Work Text:
First
The first time Seungyoun held Wooseok’s hand was the night they met, and it wasn’t exactly his idea.
He had received a text earlier that week for Seungwoo’s birthday, and he wanted to go out for grilled meat and drinks with a few of his friends (including Seungyoun, of course), so who was he to say no?
He hadn’t expected much from it except for the hangover he knew he was going to have to fight off the day after, but for Seungwoo, his favorite hyung, it was worth it. He was not counting on the fact that when he walked into the restaurant fifteen minutes after he was supposed to be there, thanks to a sudden wave of traffic, that the only seat left at their table would be next to one of the most unreasonably beautiful people he had ever met in his life.
He wasn’t shy at all by any means, but something about him unnerved him like the other boy was slightly out of place. Not that he wasn’t supposed to be there, but he stood out in such a way that made him look more like a hologram than a person, although that feeling would soon fade away.
He sat next to him and greeted him politely, never fully making eye contact, before mentally joining the others. His name was Wooseok, he learned. They were the same age, and he knew Seungwoo from college. He didn’t say much, and any cold, angelic suspicions Seungyoun had about him disappeared when he noticed him quietly laughing along to all of his terrible jokes. Not that he would admit it to anyone else, but having Wooseok enjoy his commentary only made him more insufferable even though he wasn’t quite ready to look at his face yet because he was sure it would have had the same effect as staring directly into the sun.
But it was Seungwoo’s night which made it easy to focus on anything else besides the deer sitting next to him who laughed at all of his jokes and sometimes quietly repeated them to himself when he thought no one was paying attention. Seungyoun definitely didn’t notice that at all.
Then the smell of charred meat hit, and he completely forgot what he was he so concerned about. This was about the food and the drinks and Seungwoo. Why was he worried?
As the atmosphere relaxed, Seungwoo became mischievous. He decided he wanted to play a drinking game because why be responsible when you could just get all of your closest friends drunk before sending them off to find their way home. He suggested a drinking game, but half of the games everyone knew required a certain decibel level that could have very well gotten them kicked out by a very angry auntie.
It was Byungchan, actually, who brought up the idea that somehow managed to keep the volume down enough while also appeasing the gods of fate who for whatever reason deemed it necessary that Seungyoun hold Wooseok’s hand.
The game was fairly simple. Two people sitting next to each other would share a shot glass and use their free hands to take turns pouring in the alcohol. It was a game of wits, and the first person to spill or overpour had to take the shot. Byungchan and Hangyul started the game off, and both underestimated how tipsy they already were before trying to pour into a mutually shakey glass. It wasn’t clear who spilt the first round, but it was at least entertaining and tense to watch.
The game went around the table until, Seungyoun realized in horror, it reached him and Wooseok who were the last people seated who hadn’t played yet.
He turned towards Wooseok who gazed up at him unabashed, and it really wasn’t fair that he was too scared to look up at him and now all eyes were on them and he worried his ears were going to turn red for no reason.
Seungyoun grabbed the glass first and held it between them, and Wooseok followed by wrapping his hand around his. He was surprised at how much bigger it was than his compared to his tiny frame, and he shivered from the way Wooseok’s fingers were cold like ice, sending a shock through him he had never felt before.
All he had to do was concentrate on the glass in his hand until one of them (hopefully Wooseok) spilled a little bit, and he could let go and pretend like it never happened. He went first, pouring in a small splash and earning a groan from the group for being too cautious. Wooseok followed by pouring a generous amount that caught him by surprise, earning a cheer from the spectators, and Seungyoun swore he saw him smirk out of the corner of his eye. Was this a challenge?
It was turn again, and the liquid was gradually rising to the top. Wooseok followed up with a bold pour, but he was confident he could still win. Except he made a crucial mistake. With the bottle tilted, he quickly glanced up at Wooseok who was staring back at him with the most beautiful sparkling eyes in the entire world, and his hand jerked. In a second he was doused in alcohol that seeped into a paper cut he didn’t know he had.
“Drink up, Seungyoun!” Seungwoo cheered.
Seungyoun’s shaking hand poured himself a shot and threw it back quickly, hoping it would be the thing that settled his nerves, but as long as Wooseok watched him, nothing could.
Second
The second time Seungyoun held Wooseok’s hand was entirely unintentional. If anything, he was simply doing the other a favor, and there was absolutely no meaning behind it.
