perhaps intended.
“Yes,” Seungwoo shrugs like it’s no big deal before turning to the boy, “Yohan this is Wooseok the other prep teacher. Wooseok - Yohan here is a pre-service teacher.”
“And you got assigned Seungwoo as a mentor?” He turns to look at the younger boy more closely. He looks a bit nervous but Wooseok remembers his first practical placement and doesn’t blame him, “You were unlucky there kid.”
Yohan pales slightly and Seungwoo turns to glare at his so he rushes to add, not looking away from Seungwoo “I’m kidding of course. You got lucky Seungwoo is amazing.”
Yohan is saved from having to answer by a knocking on the classroom door, Seungyoun’s head popping up so it can be seen through the window in the door.
“We’re on DOTT,” Wooseok calls out in annoyance as Seungyoun pushes the door open without being asked in, “There are no children here for you to terrorise.”
“Don’t be silly, it’s always you I want to terrorise,” Seungyoun says with a blinding smile, before he seems to notice Yohan much quicker than Wooseok did, “Or maybe it’s the fresh meat I want to terrorise.”
“Or maybe if you insist on being here when you don’t work here anymore you could make yourself useful and stop being a creep,” Wooseok smiles sweetly. Seungyoun doesn’t work here anymore, hasn’t since his actual music career had started to take off, but still he can be found on the campus a couple of times a week. He says he’s lending a hand but mostly he just plays with the kids, hovers around Hangyul and maybe let’s Wooseok or Seungwoo strong arm him into helping with menial labour once in a blue moon.
It’s probably of questionable legality but all of Seungyoun’s working with children clearances are up to date so Wooseok doesn’t mind.
“I was just being friendly,” Seungyoun protests. In all honesty he’s not actually going to do anything to Yohan but the poor kid probably just wants some time with his mentor on (presumably) his first day.
“Your friendly is terrifying, come on,” Wooseok gets up and grabs Seungyoun by the wrist dragging him towards his own classroom, “You can help me with cutting - on the lines this time please - and let Yohan and Seungwoo work out their game plan for this placement.”
“Oh, prac student,” Seungyoun nods in understanding, throwing a genuine good luck at Yohan over his shoulder before letting Wooseok drag him away.
(Of course Seungyoun can’t actually keep his mischief to himself and Wooseok catches him on his next visit to the school a couple of days later chatting to Yohan in the storeroom.
“So Wooseok and Seungwoo are they a thing?” Yohan is asking, because of course he is. Though at least this time Wooseok gets why he’s come to that conclusion after his first impression of them.
He can’t hear what Seungyoun says in response because he’s keeping his voice low for the first time in his life. Wooseok’s glad because he’s sure whatever Seungyoun is saying
“I don’t know, I just think they’d make a good couple. I think they should date,” Yohan shrugs his shoulders uncomfortably, “Do they know they act like a couple? Do I need to say something?”
Wooseok still doesn’t catch exactly what Seungyoun says in response but judging from the way Yohan flushes and glances down at the ground it’s surely a crude joke he doesn’t want to know about. He already wants to throttle Seungyoun so best he doesn’t find out.
He backs away without making his presence known. If Yohan wants to gossip behind their back then that’s his business; or at least it’s Seungwoo’s problem to deal with).
Four
When Wooseok emerges from his classroom at the end of the school day to find Song Yuvin standing waiting he tries not to groan. It’s not that he has anything against Yuvin he just doesn’t really know him that well. He’s friends with Kookheon but Kookheon was more of Jinhyuk or Seungwoo’s friend than Wooseok’s. His much younger sister is in Seungwoo’s class but honestly Wooseok can’t remember her name.
Well that and he likes to talk. Talk with a sort of manic energy that’s exhausting after a day dealing with children.
“Afternoon Yuvin,” Wooseok greets with a smile, hoping that maybe one of his students parents wants to have a chat about something - anything really, “Are you waiting for Seungwoo?”
Hopefully he’s waiting for Seungwoo.
“Not specifically,” Yuvin shrugs, he has his sisters bag hung over one of his shoulder’s and it bangs against his shoulder with the movement.
“I see,” Wooseok says not inviting the conversation. There’s something about the way Yuvin is looking at him that makes him deeply uncomfortable in a foreboding kind of way.
