Archive of Our Own

Wonwoo hates the rain. Really, what's there to like?

Ever since he was young, he never liked the inconveniences it would offer. He'd shiver from the cold when it did, and often enough it'll leave him sick for the next few days. Other times, when it rains on summer days, it'd leave the air in a weird combination of humid and cold, as if it didn't know which one to be. And that was uncomfortable as hell. He didn't like the disasters that came with it, and he didn't like how it ruined his 7th birthday party at his backyard then, and all the kids ultimately had to head inside and have fun with their own means.

He most definitely does not like it now, 17 years later, as he was stuck under a heavy downpour at almost 8 in the evening. He's on the way home from work, with no umbrella or any means to protect himself whatsoever. Yep, he fucking hates this.

He runs down the block holding his hand over his eyes, shielding his sight at least, while the other grips his satchel over his shoulder.

The morning forecast didn't mention anything about rain at all, and Wonwoo sends out a curse towards inaccurate technology while sitting down at the bench of a bus stop, clothes clinging to his skin.

He sighs as he slouches down, closing his eyes momentarily from the blur of neon lights from the establishments surrounding the area. The rain doesn't look like it'll stop any time soon, and he belatedly realizes that this isn't his bus stop either. In his haze to look for a covering, he hadn't realized it's still over 2 blocks away.

He groans and sits up straighter, massaging his temples from the headache he just knows is about to come. At least I have shelter.

With a defeated sigh, he resolves to wait until the rain clears up, or dies down a little, at the very least.

Phone in hand, Wonwoo's playing games to kill the time when a man appears from his peripheral, umbrella at hand. The man stops at the bus stop and sits a few feet away from him, humming a tune Wonwoo isn't familiar with and pulls out his phone as well. Wonwoo pays no mind and continues with his game.

The patter of the rain against the concrete ground continues as the minutes pass, and the sound of the games of the two boys fills Wonwoo's ears. How long is this rain gonna la—

—Achoo!

Aw shit.

It's after his third sneeze that the man on his left looks up from his game and looks at Wonwoo with concern, albeit with a hint of amusement. "Bless you. You doing okay there?"

Now Wonwoo isn't the type of person to talk to strangers so easily, but responding is the polite thing to do. Besides, the man looks hardly dangerous at all. He sniffles, "Just caught a cold I think, but I'm fine."

The man hums and smiles, giving Wonwoo a once over. "Hey, you're drenched!" He exclaims, as if just now realizing Wonwoo's condition. Ah.

"I didn't realize it was going to rain today, so I didn't bring an umbrella with me and I'm just waiting for the rain to let up." A defeated sigh. Again, he curses inaccurate technology.

The man beams as if he just thought of the greatest idea, and scrambles for his bag discarded on the floor. Next thing he knows, Wonwoo is being asked which umbrella he'd like. Between a yellow and white striped one and a blue one with cat scribbles, the latter immediately tugs at his inner cat lover. Still, why did this guy have two umbrellas on him?

"Oh, when I got home last night my umbrella wasn't in my bag so I thought I lost it, so I brought my other one today. But when I came into work, turns out I just left it by my place!" He scrunches up his nose in amusement. Wonwoo definitely doesn't think that was cute (he does). "Funny how I had to bring home both of my umbrellas today, but I guess it's kinda fate that I'd bump into you? Anyway, which umbrella would you like?"

Wonwoo mentally kicks himself when he realized he must've asked that out loud. Between contemplating how many times this guy said the word umbrella in that instant and the fact that a complete stranger was willing to give him one of his blew his mind away.

After a small argument that wasn't going anywhere (this man definitely does not take no for an answer), Wonwoo picks the yellow one in the end. And although his inner self was disappointed, he figures this person likes cats just as much as he did, maybe even more if his sweater with cat paw prints say otherwise.

Wonwoo thanks him with a small smile, but before he could ask how he could return it, the bus to this stop arrives and the guy hurriedly fixes his things and rushes to get inside. He bids farewell with a quick, Stay safe! and flashes a bright smile, all teeth and boxy, and then he's gone.

Wonwoo blinks a few times, trying to process the whirlwind of events that happened in just under 10 minutes. He gathers his things and opens the umbrella, and walks to his stop with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Wonwoo does, in fact gets sick over the next few days. But he doesn't seem to mind it as much as the kindness of that stranger replays in his mind.

"Oh, it's you again! Hey there." Wonwoo can't believe he didn't even get the stranger's name at the very least. It's one thing to not get his number, sure, that can be overlooked. But his name? His mom would've given him a lecture on basic human courtesy if she knew about this.