The weather was too nice to spend the day working inside in the dark, and what he needed to do anyways, he could have done on his laptop. Sitting outside could have been too distracting, but he happened to know of a bright and airy cafe nearby that would energize him. His work was always significantly better when his mood was cheerful anyway, so he could justify it.
But once again his timing was terrible. When he got to the cafe, it was flooded with customers, and every table was occupied. He sighed. At least he could order something delicious before going back into his cave of a studio, never to see the sun again.
There was a line to wait, but he didn’t mind. He was about to dig into his bag for his earbuds when a tiny voice said his name.
“Seungyoun?”
He looked around, surprised, but no one standing around him was trying to get his attention. But then he happened to glance down to see a familiar face sitting at a table nearby. It was Seungwoo’s friend from his birthday party.
In the light he looked much prettier than before, but his face was impossible to forget. Seungyoun smiled and greeted him, and for some reason, he left his spot in line to speak to him.
“Oh, hey, Wooseok,” he said.
“I’m surprised you remember me,” Wooseok laughed, the apples on his cheeks protruding happily.
“I never forget a pr–,” he started and stopped himself. “A friend of a friend.”
He made a note to remind himself later to give himself a pat on the back for that save, but Wooseok didn’t seem to notice the almost slip.
“Are you grabbing lunch?” Wooseok asked, not really making small talk as much as he seemed genuinely curious.
Seungyoun looked back at the cafe and sighed regretfully. “I was going to, but it’s pretty full.”
Wooseok craned his head to look for himself and frowned. He hummed. “You can sit here. I don’t mind. I actually don’t want to take a whole table by myself.”
“Are you sure?” His eyes widened.
“Yeah, I’d rather share with one of Seungwoo’s friends than someone I’ve never met before,” he said.
He had a point. When it was that busy, people ran the risk of having unwanted guests joining them, and judging by the pile of paperwork in front of him, Wooseok would rather share the space with a laptop than a torrent of wild crumbs.
“You sure you don’t mind,” he confirmed.
“Go before the line gets any worse,” Wooseok shooed him, getting back to his papers before Seungyoun could argue. He shrugged. If he was going to have to share a space while he worked, it might as well have been with someone who didn’t care what he did one way or another.
He lost his spot by a few people, but it didn’t expand his wait by much. He didn’t have to walk back to work and hide in the dark which was plenty reason enough for his mood to brighten. That was the only reason he could put his finger on, at least.
After about ten minutes of shuffling back and forth on his feet in line, he finally ordered himself something to eat and drink. He thought he should get something for Wooseok too to thank him for offering him a seat at his table, but he wasn’t sure what he was having. He leaned over as far as he could, and he was pretty sure he saw a coffee so he got one of those and a cookie because everyone likes cookies. It was a scientific fact.
He waited some more and was honestly surprised to find that he was still there mulling over his work by the time he got back.
“I got you a refill,” he said, sitting down. Wooseok looked up over his glasses, his eyebrows raised. “I think this is what you ordered.”
“Thanks,” he said bringing the straw to his mouth to taste. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“It’s just to say thank you for not leaving me stranded,” he waved him off. “There’s a cookie too.”
“I like cookies,” Wooseok mumbled to himself as he broke off a piece to chew on. Seungyoun smiled, happy that he was happy. Wooseok seemed like the kind of person that people liked buying cookies for, and he guessed that meant he was one of them.
“I thought you were getting lunch,” Wooseok furrowed his brow at the slice of cake that sat before Seungyoun.
“This is lunch,” he said, shocked.
Wooseok shook his head. “You need human food.”
“This is food!” he said.
“Adult food,” he insisted.
“Who says I’m an adult,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows before shoveling a bite of cake in his mouth.
Wooseok rolled his eyes and shook his head, returning to his work.
“You don’t know me well enough yet to think I’m annoying,” Seungyoun said, catching his eye roll and refusing to let him get away with it.
“I don’t know if I have to to figure that out,” he said with a slight smile.
Seungyoun smirked. Seungwoo’s mousy friend had teeth. This was going to be fun.
Except for some reason he didn’t feel like teasing him. Wooseok was too busy to be interrupted, and Seungyoun still had his own work to do so that would have to wait until work wasn’t a problem, assuming he would get the chance again. He opened up his laptop and stuck one of his earbuds in so he could monitor his work without being rude and was surprised to find how quickly he could dive into the song he was working on in a new environment with a stranger seated across from him.