“Kookheon and I have a little bet going,” Yuvin says without preamble; apparently deciding today is a day he’s going to stand and make conversation. Maybe he’s just waiting for a glimpse of Seungwoo.
“I don’t want to know,” Wooseok tells him, keeping an eye on the kids milling around in the playground out of instinct even though all of his students except for Hyeongjun have been picked up by parents and so he has no duty of care anymore.
“But it’s about you and we need you to settle it for us. My favourite guitar is on the line here,” Yuvin pleads earnestly though not entirely convincingly.
Wooseok still doesn’t want to know, “That’s not my fault.”
“Come on it’s just a yes or no question,” Yuvin insists as Hyeongjun apparently decides he’s had enough of being the only one still in the classroom and between one blink and the next appears by Wooseok’s waist.
“Hold that thought,” Wooseok tells Yuvin looking down to Hyeongjun with a smile, “Thank you for waiting Hyeongjun, what’s up ?”
“Your welcome,” Hyeongjun says in a small voice before he pulls on Wooseok’s hand - the universal signal the kids have developed for when they want to whisper something to him.
Wooseok obliges sinking down into a squat so he’s more or less on eye level and waits.
“My mum forgot me,” Hyeongjun whispers, looking up at Yuvin. Thankfully having noticed that Yuvin isn’t talking anymore his sister has come over and is distracting his attention.
“I’m sure she didn’t forget you, she must just be running late,” Wooseok reassures him. Hyeongjun’s mother often runs late but talking with her only results in her being on time for a day or two before she’s back into the usual habit.
“When do you think she’ll be coming?” Hyeongjun asks. Wooseok tries not to let his annoyance show on his face because it’s not Hyeongjun he’s annoyed with.
“I don’t know. Probably soon. Why don’t you keep a look out,” Wooseok suggests, wanting to distract the kid.
“Okay,” Hyeongjun nods resolutely before he looks at his shoes and asks, “I’m a little bit little though. Can I have a lift?”
“Of course you can,” Wooseok laughs, letting the boy climb onto his shoulders before he stands at full height. He stands next to Yuvin this time so Hyeongjun can face the door his mother would come through when she finally arrived.
Then Wooseok turns his attention back to Yuvin who wastes no time in pulling out the puppy eyes again, “Please.”
“Fine, ask your question,” Wooseok sighs knowing full well that Yuvin won’t drop it until he does. Before he’s even finished speaking the sparkle in Yuvin’s eye makes him regret it.
“So you know how everyone but you and Seungwoo know that you’re meant to be together, you’d make the perfect couple you’re literal soulmates….” Yuvin says cheerfully.
“Yuvin,” Wooseok warns him with a sigh. Not this again.
“Alright, alright my question is have you and Seungwoo pulled your heads out of your asses and bumped uglies yet?” Yuvin sing songs cheerfully in the kind of voice that you use to talk to a baby. Wooseok isn’t sure if he’s more horrified by Yuvin asking that (and in front of the kids) or the phrase bump uglies itself.
“You’re holding a five year old, standing in the middle of a school yard,” Wooseok points out, “It’s not the time or place.” It’s never the time or place but especially not now.
“He can’t understand me,” Yuvin says with confidence that’s awe inspiring and entirely misplaced “You just need to use a cheerful voice.”
As if to prove Yuvin wrong Hyeongjun pipes up, “bumping uglies,” from on top of Wooseok’s shoulders.
Wooseok shoots Yuvin an unimpressed glare that Yuvin shrinks back from. Wooseok’s glad to know even with a five year old sitting on his shoulders he can still be intimidating.
“They’re five years old not five months old Yuvin,” Wooseok hisses wanting to say something more but not going to in the school yard. It’s probably a good thing, if word got back to administration he was threatening guardians he might lose his job, “They understand what you’re saying.”
Yuvin looks down at his sister with wide horrified eyes as she swings on his arms, “they do?”
“Oh no, did you do a fuck up?” his sister asks with earnest eyes, probably having no idea what a crisis she’s caused in her brother. Wooseok tries not to laugh.
“You do not repeat any of that,” Wooseok warns Hyeongjun. Chances are he’s heard worse but he doesn’t want him parroting any of that at home, “Those are bad, mean words you shouldn’t say to anyone.”
“Don’t say mean words,” Hyeongjun tells Yuvin, pulling on Wooseok’s hair in the process, “Or you’ll get in trouble.”