"Hey, sorry I only caught you now, I didn't know what time you usually get off work." Apparently, (as what Wonwoo could deduct) this guy gets off work at different times. The other day he just rounded the corner of this block when this guy was already boarding the bus, other days Wonwoo didn't see him at all. It was all a game of luck, and in that one and a half week, Wonwoo wasn't sure if he could catch him at the same time again.

The guy throws him a sheepish smile and Wonwoo tries not to stare. He brings out the umbrella and hands it to the guy and adds, "Sorry I forgot to ask, but what's your name?" now it was his turn to flash a sheepish look.

The two men exchange names and before Wonwoo knew it, this Junhwi person is inviting him for lunch over the weekend. To compensate for the trouble over returning my umbrella.

Wonwoo isn't one to turn down food, and besides, socializing and going out outside of work would do him good. He's not sure if Junhwi's always like this to strangers, or if he's just the person to do that kind of thing, but he doesn't dwell on it too much.

Wonwoo goes home that night with a new number and a plan to meet up with Junhwi over the weekend.

Moon Junhwi, or Wen Junhui apparently, is a fascinating person. Wonwoo laughs as Junhui tells him another story about his fellow dance instructor, Soonyoung, over their antics at the dance studio they work in that's just a few blocks away from Wonwoo's work place. In turn, Wonwoo tells him about his adventures as a game designer, along with his friend Jihoon working in the music and sounds department of their office.

They talk about their mutual love for cats, about mobile games, about what spicy food is their favorite among others, and they talk about everything and nothing at the same time.

It's odd, Wonwoo usually doesn't act like this to people he's just met. Sure, he gets to know the other person through idle chatter and whatnot, but for some reason, he and Junhui just clicks and he finds himself genuinely enjoying their conversation in the span of a few hours. He just met the guy, but he feels as though they've known each other for longer.

Suddenly, Junhui isn't just some guy he met over an umbrella dilemma. No, he's now a constant companion and has managed to squeeze himself into Wonwoo's life of books, plants and games. Not that he's complaining or anything. It was unexpected, yes, but he's enjoying the new companionship a lot.

They meet (almost) everyday during lunch and eat at nearby establishments from their workplaces. Wonwoo was adamant at first, "What about your work schedule?" he asked with trepidation the first time they ate out. Junhui just laughed and brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "My sched's pretty flexible, don't worry about it." he flashed him a reassuring smile and Wonwoo believed him.

Other times, it's not just the two of them. Sometimes they drag over either Soonyoung or Jihoon, and both at the same time if they're lucky enough.

Soonyoung is loud, to put it in a general statement from the times they've met. Wonwoo doesn't mind, surprisingly enough. He knows he's a quiet person, and noise isn't really his cup of tea. But Soonyoung is a nice guy with an overflowing amount of energy who literally vibrates from excitement and cute, hamster like cheeks. He can't really get mad at the guy and, besides, he's fun and great to be with.

Jihoon, on the other hand, disagrees. For some reason, Soonyoung is obsessed with the guy and constantly annoys and clings to him when the 4 of them are together. Jihoon shoves him away and cusses at him most of the time, but Wonwoo knows there's no malice to it. Not if the light dusting of pink on Jihoon's cheeks say otherwise. Wonwoo would poke fun at him then, and the shorter one would let out a string of curses that'd end the remaining three doubling in laughter. "Shut up, or I will smack you over the head." Wonwoo doesn't doubt he can do it, so he stops with the remarks but smiles teasingly anyway.

And Junhui, well, he's just Junhui. He's quiet at times, shy even depending on the topic at hand. But he's comfortable enough that he doesn't let it get in the way of their relationship with him. Some might say he has sort of a 4D kind of personality, and while Wonwoo might not disagree, he looks at Junhui more in a fascinating light. He has his own thoughts, thinks of the most random of things, would even ask Wonwoo hypothetical questions that'd leave him stuttering for an answer. Junhui is kind, and bright and outgoing, and any other positive word Wonwoo could think of. Because Junhui is just that — enchanting in his own light — and Wonwoo finds himself getting captivated more and more.

They're an unusual little group — Wonwoo could agree on that — but he's enjoying much more these days and just chooses to accept his new fate with a smile and a shake of his head.

It's another rainy day 3 months into their new routine. Soonyoung and Jihoon are both busy with work, so Wonwoo and Junhui are seated at a small local restaurant eating hot noodles to combat the cold. They talk about work and whatnot — updates on life and other things — when Wonwoo sneezes again. He sniffles and wipes his nose, the irritation annoying him. Damn, I really need to work on my immunity.