Time flew by, and he didn’t even notice that the cafe had thinned out and he could have gotten up to sit somewhere else, but they were both comfortable so it was fine. Until he heard an audible gasp that flung him out of his workflow.
Wooseok looked down at his papers devastated. Black ink was smudged across them from a splotch on his hand where his pen had cracked that he didn’t notice was there before sliding his hand across the page. “Damn it.”
“Here,” Seungyoun said, reaching into his bag. He pulled out a wet wipe packet and tore it open. He took Wooseok’s ink covered hand into his own and started wiping it down.
“I can do it,” Wooseok said.
“It’s easier if someone else does,” he said with a scowl. “Plus if I hold your hand, you can’t rip anything up with it.”
“I wasn’t going to rip up anything,” he defended himself.
“Then unclench your fists,” Seungyoun said without looking up. The tight ball in his hand relaxed, revealing the most delicate of ink stained fingers he had ever seen. He took the damp sheet and wiped down each finger, taking extra care not to irritate the skin anymore than it had to be. “You have nice fingernails.”
“Thank you,” Wooseok coughed, flexing his captured hand subconsciously.
“I take it you’re not a lumberjack,” Seungyoun teased, massaging the cloth into his palm even though there wasn’t any ink there.
“No,” Wooseok laughed.
“Probably not a diesel mechanic either,” he said.
“Never even driven a car,” he said, and Seungyoun could feel him completely relax.
“What is it that you do then,” he asked.
“I tutor smart kids with pushy parents,” Wooseok said.
“We all lie,” Seungyoun sang, earning a snort.
“Wow, you sounded just like her,” he said, impressed.
“Thank you,” he smiled. “All done.”
He let go of Wooseok’s hand, holding back the urge to take it again. Wooseok inspected it, making sure that there wasn’t any leftover ink to make a new mess with. “Ah, thank you.”
He reached into his bag and grabbed a new pen for him that probably wouldn’t break any time soon. “No problem.”
“Can I ask you something?” Wooseok said.
“Sure.”
“Why do you have wet wipes in your laptop bag?”
“Because pizza grease doesn’t mix well with keyboard keys,” he said simply.
“Got it,” Wooseok laughed, and it was the most beautiful laugh he had ever heard.
Third
The third time Seungyoun held Wooseok’s hand was because he was afraid he would lose him, but the notion wasn’t nearly as romantic as it sounded.
It was a late Saturday morning, and Seungwoo had asked him to come support him at his start up’s big event. Okay, that was a stretch. It was actually a vegan food festival, and Seungwoo’s smoothie company he started with his older sister had a booth set up to try to rope in more customers. In Seungwoo’s opinion, having a cool music producer loudly declare that his mango smoothies were the best mango smoothies in the whole world and that even Beyonce herself loved them would make his business surely take off. It sounded like fun.
But what he did not expect was to get there and find thousands and thousands of people swarming the place. Who knew their part of the world had so many people who didn’t eat meat? If anything it was overwhelming, and he was feeling quite claustrophobic, but he forgot that he was stressed out when his phone rang with Seungwoo’s name on the screen.
“Hey, what’s up, I just got here,” Seungyoun said.
“Oh good, hey, listen, I need a favor,” Seungwoo said on the other line. “Wooseok just got here, and he said he’s lost. I can’t leave my spot because we’re swamped. Can you go find him?”
“Yeah, sure, where is he?”
“I told him to wait by the giant celery,” Seungwoo said.
“Giant celery?” Seungyoun asked.
“Thanks, I gotta go!”
“Wait!” but Seungwoo ended the call. “Come on.”
He huffed and looked up, grateful he was taller than most of the crowd. He scanned the festival until he saw a wad of green sticking up that was either a giant celery balloon or a giant green onion balloon. Or it was another long green vegetable that he was forgetting about.
He pushed his way through several groups of festival goers until he saw a deer looking quite anxious and confused.
“Wooseok!” he called out over the crowd and the music. Wooseok jumped and looked around, unable to spot him. “Over here!”
As soon as he saw Seungyoun, he let out a breath of relief making him feel warm and fuzzy inside for some reason. “I’m so sorry you had to come find me.”
“I just got here,” he assured him. “I was only a few booths away.”
“Oh,” he said, easing up. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”
Seungyoun stood up on his tippy toes to look over everyone’s heads. “I think it’s that way. He said all of the drinks are clumped together which doesn’t make any sense at all because how are people supposed to make a decision with all the vendors glaring at them at once.