“Yes and Mr. Yuvin is in trouble,” Wooseok tells Yuvin with a significant look. Not that he sees Yuvin enough to really follow through on that but he likes to think Yuvin is still intimidated enough by him he doesn’t have to do anything.
“Oh Yuvin’s in trouble,” his sister cackles. No doubt she’ll be telling her parents about this which brings Wooseok some deal of satisfaction.
“Are you going to move his name to a red choice?” Hyeongjun asks seriously. Wooseok really wishes he could see his face right now.
“Yuvin isn’t part of our class so he’s not on our choice chart, but Yuvin was definitely making red choices.”
“You know who else is making red choices? Red choices for my wallet,” Yuvin says, unwilling to let this go.
Wooseok is on the verge of saying fuck school etiquette and regulations and throttling him when Seungwoo arrives to save the day. He’s holding the hand of one of the little girls in his class, tilting comically to one side so he can hold one without pulling her arm up above her head.
This is why Wooseok’s smaller stature is an advantage in their line of work.
“Hey, I was about to take Nako up to the office, do you want me to take Hyeongjun too?” Seungwoo asks, resting a hand on Wooseok’s back clearly able to tell how annoyed he is and offering brief reassurance.
“Mr. Seungwoo,” Hyeongjun cries at the mention of his name sticking an outstretched hand in Seungwoo’s face, “Hi-5!”
Seungwoo let’s go of Nako’s hand so he can oblige as Yuvin whispers something that sounds like ‘that shit’s breathtaking bro’ under his breath. Wooseok doesn’t question or acknowledge it.
“No it’s okay I can take them instead,” Wooseok says knowing that Seungwoo will understand that Wooseok is desperate to get out of this conversation.
“If you insist,” Seungwoo slides his hands over Wooseok’s back till it’s resting on his hip, giving a firm squeeze before letting go.
“Okay Hyeongjun you’re going to have to get down now,” Wooseok says as Seungwoo reaches over to their bag hooks and plucks the one remaining school bag down.
“But I don’t want to. I’m look out,” Hyeongjun says. Wooseok is glad he can’t see his face at the moment because even he can’t resist the kids puppy eyes.
“Yes but you need to carry your backpack and I can’t do it for you,” Wooseok says. Also he’s not sure that he’s exactly allowed to carry his students around the school although piggy back rides are much safer than any other way.
“I can carry it,” Nako offers despite the fact her own backpack is dwarfing her tiny frame.
“Thank you for the offer Nako but Hyeongjun can carry his own bag,” Seungwoo says as Wooseok pulls Hyeongjun off his shoulders and sets him on the ground. Despite his complaints he doesn’t actually protests and thanks Seungwoo politely when he hands him his school bag.
Wooseok waits until he puts the backpack on before he grabs both of the kids hands and heads towards admin. “I’ll be back in five minutes,” he tells Seungwoo because he promised to help him hang some of the kids work up this afternoon to save his knee. Please chase Yuvin away before then.
“No rush,” Seungwoo waves them off calling goodbye to the kids before he turns to Yuvin with a polite smile, “Were you hanging around for a reason? Waiting to talk about our progress?
Wooseok laughs, unable to cover his mouth as usual because he has a child hanging onto each hand.
“Just think about it,” Yuvin calls after Wooseok as he walks away, Seungwoo looking confused. Wooseok has no doubt that Seungwoo is going to find out what he’s talking about soon enough, “And not just because I have my pride and future riding on it.”
Five
Finally, the end of the school term arrives. Yohan finishes his placement, Seungwoo manages to get off his knee for long enough for it to heal, and Wooseok is faced with the prospect of spending two weeks straight away from the classroom and child sized furniture.
Of course Seungyoun takes the end of the term to mean time for them to all go out drinking, and with everyone else eager to agree Wooseok finds himself walking into a bar with Seungwoo on the last Friday of the school term when he’d much rather go home and sleep for two days straight.
They’d stayed back at the school to make sure that the classrooms were tidy for the start of the next term (so they didn’t have to do it during the break) and so they’re the last ones to arrive; even Yohan getting there before them thanks to Hangyul’s invite.
“Wooseok we all know you’re the prettiest,” Seungyoun says as Wooseok approaches the table, “You don’t have to rub it in by going all out like this.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Wooseok blinks. Of course he’s the best looking but he’s just come straight from school.