Junhui lets out a short laugh and passes him the tissue box. "Really not a fan of the rain, huh?" Wonwoo pouts and glares at him from the other end of the table. Junhui just laughs again.

He shakes his head and continues to eat his noodles. "Not at all. It causes too many inconveniences and the cold feels terrible."

"Well I, for one, enjoy it very much. Come on, haven't you tried playing under the rain? It's fun and feels amazing!"

"No. I get sick a lot even without getting wet from it, you know this."

"Alright fine. Understandable."

Wonwoo thinks about it. Not only is rain a nuisance, it takes a toll on his emotional capacity as well. He's read enough literary works to know the universal symbolism for it are sadness, rejection, despair, you name it. It affects his mood for the whole day at times, and it's not really the best feeling.

Not only that, it takes a toll on his work habits too. When it rains at home or even at work, he becomes lazier and sleepier and would lack motivation to do anything but sleep. And Wonwoo takes his work seriously, so that just leaves him in a foul mood for the rest of the day.

"Your future lover would be disappointed then. Who wants to pass up kissing under the rain while you pick them up and twirl them in the air like in the movies?"

"I'd probably drop them and we'd both end up with fractures and expensive hospital bills." Wonwoo says with a straight face.

Junhui huffs and puffs out his cheeks. "You're no fun, sir!" and crosses his arms over his chest. Wonwoo laughs and flicks Junhui's forehead. "Ah!" The latter pouts and rubs the spot with his fingers.

"Eat your noodles, Junnie. It's getting cold." Junhui still glares, but does so anyway. He puts up two fingers in a mock salute with a sarcastic, "Aye aye, captain."

Wonwoo still sees the small smile on Junhui's lips. He laughs, and they continue eating.

It's lunch time, and Wonwoo and Jihoon are at a usual restaurant discussing work and waiting for the two dance instructors to arrive. 

The place isn't as full and the chatter of people in the area serves as background noise. The door dings and Soonyoung's laughter filters into the air as the two make their way towards the table set for four.

Junhui sits on Wonwoo's right and Soonyoung takes the seat beside Jihoon on the other. "So, how's the prettiest person in the world doing?" Junhui asks. Wonwoo is looking at the menu, but he knows Junhui's addressing him.

Wonwoo doesn't miss a beat. "I don't know, how are you, Junnie?"

Junhui sputters and Wonwoo tries to hide his smile behind his drink as he takes a sip. "I — just fine." he croaks.

That's the thing with Junhui. There are times when his quiet exterior breaks and is replaced by a confident, shameless flirt. He drops pick up lines here and there, and the more time Wonwoo spends with him, the more he says. They get progressively worse as well, and Wonwoo is yet to be impressed. 

Soonyoung and Jihoon are also victims of Junhui's attempt at fake flirting, and it's Wonwoo's turn today. They're all pretty used to his antics by now.

Jihoon is snickering quietly and Soonyoung doubles over in laughter at the scene before him. "Real smooth Jun." Soonyoung says in between laughs.

The boy just glares at him, but there's a tinge of red coloring his cheeks. "I'm just not used to being the receiving end of it! You all ignore me when I say pick up lines, how would I know how to react?" He's pouting again, and Wonwoo just laughs. "Try again next time, kid." Wonwoo - 1, Junhui - 0.

"Hey, I'm older than you! What do —"

"Yeah, by a month."

"— you mean. But still!"

"Doesn't seem like it."

Junhui is glaring and Wonwoo stops. He knows he's not really mad — Junhui doesn't mind playful banter — but Wonwoo pokes him anyway and Junhui won't budge. "Fine, I'll treat you to your favorite dessert. Forgive me?"

The older boy perks up immediately and throws himself at Wonwoo. "Thanks Won! I know you just can't resist me." Wonwoo shoves him off and the other two are still laughing. 

"Alright, stop it you two. I'm hungry." If there's anything else that annoys Jihoon besides Soonyoung, it's from anyone stopping him from eating.

The two quiet down and the four of them continue on with their lunch. 

Wonwoo forgets his umbrella at his bus stop one night, and doesn't find it there the next day. So Junhui decides to drag along Wonwoo one Saturday afternoon to the mall. "I have some things to buy anyway, come on! It'll be fun." Wonwoo doesn't see any downside to it, so he agrees.

They stop by a sports store first since Junhui has to buy a new duffel bag for work. "The strap just snapped the other day, and I had to bring it to work everyday until I could buy a new one! Can you believe that?"

Wonwoo does, in fact, believe it. He knows Junhui has a knack for storing snacks in his bag, along with water bottles and other necessities. He's not surprised it finally snapped, probably because of the weight of all his things. He doesn't comment on it, though.

