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“Cheers!”
“To our Changbin!”
Changbin raises his glass of rum and coke, clinking it to his friends’ drinks, a big grin on his face.
It’s twelve minutes past midnight, which now makes him twenty-four years and twelve minutes old. The previous year he had to spend his birthday alone, but now his two best friends dragged him out to a bar to celebrate and it’s honestly the best feeling ever. It’s hard to hide how happy he is, so he doesn’t and smiles until his cheeks hurt.
Jisung chugs his shot in one go and says, “You need to get laid tonight, hyung. There’s nothing like birthday sex.”
Changbin almost chokes on his drink.
“Jisung, knock it, you’re killing him,” Chan says, “besides, I heard birthday blowjobs are pretty decent too.” He hits Changbin’s shoulder, a shit-eating grin on his face.
Changbin stares down into his glass. It’s true that it’s been a while, and for a good reason. Lately he’s just been too busy with life, with work, to even consider dating someone. “I don’t know guys, I’m not as good at scoring hookups like you two are.”
“Nonsense. Come on, let’s find you a cute guy,” Jisung starts looking around, and then holds up his hands in apology. “Or girl, I don’t judge.”
Chan snorts. “We’re at a gay bar, Ji.”
“Listen, what I’m saying is,” Jisung pours himself another shot from the bottle he ordered, “you’re cute, Bin. I bet you can get anyone you want in this place.”
Changbin looks up at that, eyebrows raised. “A bet?”
“Oh no, you said the B-word,” Chan says as he steals Jisung’s glass from under his nose, ignoring the other's whines as he downs it.
“Okay, if this is what it takes to get you off your ass and into someone’s bed.” Jisung leans back into his seat. “I bet you can ask anyone out in this place, and they’ll say yes.”
“How much money are we talking here?” Changbin asks in his business voice.
Jisung leans forward, his hands folded, face serious. “A million won.”
Chan sighs. “Jesus–”
“Deal.” Changbin says within a heartbeat. “On one condition. Chan gets to choose the guy.”
“Hey, don’t get me involved in this.” Chan takes another shot. “This is like making me choose between my kids. One of you guys will lose and I don’t wanna have that on my conscience.”
“Come on, hyung, you got this.” Jisung moves closer to Chan and puts on his puppy eyes. “You know I love you right? Pick a good one.”
Changbin brings his fist down to the table, making Jisung jump. “Hey, that’s cheating!”
“No fighting!” Chan yells over the bar’s music. “Alright, let’s see.” He looks around, his frown turning into an entertained smile once his eyes land on a target. “The bartender.”
Changbin stretches his neck to look over his shoulder. It’s that one guy, the one he never dares to order from since he’s too beautiful and too tall. People like that make Changbin’s hands sweat and his knees shake, which are things he’d rather not experience on a night out, especially on his birthday. But now he’s got enough alcohol in his system that he thinks he might actually get past a ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’. Besides, if he fucks up he wins a shitload of money, so what can go wrong honestly?
Changbin stands and wipes the folds out of his pants. “Oh ye, he’ll definitely turn me down. Thanks Channie.” He holds out his hand for Jisung to shake. “We still got a deal?”
Jisung’s eyes are on the bartender, and for a second he seems like he’s gonna back out, but then he takes Changbin’s hand and shakes it enthusiastically. “Have fun losing!”
Unfortunately, Changbin’s hands do start to sweat as he makes his way to the bar. He watches the guy work, pretty hands polishing a glass. When he holds it up to the dim light of the bar to check it for stains, Changbin thinks he might not even make it past one minute of conversation with this guy. Quickly he goes over all his usual pickup lines in his mind, and decides on the one that has given him the least success.
“What can I get for you?” the bartender asks as Changbin reaches the bar, throwing a dishcloth to the side.
Changbin clears his throat and asks, “Do you come here often?”
The guy frowns, and then replies, “I work here,” his face serious.
Changbin mentally slaps himself, but then remembers this only works in his advantage. His goal is to get turned down after all.
He can barely make eye contact as he asks, “Did it hurt?”
The bartender dramatically rolls his eyes. “Lemme guess. When I fell down from heaven? Look if you’re not here for a drink, then run along.”
Changbin looks down at his shoelaces, suddenly feeling small under the other’s gaze. This already feels like being turned down, but he hasn’t asked him out yet, so it doesn’t count as a win. Faintly, he hears Jisung wolf whistle from the other end of the bar.