Wooseok laughed, amused. “You have a lot of feelings about this, don’t you?”
“I do!” He said. “Come on, let’s go before someone makes us eat a dandelion.”
“They wouldn’t,” Wooseok said, suspicious.
“It happens more often than you think,” he sighed, flashing back to another one of these events where four different vendors tricked him into eating and drinking something made out of dandelions.
They fell into the crowd, and it moved like a river’s current — smooth from above, but torrential beneath the surface. The first few minutes were alright as they waded their way through, but then in just a moment, Seungyoun blinked and Wooseok was gone.
“Wooseok!” He called out, looking around frantically for the shorter of the two. Not that vegan food festivals were exactly dangerous places to lose someone, but he could tell that Wooseok wasn’t used to going to big events and he had no idea where he was at that one. “Wooseok!”
He pushed his way through the crowd, almost knocking several people over, desperate to find him. He called out his name again several times, his voice growing hoarser and more worried with every shout.
“Wooseok!” He cried out with such urgency one would have thought he had lost a small child. He saw a flash of yellow and reached out, snatching up the hand of the person he was supposed to escort to the smoothie booth. “Holy shit.”
Wooseok closed his eyes tight and clutched his chest with his free hand. “I hate this.”
“You get used to it,” he said out of breath.
“Do you?” Wooseok asked in disbelief.
Seungyoun looked up at the growing crowd and gulped. “Maybe.”
He pulled him closer to him and led him through, letting their fingers lock together so he couldn’t get dragged away again.
“It’s not usually like this,” Seungyoun said as they snaked through the bodies towards the drinks.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Wooseok said, trailing after him as best as he could. He made a note to walk slower to make up for Wooseok’s little legs that were working overtime to keep up with him. Once he slowed down from charging through, Wooseok fell to his side, and he pretended like he didn’t notice how much he liked him being there. But suddenly he was aware of how much his hands sweated when he was nervous, and losing someone in a large crowd was definitely a fair enough cause to be nervous.
They followed a few crudely placed signs that sent them through a maze of booths and activities until they saw a few juice stands and knew they were close. Wooseok squeezed his hand and pointed with his other.
“There he is,” he said, letting go and walking over on his own. Seungyoun flexed his then empty hand and balled it into a fist, not sure of the sensation that sparked in his fingertips.
“There he is,” he repeated. He waved at Seungwoo who was busy brewing up two of his best mango smoothies for them. He walked over and took the cup off the counter. “You couldn’t give us a bigger size?”
“Are you paying for it?” Seungwoo said, bemused.
“No,” Seungyoun said.
“Then don’t complain about it,” he said. “Well, what do you think.”
Seungyoun slurped from the straw and winced. “It’s a bit tart. What about you, Seok?”
They both turned to Wooseok whose lips were puckered aggressively.
“It’s great,” he said, with a sour expression.
“Maybe less lemon juice,” Seungwoo said.
“Maybe.” Seungyoun agreed.
Fourth
The fourth time Seungyoun held Wooseok’s hand was later that very same day and was further proof that he was, in fact, a gentleman. At least he considered himself one. Whether or not Wooseok agreed was none of his business.
They had finished their sour mango smoothies, both loudly exclaiming how delicious they were to attract a crowd of curious customers while Seungwoo secretly adjusted the recipe to make the smoothies more palatable, and once enough people gathered around for their own drinks, they were shooed off to enjoy the rest of the festival.
“It’s not weird if we stick together, is it,” Wooseok asked.
“I don’t think so,” Seungyoun said as they wandered off back into the crowd that had thinned out since they were last thrust into it. “Unless you think it is.”
“Nope,” Wooseok said. He wandered curiously towards an herbal tea vendor with flowers suspended in different color liquids as if drawn to it. Seungyoun thought he might have actually been part deer.
“You’re not worried Seungwoo might think you’re a traitor?” Seungyoun laughed.
“He doesn’t have to know,” Wooseok looked back at him mischievously. Who was he to argue? Wooseok ordered something amber colored with white blossoms. It looked suspiciously like fairy juice, but anything golden probably at least tasted fancy. Wooseok took a sip and made a puzzled expression. “Taste this.”
Seungyoun took the drink from him and sipped through the straw, not making it obvious that drinking from the same straw flustered him in any way at all, but all of that washed away the second the cold liquid hit his tongue. He was unable to hide the scowl from his face that surely offended the vendor.