“Glitter” Seungwoo says helpfully. Wooseok has no idea what he means until he reaches out to rub a hand through Wooseok’s hair roughly. Sure enough a shower of glitter is dislodged all over the table Seungyoun and Jinhyuk are sitting at.
“You couldn’t have told me that earlier?” he looks at Seungwoo with a glare before also looking at Hangyul and Yohan.
“I didn’t notice,” Hangyul shrugs which makes sense considering he never wears his damn glasses. Yohan doesn’t say anything which doesn’t surprise Wooseok. Yohan doesn’t really speak to him much, especially not when he’s in what Seungwoo calls one of his ‘moods’.
“You looked cute,” Seungwoo shrugs even as he reaches out to run a finger slowly up Wooseok’s cheekbone. It would all be very intimate if Wooseok didn’t know for a fact Seungwoo was rubbing glitter on his face.
“Do you have to?” He asks with a glare that’s probably not very effective.
“Yes,” Seungwoo says before doing the same thing to Wooseok’s other cheekbone, “And now you match.”
Wooseok swats his hands away with a grumble, “I also matched before you assaulted me with glitter that’s going to take eight showers to wash out.”
Seungwoo doesn’t look at all ashamed, in fact he smiles in that smug way of his before he shrugs, “Now your sparkle.”
“Disgusting,” Wooseok mutters as he sits down next to Jinhyuk.
“You are,” Jinhyuk agrees underneath his breath. Wooseok elbows him in the side for that one.
“Looks like we need more drinks,” Seungwoo says, looking over the table instead of sitting down.
“You offering to buy?” Seungyoun asks. They all know he is because Seungwoo always does.
“Yes, but Yohan is coming with me to carry,” Seungwoo says still ordering Yohan around like he does in the classroom even though he’s no longer his responsibility in any capacity.
They take Seungyoun and Hangyul’s orders before wandering off towards the bar, leaving Wooseok to turn his attention towards the other occupants. He’d seen Seungyoun and Hangyul at school earlier but it’d been a few days since he’d talked to Jinhyuk and even longer since he’d seen him.
“Yohan still in love?” Seungyoun asks snarkily before Wooseok has a chance to strike up a conversation with Jinhyuk, looking out towards him.
“With who?” Jinhyuk asks, twisting the beer glass that had probably once been Seungyoun’s between his hands.
“I mean yesterday he was trying to help the kids plan Seungwoo and Wooseok’s wedding,” Hangyul interjects leaning against Seungyoun’s side looking as exhausted as Wooseok feels. What does he have to be exhausted about his day is nine to three?
“Hey,” Wooseok reaches across the table to pinch his hand, “I though we agreed to put a stop to that.”
“I wasn’t planning, and anyway I’m just a lowly EA,” Hangyul sticks his tongue out at Wooseok. Wooseok kicks him under the table but misses and hits Seungyoun who let’s out an over exaggerated cry of pain.
Good, he deserves it.
“Why are the kids planning a wedding?” Jinhyuk asks with the air of someone who’s already sorry he asked.
“A child told Wooseok to marry Seungwoo the other week,” Hangyul tells Jinhyuk, bored with the whole story and how many times Seungyoun has told it. Wooseok agrees but Seungyoun will not let it go, “Didn’t Wooseok tell you?”
“I was too busy complaining about my good for nothing EA and the useless creepy who comes and hangs around on school property for no reason,” Wooseok sniffs haughtily. Honestly Wonyoung telling him to get married wasn’t even in the top five most ridiculous things that happened that day and he doesn’t tell Jinhyuk everything that happens in his day. Mostly.
“Sounds like he’s a bit of a creep,” Jinhyuk comments mildly; Wooseok knew there was a reason he was his favourite.
“I think he just relates to the five year olds on an intellectual level,” Wooseok says, pulling his feet up onto his seat so Seungyoun can’t try and kick him in retaliation as he’s bound to do.
“Look I’m just saying maybe the kid has a point; maybe she sees things we don’t.” Seungyoun says. Wooseok really wishes Seungwoo would return with their drinks so he could pour his over Seungyoun’s head.
“The same child told me ducks were the future of space travel the other day,” Wooseok points out ignoring the way Jinhyuk is giggling into his drink, “I don’t think she sees anything.”