The guy puts his hand on the bar and asks, “Wait, did your friends put you up to this?” His voice is softer this time, almost like he’s taking pity on Changbin.
Jisung and him didn’t agree to any terms, so he figures being honest isn’t technically cheating. “Yeah, I had to ask you out. If you decline, I win.”
“Hm, that’s weird.” The bartender looks away for a second to smile and wave at someone leaving the bar. “Why do you think I wouldn’t say yes? Aside from your awful pickup lines.” The guy grins at that last part and Changbin feels his face heat up as his eyes land on the other’s pretty dimples.
“Well, I mean. Look at you.” Changbin gestures wildly between them.
“Aw, stop, you’re cute.” He reaches over the bar to ruffle Changbin’s hair, which usually would be enough to make him flustered already, but the movement makes him catch a whiff of the other’s smell. Changbin doesn’t know if it’s cologne or something else, but it’s so good that it’s dizzying.
The other folds his arms and leans on the bar. “Sit down and have a drink. Let’s make your friends sweat for a while, okay? Make it seem like they might win, and then I’ll turn you down. I’m feeling generous tonight.”
Changbin quickly does as he’s told, clumsily climbing onto the barstool. “Thank you, uh–” a question in his pause.
“Hyunjin,” he answers, holding out his hand.
He eagerly shakes his hand. “I’m Changbin.”
“So how much is at stake here?” Hyunjin rests his chin on his hand, and Changbin finds it hard to focus on the question with how Hyunjin’s cheek looks so squishy at the touch.
“One million won,” he answers, taking a napkin from the bar and folding it in half to keep his hands occupied.
Hyunjin raises an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re rich? Our most expensive bottle of wine is four hundred thousand won.” His smile is devious.
“Oh,” Changbin looks at where he’s tearing the napkin into a million pieces, “I’ll have a glass.”
Hyunjin raises both eyebrows now.
Changbin swallows, feeling a little scared, and something else which he won’t admit to himself. “I’ll buy a bottle.”
“That’s more like it.” Hyunjin bends his knees and disappears behind the tall bar. Changbin can hear the rattling of some keys and the sound of a lock popping open, and then Hyunjin is back in sight, slamming down a bottle of red on the bar.
He pours both of them a glass, and Changbin is about to ask if he can drink on the job, but Hyunjin is already holding up his glass for a toast. “To your friends’ defeat.”
“Yeah, I’ll drink to that,” Changbin says after clinking their glasses together, taking a big gulp of the wine. He grimaces. Wine, no matter how expensive, has never been his thing.
Hyunjin seems to enjoy it though, his eyes closing as he sips on it. Changbin tries not to fall off his barstool as he watches Hyunjin lick the red traces of wine off his lips.
Someone else makes his way behind the bar, probably the other bartender coming back from his break. The guy takes one look at Hyunjin’s drink and only rolls his eyes, but doesn’t seem to care. Changbin feels a rush of joy in his stomach, knowing that he can hog Hyunjin all for himself now that the other bartender is there to take orders.
“So,” Hyunjin takes another sip, “what do you do for a living that makes you comfortable betting that amount of money, Changbin?”
He swallows some more wine before answering, the flavor getting more bearable now. “I’m a producer, in a team with those idiots back there.” He points over his shoulder.
Hyunjin seems genuinely interested at this, his head perking to one side. “Oh? Anything I know of?”
“Hah,” Changbin laughs, “I would like to brag, but I try to keep work and this–” he gestures around him, “this stuff separate.”
“Ah, this gay stuff.” Hyunjin raises his glass at that again. “I get it. Shit’s dangerous out there.”
Changbin hums in agreement at that and swishes the wine in his glass before finishing it. “I only come here every once in a while, but tonight’s my birthday, so–”
“It’s your birthday?!” Hyunjin quickly pours him another glass. “I might consider giving you a discount then,” he says, but his cheeky grin says otherwise.
The other reason why Changbin never drinks wine, is because it gets to his head too quickly. It makes him feel comfortable, almost too comfortable. So when his eyes land on the little butterfly on the other’s skin, right above his armpit where his sleeveless shirt gives Changbin a nice peek of what is under there, he can’t help but comment on it.