“It tastes like soap,” he whispered.
“Right?!” Wooseok said. “I bet it would make a good toner.”
Seungyoun tasted it again like a fool and shook his head. “You could water a flower bed with it.”
Wooseok reached out and took his drink back, and although their fingers brushed together for just a second, that was not how they happened to hold hands for the fourth time. He tasted it again and stuck his tongue out, making a disgusted sound. “I suddenly miss the lemons.”
“Stop drinking it then,” Seungyoun laughed.
“Do you know how much this cost?” Wooseok accused. “I can’t waste it!”
“Make a sheet mask out of it when you get home,” he said.
Wooseok poked his own cheek with his finger. “You think so? I wonder what’s in this.”
He popped off the lid, and Seungyoun noticed for a vegan festival, there sure was a lot of plastic around. Wooseok sniffed the liquid and tilted his head considering the scent.
Seungyoun took the drink back and smelled it too. “Rose water?”
Wooseok hummed. “Wouldn’t it be pink?”
“I don’t know, it just smells like my mom,” he said. Wooseok flashed a quick smile before leaning over for a second whiff. “It might be rose water. What would make it yellow then?”
Seungyoun looked back at the booth suspiciously. “Food coloring?”
Wooseok snorted.
They somehow managed to finish off the soap flavored tea between the two of them while wandering off to find more treats. There was a booth with vegan almond cookies that caught both of their eyes, and they decided to split one. It was surprisingly chewy from the molasses, and they both made comments about losing a tooth from it. It was all going quite well, and they were quickly comfortable with each other until Wooseok looked up and tensed.
“What is it?” Seungyoun asked, noticing how visibly uncomfortable he was.
Wooseok turned his back towards the direction he had been looking and frowned. “It’s nothing, let’s go.”
“No, what’s wrong?” He looked over his head, scanning the crowd for what could have bothered him. Was it the cranberry health bar booth? Did Wooseok have an aversion to cranberries?
Wooseok sighed. “My ex is here, and it was a messy breakup. I’m being dumb, sorry.”
“Oh, is it the person walking right towards us?” He asked, not being subtle at all.
“Probably,” Wooseok winced.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“What? No,” he said, confused.
“Pretend like you do,” he said, grabbing Wooseok’s hand. He felt him flinch in surprise, but he didn’t pull away, recognizing a favor when he saw it. Wooseok moved himself closer as if they were always like that, like it was natural.
“Wooseok?” the strange guy said, approaching them.
“Oh, hey!” He said brightly, but Seungyoun felt a nervous squeeze.
The guy laughed. “I thought you were avoiding me for a second.”
“No, of course not,” Wooseok said. “It’s good seeing you!”
“It was good seeing you too,” he said, taking the hint that Wooseok wasn’t in the mood to have a conversation. He eyed Seungyoun giving Seungyoun the chance to scan him over as well. He was slightly shorter, but his build was thin and lanky. He didn’t seem threatening, but it was always the nice looking ones who were the worst behind the scenes. It actually didn’t matter what he thought, because it was obvious that Wooseok wasn’t thrilled he was there by the way he clutched onto him.
“Sorry, we have to get going,” Seungyoun said, apologetic. “Our friend is waiting on us.”
“Wow, you even have mutual friends already,” he said with a weird smile. “Isn’t that something.”
“We actually met through a friend,” Wooseok said, turning defensive. “It was at a birthday party, wasn’t it.”
“Yep!” Seungyoun piped up. “Inseparable ever since!”
It was a lie considering they had only run into each other twice in the weeks that followed, but he didn’t have to know that. The stranger who Wooseok was obviously uncomfortable with gave them a funny look, and Seungyoun had the sudden urge to make it look more believable.
“I’m sorry, but we really do have to go,” he said, kissing Wooseok on the top of his head before pulling him away. He waved goodbye, and Wooseok followed him back into the crowd until they weren’t seen anymore.
“What was that,” Wooseok said, shocked.
Seungyoun smacked his lips in disgust. “You really don’t have to use so much hair product.”
Wooseok reached up and touched his head, self conscious. “I don’t use that much.”
Seungyoun scowled and wiped his mouth. “It feels like I’m wearing lipstick.”
“Don’t be a baby,” Wooseok grumbled.
“Whatever, next time warn a guy,” he grumbled back.