“That’s actually a compelling point,” Seungyoun says thoughtfully even though he knows it’s pure nonsense.
“Of course you think so,” Hangyul snorts at the same time Jinhyuk scoffs
“Are you wasted?”
“It’s not my fault that children are more enlightened than you, they have their minds open to the world of possibilities,” Seungyoun says airily. Lucky fucker is just so used to freelancing he forgot about the stressed of the adult world.
“It’s a Friday night and we’re out for a drink,” Seungwoo announces his return by setting a couple of drinks on the table with more force than is necessary, some sort of cocktail slopping over the edge of the glass and onto Seungyoun’s hand “This is a child free zone. No talking about students or children or minors.”
Now that Wooseok can get behind.
“Sorry Yohan,” Seungyoun looks over Seungwoo’s shoulder at the returning kid as he licks the alcohol off his hand, “We can’t talk about you. Can we even talk to children?”
“Well I’m talking to you aren’t I,” Seungwoo throws a napkin at Seungyoun’s head before sliding into the seat next to Wooseok.
“Hey! Hangyul is younger than me!” Yohan protests sounding more petulant than usual. Wooseok wonders how much the others had to drink before they got here. Maybe he should ask Jinhyuk.
“Yeah but I have a full time job and don’t live with my parents,” Hangyul retorts as if he’s not lying on a man that currently lives with his mother.
Yohan retaliates by taking a huge swig of the drink in his hand before handing it over to Hangyul with a smile; clearly it was Hangyul’s drink.
“So Yohan,” Jinhyuk says loudly cutting off the argument before it begins thankfully. Not that Wooseok is opposed to watching the others make a fool out of themselves but he’s had a long week, “How’s it feel to finally be done with your placement. Glad to be out from under Seungwoo’s thumb?”
“Hey it could have been worse,” Seungwoo protests, winding an arm around Wooseok’s neck and managing to nuzzle his face into his neck despite how much shorter Wooseok is, “He could have had Wooseok.”
“He literally couldn’t have. Wooseok is still provisional,” Hangyul points out before Wooseok gets the chance.
“Ummm, he was actually pretty good,” Yohan says. He has to say it of course but he clearly means it as well, “Some of my classmates had awful mentors.”
“You know what that means though,” Wooseok says cheerfully, shifting around slightly so he can accomodate Seungwoo’s weight on him without disrupting him, ending up with his hand on Seungwoo’s knee, “Law of averages says you’re going to have a monster of a mentor for your final placement.”
“Enough,” Seungwoo whines into Wooseok’s shoulder, “This is too close to talk of students.”
“No one has mentioned a student,” Wooseok pinches the inside of the knee satisfied with the way he flinches against him.
“Except you by mentioning students,” Seungyoun says.
Seungwoo pulls a face getting ready to snark back at Seungyoun when his phone goes off and instead he’s distracted by reaching for that.
“Byungchan’s here,” Seungwoo perks up considerably, giving Wooseok a tight squeeze before he gets up and rushes off.
“Five bucks says he doesn’t make it back to the table for at least an hour,” Seungyoun says.
“No one is dumb enough to take you up on that,” Jinhyuk says shooting Yohan a look, “Don’t take that bet.”
Yohan laughs, “I’ve seen Seungwoo in the staff room, I imagine he’s only worse with friends.”
“You did learn something in your time with us,” Wooseok says clutching a hand to his chest, “Genuinely shocking news.”
“Seungwoo has made it to the dance floor,” Jinhyuk says like a news reporter, “How long before the shirt comes off?” He’s barely even finished his sentence before the shirt Seungwoo wore to work today is totally unbuttoned, “Well I guess that answers itself.”
“I have never seen a man strip that fast,” Hangyul says watching Seungwoo with interest. Hangyul has come out drinking with them before but apparently he was too drunk previously to remember Seungwoo doing this because it’s not exactly uncommon.
“His shirt is still on,” Jinhyuk points out with a bored tilt of his head, “Not even top five. Seungwoo was wild in university.”
“Seungwoo?” Hangyul asks in confusion whilst Yohan looks genuinely shocked, “How wild could he have been.”
“Total THOT,” Jinhyuk answers with a sage nod. Wooseok is content enough to sit back and let Jinhyuk take this one, “He was pretty bad in his first year out of university as well but then he settled down for obvious reasons.”