“Nice tattoo,” he says, pointing at it like Hyunjin wouldn’t know what he’s talking about.
“Oh this little thing?” He pulls his shirt to the side and Changbin almost screams at him to stop when he catches a glimpse of the other’s nipple. “I got it when I turned eighteen, so it’s a bit faded now,” Hyunjin says, “I like yours too, by the way.”
“Thanks.” Changbin can no longer blame the wine for his reddened face now. He gloats a bit at the praise, first of all since it’s coming from Hyunjin, and second of all because he’s only used to old ladies throwing him vile looks at his full sleeve tattoos.
What he doesn’t expect is for Hyunjin to reach over the bar and put his hand on his arm. “I like this one the most.” His fingers land on the cherub tattoo on the inside of his underarm.
Changbin shivers when Hyunjin runs his finger over it, the touch too slow to be casual.
“Don’t freak out,” Hyunjin says when he catches Changbin doing exactly that, “your friends are watching.”
To be honest, Changbin had completely forgotten about his friends. Had completely forgotten about the rest of the world, about anything that isn't Hyunjin stroking his skin, leaving goosebumps in his trace.
“I meant what I said earlier, by the way.” Hyunjin says the words softly, and Changbin has to lean in to hear the next part. “You’re really cute.”
Changbin is frozen in his place, drowning in that scent again, which he now realizes must be the natural smell of Hyunjin’s skin. This, in combination with Hyunjin’s words, is entirely too much for his poor soul. He considers just running away, going outside, and letting the cool air of the summer night snap him out of it. But instead, he’s stuck here, trying not to get lost in Hyunjin’s sweet brown eyes.
When he doesn’t reply, Hyunjin asks, “Are you always this shy? Or is it because it’s me?”
Changbin swallows dryly and tries to find his voice. “It’s you. You are– you’re something.”
Hyunjin laughs at that, eyes almost squeezing shut and his eyebrows raised. Somehow it makes Changbin want to lean in even closer, chasing that beautiful sound.
“Thanks? I guess?” Hyunjin finally says, running a hand through his hair, messing it up instead of fixing it.
Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the other bartender puts a stern hand on Hyunjin’s shoulder. “You got a minute to wrap this shit up or I’ll fire you.”
“You’re no fun, Minho,” Hyunjin whines, sticking out his tongue at the other. “Well, you heard him. It’s time for you to ask me out.”
Despite already knowing Hyunjin’s answer, Changbin still feels nervous as he asks the question. “Hyunjin, will you go out with me?”
Hyunjin lets out a giggle, and it’s way too cute for someone who is about to turn someone down, but still, he says, “No!”
Changbin quickly chugs the rest of his wine to flush away the disappointment. Hyunjin is the type of person he wouldn’t have minded losing a million won over, or even more.
What he doesn’t expect is for Hyunjin to take the empty glass from his hand and put it away before leaning over the bar. Changbin panics as Hyunjin comes closer, but this panic transforms in the emotional equivalent of fireworks as Hyunjin presses a quick kiss to the side of his mouth.
“Happy birthday,” he says as he quickly pulls away. “Ask me again next time, okay? Maybe you’ll get lucky.” Hyunjin’s smile is sweet and it carries a promise.
Changbin can only nod, stunned into silence, which makes Hyunjin giggle again, the sound music to his ears now. He just knows this moment, this exact moment, is all he will be thinking about until the next time he can find an opening in his schedule to come back to the bar.
He quickly pays and then peels himself off the barstool, not surprised to find that he has sweated through his pants from all his nerves and excitement. Slowly, he wobbles back to his friends, the wine truly hitting now.
“I won,” he says, holding up his arm in a weak victory pose.
“No way, I saw him kiss you,” Jisung yells, very drunk now.
“You can go ask him.” Changbin drops himself into the chair, suddenly tired as hell.
“Fuck no, I can’t walk right now,” Jisung says as he grabs a wad of bills from his pocket and tosses it on the table.
“Thanks,” Changbin takes his prize gladly, vowing to use it to buy another one of those bottles next time he visits. He takes one bill out and throws it on Chan’s lap, who has fallen asleep in the comfortable armchair, just to thank him for choosing Hyunjin.
“Wow, you really won,” Jisung says, words slurred.
Changbin softly smiles to himself.
“Yeah. In more ways than one.”