“Next time you warn a guy,” he said.
Seungyoun blinked. People just didn’t appreciate kind hearted favors anymore.
They walked back to Seungwoo’s booth, somewhat more familiar with the festival’s layout.
“We’re back,” Wooseok said, cheerful.
“Oh good, come try this,” he said before looking up. When he did, he looked at their joined hands and eyed them both like he wanted to know what was going on.
“Oh!” Seungyoun said, letting go. “Sometimes he gets lost!”
“I am not good with crowds,” Wooseok said robotically, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Right…” Seungwoo said. “Anyways, come try this. It’s green apple flavored.”
Seungyoun exhaled sharply, knowing that he was about to have his lips puckered against his will again for the third time that day except that time, unlike the second, it wouldn’t be from a certain someone’s abuse of hair products.
Fifth
The fifth time Seungyoun held Wooseok’s hand should have been the last. It had been a few weeks since he had last seen either Seungwoo or Wooseok when he received another text from the older. His smoothie business had reached 20,000 followers on instagram, and he wanted to have a small get together at his home to celebrate. Apparently the insanely sour drinks Seungwoo couldn’t manage to adjust was the new it thing for influencers, and even foreigners were lining up to pucker up. As far as the get–together went, Seungyoun suspected that the elder was just lonely from working so much on his business and not getting a chance to see his friends.
That night, Seungyoun decided to get to Seungwoo’s place early to help set up. He helped carry up several cases of rum and tequila for special smoothies that honestly felt like a terrible idea like a perfect set up to give some poor loser alcohol poisoning because there was no way anyone was going to know the drinks were boozy over all the lemon juice and sugar Seungwoo used in his drinks.
Once it was finally the evening, Seungwoo’s other friends started showing up. Byungchan and Seungsik came first and helped cut up fruits, and then Hangyul and Yohan came with snacks. The apartment filled up with more familiar faces and some unfamiliar while Seungyoun played bartender from the kitchen pouring shots of rum and tequila into blenders filled with fruit, juice, and ice.
“Who wants pineapple coconut?” he called out.
“I’ll take it,” a voice said. He looked up at Wooseok who was in a pale yellow sweater the color of the smoothie he had just blended. He had a friendly smile on his face, but something about him made him nervous. He had a cold, unstable energy that night like something was off.
“Coming right up,” he said, pouring the drink into a red solo cup and shoving a pink curly straw in the center. “Don’t let yourself get a brain freeze.”
“I won’t,” he laughed, taking his drink and fading off into the party without much more of a word. Seungyoun would have lied if he said he wasn’t disappointed. He thought they might have possibly become friends one day, but it made sense that all of their interactions had been entirely dependent on the circumstances. But still, it bummed him out.
“Hey, this isn’t half bad,” Wooseok said, coming back looking slightly different than he was before. “Sorry, I wanted to go run and take my sweater off. I didn’t know it was going to be so hot in here.”
“Seungwoo thought it should feel tropical,” he laughed, feeling better all of a sudden.
“In November?” Wooseok asked.
“Listen, I don’t make the rules, I just make the drinks,” he said.
“That’s fair,” he said. “Can I help?”
“Can you cut up some oranges,” he asked.
“Peels on or off?”
“Maybe half and half?” He thought. “Some for garnishes?”
“Got it,” Wooseok said, rolling up his sleeves. He washed his hands and got to chopping on a cutting board next to him, and Seungyoun enjoyed the company. He wondered if his small helper even realized he was humming to himself as he worked.
Together, they covered the counter in drinks people could grab for themselves, and once it seemed like they had made enough, they grabbed their own and sat down in the living room. Wooseok claimed a chair and folded his legs up beneath him like a cat, and Seungyoun was about to sit next to him on the floor when Seungwoo called him away.
“These taste amazing,” Seungwoo said, a different flavored smoothie in each hand. “What did you do to them?”
“Nothing,” Seungyoun said, surprised. “I just poured everything into the blender like you told me to.”
“No, these don’t taste like mine,” he said, suspicious.
Seungyoun sipped at his own purple concoction and smacked his lips like he was tasting wine, but then the realization hit. “Oh my god, I’m so dumb! I had Wooseok cut up the oranges instead of lemons!”
“Oranges?” he asked. He furrowed his brow as he tried his own drinks, moving back and forth between the two flavors. “You’re a genius!”
“You’re not mad? I swear it was an accident,” he said, sorry because this was Seungwoo’s whole life.