“Seungwoo?” Yohan repeats quietly. Wooseok hides a laugh into his drink.
“God Seungwoo was the worlds biggest slut. One time in university he had this one night stand who had a dog right,” Seungyoun starts to say before Wooseok nips that straight in the bud launching himself across the table to cover Seungyoun’s mouth.
“Don’t you dare,” he smiles sweetly, removing his hand but not before slapping Seungyoun’s cheek in warning first.
“It’s not a story about you,” Seungyoun scoffs.
“Yes but if Seungwoo finds out you told it, and to Yohan of all people, he’ll murder you, go to jail and then I’ll be forced to live without him,” Wooseok explains. It all seems very simple to him.
“And we all know you wouldn’t be able to survive without your better half,” Jinhyuk says with a knowing smile.
“Exactly,” Wooseok says, sitting back next to him and picking his drink back up determined that now he’s going to ignore the idiots and catch up with Jinhyuk.
Unsurprisingly it only takes until Seungyoun has finished his drink to decide they’re boring and drag Hangyul and Yohan off into the crowd. Wooseok has no inclination to move for the foreseeable future after such a draining term and Jinhyuk seems more than fine to sit with him and chat, keeping an eye on their friends.
At some point Seungwoo and Seungyoun return. Seungwoo drapes his sweaty shirt over Wooseok’s head and Seungyoun steals the rest of his drink before they’re off again.
Eventually though when Wooseok starts to fall asleep where he’s sitting they decide it’s time to round up the others. Wooseok convinces Jinhyuk to brave the people to try and find them and a few minutes later he appears with Seungyoun who he pushes into Wooseok’s arms before disappearing again in search of the others.
Wooseok holds onto Seungyoun who is liable to wander off at a moments notice. Not that he seems likely to do so at the moment with the way he’s leaning most of his weight on Wooseok’s shoulder slumped down in the booth.
Wooseok’s just glad Seungwoo doesn’t get drunk will be able to help with the other three idiots when Jinhyuk finds him- judging by the way Seungyoun’s been rambling about Hangyul and Yohan’s plans to live their bar dancing fantasies.
“You know,” Seungyoun says as Wooseok tightens his arms around his shoulder to keep him upright, “That kid has a point.”
“What kid?” Wooseok asks, rather confused about what Seungyoun is talking about, pushing the sleeves of Seungwoo’s shirt that he’s now wearing up so he can get a better grip on Seungyoun.
“The one who wants you to marry Seungwoo,” Seungyoun says like he thinks it should be obvious. Maybe it should have been considering how he won’t shut up about it. Wooseok really regrets telling Hangyul about that (though he bets Hangyul regrets telling Seungyoun even more), “She’s had like a galaxy brain moment. Give that child an A.”
“How drunk are you to be spouting this shit?” Wooseok asks, Seungyoun definitely knows better. Wooseok knows he knows better.
“Not drunk. Just saying you should hurry up and marry Seungwoo already. You’d make cute husbands,” Seungyoun says. Usually he can hold his liquor a lot better than this so Wooseok is baffled and almost concerned. Almost. It could just be Seungyoun spouting his usual bullshit.
“Oh yeah, why are you pushing this,” Wooseok pinches Seungyoun’s shoulder to force an answer.
“Because if you two get married then Seungwoo will have to invite his sister right, and his sister is not only hot but famous and rich,” Seungyoun sighs dreamily, staring off into space.
Wooseok blinks, “Let me get this straight,” he says as slowly as he can manage, “You think I should marry Seungwoo so that you can hook up with his sister. Even though she has much better taste than you.”
“Yes,” Seungyoun nods enthusiastically.
Wooseok doesn’t even feel remotely guilty for pushing Seungyoun off of him, even though he lands on the floor with a thump.
“If I was going to marry Seungwoo you wouldn’t be invited,” Wooseok says, ignoring the way that Seungyoun moans in pain pathetically from where he’s sprawled on the ground.
Serves him right for talking such ridiculous bullshit.
+ One
“I want you to know when we get married we’re not inviting Seungyoun,” Wooseok tells Seungwoo as they stand on the street outside Hangyul’s apartment having had to escort the two disasters back home from the bar. They probably could have made it home alone but Wooseok wouldn’t have slept too aware of the possibility they could have ended up squished to death in a turbo lift or something.
“For any particular reason?” Seungwoo asks, wrapping an arm around Wooseok’s shoulder as they stroll down the street that’s empty. Most of the stations residents resorting to turbo lifts rather than wandering the streets at this time of night, “Or are you just grumpy that you’re not in bed yet because you worry about his safety?”
Wooseok might be slightly grumpy about not being cuddled up in bed right now but it’s mostly at Seungyoun’s stupid comments from earlier in the evening.
“He told me tonight we should get married so he has an opportunity to meet Sunhwa and hook up with her,” Wooseok says, craning his neck to look up at Seungwoo so he can see his response to that. He’s not disappointed by the expression of disgust that crosses his face.
“Neither of them are single,” Seungwoo protests, like that would ever stop Seungyoun.
Wooseok laughs, “I think she’s one of his freebie five or whatever kids these days are calling it.”
“And in what world would Sunhwa have bad enough taste to want to fuck Seungyoun?”
“She wouldn’t. Your sister is the smartest Han,” Wooseok shrugs, huddling in closer to Seungwoo’s side to get away from the cold; there’s no need for the station to follow earth’s seasons and yet it does. Wooseok is still wearing Seungwoo’s shirt and he’s cold yet Seungwoo apparently feels nothing wearing only a tank top.
“She has made the best relationship choices,” Seungwoo agrees with a cheeky smile. Wooseok pinches him out of obligation but his heart isn’t really in it.
Instead he’s distracted by how beautiful Seungwoo looks with the artificial moonlight illuminating his features. Seungwoo is beautiful but in the light he looks otherworldly.
Beautiful and kind. Wooseok is incredibly lucky. His job, his friends, his relationship. There really is nothing he can complain about.
“Hey,” Seungwoo says, voice low despite the fact there’s no one around, “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” he taps a finger against Wooseok’s temple, letting his finger linger there as they draw to a stop.
“Just thinking,” Wooseok sighs as Seungwoo drapes his other arm around Wooseok’s shoulder so they stand facing each other, as best they can. The hand on his temple moves to cradle his head and Wooseok leans into it with a sigh letting the tension of the term go.
“About?” Seungwoo prompts.
“You,” Wooseok answers. Wooseok is good at pretty words he’s been told, he can talk his way around anything, but he’s not good with pretty words about things that matter. Nothing seems quite enough.
“How much have you had to drink?” Seungwoo asks, swaying them side to side on the spot in the middle of the street. Dancing to a song no one else can hear.
“Not much,” Wooseok says, petulantly. Isn’t he just allowed to appreciate Seungwoo?
“Ahh, it’s all the stress of the term melting away,” Seungwoo nods knowingly, mirroring Wooseok’s own thoughts as he draws him impossibly closer.
Wooseok buries his head against Seungwoo’s neck and nods.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Seungwoo asks quietly for what feels like the twentieth time over the past few weeks.
“Fine,” Wooseok answers as he always does. He understands why Seungwoo asks so much but he really is fine, “Looking forward to not leaving bed for the next two weeks.”
“In your dreams maybe,” Seungwoo laughs.
“In my dreams neither of us leave the bed,” Wooseok mutters, lips pressed against Seungwoo’s neck, smirking at the way Seungwoo shivers.
Then because there’s nothing more fun than teasing Seungwoo he presses a quick open mouthed kiss onto Seungwoo’s collarbone before he steps back, “Plus,” he says with a teasing smile lacing their fingers together, “If I don’t leave the house then no one will try and set me up with my boyfriend of four years.”
Seungwoo throws his head back and laughs, pulling their intertwined hands up so he can press a kiss to the back of Wooseok’s hand. Wooseok is hit with the most overwhelming urge of fondness for his boyfriend; a feeling he hasn’t gotten used to even after all this time.
Who cares about what the gossip at school says or the jokes their stupid friends make. Who cares that people think they have sexual tension not a relationship just because they don’t do PDA at their workplace.
Just because they chose not to broadcast their relationship at school doesn’t mean Wooseok loves Seungwoo any less.
Overcome by the urge to kiss this man he loves Wooseok stops in the middle of the street, gets up on his tip toes and pulls Seungwoo down until their lips meet. Sure Wooseok wants to be at home in bed, but maybe standing in the artificial moonlight kissing the person that makes his house a home is even better.