“No! It’s good! We can use oranges in the regular drinks and keep the lemons for a special sour drink,” he said, cheerful. “You and Wooseok make a great team.”
Seungyoun scratched his head, nervous. “I guess you could say that.”
“He warmed up to you pretty fast,” he pointed out.
“Yeah, I think we get along,” he said, wanting to get away as far as possible.
“You like him right?” Seungwoo asked, causing him to choke on his smoothie. He hushed him quickly and waved at him to be quiet. “You do!”
“I didn’t say that,” he said. “You’re drunk.”
“I am not drunk,” Seungwoo hiccuped. “You’re the one who can’t keep yourself away from him.”
“It’s a coincidence,” Seungyoun grumbled. “I’m going to go talk to someone else who isn’t trying to embarrass me.”
“I am only trying to help!” Seungwoo said as he walked away, not hearing the obscenities Seungyoun mumbled under his breath.
An hour or so passed of bouncing between Byungchan and Kookheon and drinking boozy smoothies when he heard a very noisy boy on the other side of the room who had become the center of attention. Wooseok was a sloppy drunk mess and had attracted a crowd.
“Oh my god,” Seungyoun said under his breath, but it wasn’t his place to collect him. Seungwoo turned on some summery pop songs, and Wooseok started dancing like an excited old man. Seungyoun had to cover his eyes, but several of the guests joined him.
“Look at him go,” Byungchan laughed.
“Yep,” Seungyoun strained.
“I’m gonna join him,” he declared, disappearing into the dance circle.
Seungyoun sighed and leaned up against the wall, watching his new friend make a fool of himself while simultaneously having the time of his life, and he had to admit he was adorable. Usually Seungyoun was the sloppy drunk center of attention at parties, but since he was helping Seungwoo run things, he decided to behave himself. Wooseok, on the other hand, had no such inhibitions.
Three songs in, he watched Wooseok stumble out of the circle and towards the front door.
“I’m going to get some air,” he declared loudly before flinging himself outside.
“This can’t be good,” he said to himself. He wasn’t sure why he followed him, but before he knew it, he was out the door, chasing a very drunk Wooseok down the street. “Wooseok!”
“I am moving very fast!” Wooseok shouted as he power walked down the hill, almost tripping over his feet.
“Slow down!” He called out.
“I do not have brakes!” Wooseok shouted.
“Oh my god,” he said to himself as he broke out into a run to catch Wooseok who was flailing down the sidewalk towards the street. Seconds before Wooseok collided into an oncoming car, Seungyoun grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the way except the jolt he felt came from almost losing Wooseok and not from the touch itself.
“Oh!” Wooseok shouted surprised, suddenly pulled to his chest for safety.
Seungyoun doubled over out of breath, keeping his grip on Wooseok so he could flounce away again.
“Thanks,” Wooseok said, tugging his hand free.
“Do you have to be someone I have to chase after,” Seungyoun said, catching his breath.
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t even know you, but I feel like I have to go out of my way to keep you from hurting yourself,” he said, upright.
Wooseok glared at him, cheeks flushed from his drinks. “No one asked you to.”
He frowned at him, annoyed. “Let’s just go back inside.”
“I don’t want to,” Wooseok said, planting his feet.
Seungyoun huffed, his breath fogging into a cloud before him. He closed his eyes tight trying to keep his cool before taking off his jacket. “Put this on. You’ll freeze to death.”
“I don’t need your help,” Wooseok slurred, fighting off the gesture. “I’m fine all by myself!”
He stumbled off and waved down a taxi before Seungyoun could stop him, getting in and taking his coat with him.
He watched the car drive away and sighed, hoping Wooseok at least had his wallet.
+
The first time Wooseok held Seungyoun’s hand took him entirely by surprise. He was working late one night in the studio hours after he should have gone home when his eyes couldn’t focus on the screen any longer. He had a choice. He could either mainline coffee or he could go home and go to bed. The third option was napping on the couch at work, but he at least needed a shower before being cooped up inside again all day. The second option appealed to him the most.
He had thrown himself into his work after Seungwoo’s party, no longer feeling like being around people, and he honestly didn’t know if anyone noticed he was missing. He ignored most of his messages and hadn’t opened a group chat in weeks. He just wanted to be alone, make money, and go home and sleep in the apartment he was paying to live in.
He shut down all of his equipment and packed up his things in his computer bag before leaving and headed down the elevator out of the building. As he walked outside in the dark, it started to snow. He shivered and folded his arms across his chest and walked out into it.
“Seungyoun!” A voice called out. Footsteps approached quickly in a trot, and he looked up to spot Wooseok bundled up waiting for him.
“What are you doing here?” He asked. “Aren’t you cold?”
Wooseok shook his head, the tip of his nose a cherry. “Seungwoo told me where you worked.”
“How long have you been waiting?”
“Not long,” Wooseok lied. “I came to bring you your coat back.”
“Oh, thank you,” he said. “You didn’t have to.”
“Actually I did,” he said. “I was wanting to apologize for acting like an ass. I shouldn’t drink tequila…”
“It happens to the best of us,” he shrugged. “I’m sorry you waited, though. You should go ahead and get going before you catch a cold.”
Wooseok looked around first like he was having a debate inside his own head or gathering the courage to say something.
“Actually, I was wondering if I could make it up to you,” he said, hopeful. “For throwing the drinking game. For the coffee. And the cookie. And getting me through a crowd. Twice. And sharing my nasty soap juice so I didn’t have to finish it myself. And for the other cookie. And for pretending to be my boyfriend. And for saving my life…”
Seungyoun shook his head. “You didn’t need me to do any of that. Don’t worry about it.”
Wooseok stepped forward and grabbed his hand, and this time it was warm unlike how it was at Seungwoo’s birthday. He had been clutching onto a hot pack in his pocket while waiting for him to leave work, and they made him feel comfortable even when he should have been surprised. He felt his own fingers wrap naturally around his with no intention of pulling away.
“You should wear gloves,” Seungyoun said softly.
“I don’t need them,” Wooseok smiled up at him. “Let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving.”
“You didn’t eat?”
“I usually do after all the students go home,” he said. “But it’s exam season.”
“Ahhhhh, you need something to give you energy,” Seungyoun said. “What do you like?”
Wooseok hummed. “Chicken feet and beer.”
“The chicken feet are questionable, but you are not getting drunk again.”
“I told you it was the tequila!”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Seungyoun said. “Did you drive?”
“No, I took the bus, and don’t you remember how normal I was at Seungwoo’s birthday!”
“Good, we’ll take my car then,” he said. “And if I remember correctly, I’m the one who had to drink then.”
“It’s not my fault you’re clumsy,” Wooseok said, moving closer to him and swinging their arms.
“Didn’t you just thank me for throwing the drinking game?” he scoffed.
“I was being nice,” Wooseok said. “You took one look at me and tossed the whole glass aside!”
“That isn’t what happened at all!” Seungyoun said, his voice reaching a new octave. Actually, it was exactly what happened, but Wooseok didn’t need to know that. “You’re feeling pretty confident aren’t you.”
Wooseok sighed. “I feel like I should be since Seungwoo said you like me.”
Seungyoun pulled his hand away and frowned. “Now that’s just mean.”
“So you don’t?” Wooseok asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I didn’t say that,” Seungyoun said, taking Wooseok’s hand in his again and shoving it in his pocket to keep them warm. “Let’s go get you fed before you become more evil.”
Wooseok smiled, mischievous, without denying anything.
They walked together to the parking garage where Seungyoun’s car was. It was a strange time to go get dinner, but for some reason it made sense. All of his feelings of wanting to spend time alone melted away, and he was honestly happy that Wooseok had come to find him. It was nice to know that his existence had some kind of effect on him too.
They made it to the car, and he let go to walk to the driver’s side, but Wooseok reached out and grabbed him.
“Wait,” he said, taking him by the coat and kissing him. Seungyoun’s breath hitched in surprise, and he was suddenly aware of how chapped his own lips were in the late autumn air. He stepped Wooseok back against his car and placed his hands on the cold metal on either side of him to brace himself and let himself kiss him the way he had wanted to at the festival.
“Sorry,” he whispered against his mouth.
Wooseok, completely pressed against the car, smiled against him. “I think I did that.”
“Did you?” he said before kissing him deeply, breathing him in.
“Mhm,” Wooseok hummed, pulling him closer.
“Are you sure you want to do this in a parking garage,” he whispered.
“Do what,” he teased.
“Whatever this is.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Wooseok said.
Seungyoun smiled and shook his head. “We should get going before you ruin me.”
Wooseok pouted. “What makes you think I would do that?”
“Because you already have.”