Junhui weighs down his options as they arrive at the store, and Wonwoo is sitting by the side on one of the ottomans and playing games on his phone. He can vaguely hear Junhui debate with one of the workers the strength of each product, talking in snacks instead of grams. Wonwoo just laughs quietly to himself.

He finally settles for a black and gray one that looks sturdy enough, and they head to the department store towards the umbrella section. 

There are too many options, if Wonwoo has to be honest. Ranging from different colors and shades, even patterns and such, he just wants a plain one and then they can head on out.

He spots a plain navy blue folding one in one shelf and settles with that. Junhui doesn't agree though, "That's boring, Wonwoo. Not even a brighter color?"

"It's my umbrella, Jun. I'm fine with it." Wonwoo chuckles and Junhui sticks his tongue out.

Wonwoo goes to pay for it, but Junhui then spots a stand filled with different colored string bracelets and key chains. He pulls the younger boy over to the stand, and Junhui all but shoves a red stringed bracelet at Wonwoo. There's a small cat design in the middle and Wonwoo looks at Junhui, who's looking expectantly right back at him. 

"Here! You can tie it around the handle, so at least there's some color in it. It's too dead looking, you know." Wonwoo doesn't know where Junhui gets that idea, but there's really no use disagreeing with him right now. Besides, the cat design is cute.

Junhui then grabs another bracelet with the same design and goes to pay for it as well. "My duffel bag looks dead too, now that I notice. I'll tie one too!" 

They pay for the items and head out to their respective homes, bidding farewell to each other as they go their separate ways.

Wonwoo ties the string bracelet to his new umbrella that night, just above the handle just as Junhui suggested.

"So, Soonyoung huh?" Does Wonwoo have a death wish? Probably so. But he's in the mood to tease Jihoon right now, and besides, he's been editing a file for most of the afternoon and he definitely needs a break.

Fortunately (or unfortunately for Jihoon), Wonwoo catches the shorter man in the break room making a cup of coffee, and Wonwoo sees it as the perfect chance.

He's curious about it anyway, so might as well. It's not like his life is on the line (it is).

Jihoon whips his head too fast, and Wonwoo is slightly concerned. "What are you talking about, Jeon?" He's glaring, but Wonwoo's used to that look by now, so he remains unfazed.

"Just as it is, Jihoonie." Wonwoo smiles innocently and starts to make his own cup.

Instead of answering, the guy dodges the question and asks his own, "So, Junhui huh?"

"We're just close friends, you know that."

"Yeah, and I've met Bruno Mars before. Keep telling yourself that."

Wonwoo narrows his eyes at the younger male. It's true, they really are close friends. Right? 

Wrong. He kicks his inner monologue and tells it to shut up.

"Hey, I'm asking you. Stop evading the question." Jihoon sighs and takes a sip out of his coffee.

"I like him, alright? I haven't told him yet though. I'm waiting for the right time." Makes sense.

"You and Junhui, on the other hand need to step it up. You keep denying it and I'm tired of seeing you guys skirt around the other. It's been months, Wonwoo! And stop saying otherwise, or I will kick you. Office policies be damned."

Wonwoo knows he really won't, but he stays quiet anyway. "He acts the same around you guys anyway. What difference is it with me?"

Jihoon pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. "You really don't notice it, do you. It's really so obvious in the eyes of any outsider. And I dunno if you notice this either, but you act the same, Wonwoo. Really."

The older boy pouts, he came here to tease Jihoon about his love life, not get a lecture for his own.

"Anyway, I gotta get back to work." Jihoon pulls away from the counter, mug in hand. "Update me on it, Won. See ya!" He hits Wonwoo's bottom lightly and the older startles a little from the action.

Wonwoo smiles nonetheless and waves. "I'll be the best man, okay!" Jihoon makes a strangled noise and quickly leaves the room.

Wonwoo laughs and takes a sip out of his own cup of coffee.

He's in a foul mood today. From the moment Wonwoo woke up, the weather's been acting up and switching from cloudy, to sunny, and back and forth. It's as if the sky is glitching and couldn't decide on one and it's giving Wonwoo a headache. 

The others notice his mood throughout lunch, but they don't comment on it. It's happened a lot before, so they're not really worrying. 

Wonwoo goes about the remaining of the day sluggishly. He's yawned more than enough times to his liking, his eyes are drooping, and he almost gets caught dozing off by his corner when it actually does rain by mid afternoon. Wonwoo just wants to get back home and rest for the day.

The bus ride home is quiet, with people sleeping around him and resting just as well. His apartment is cold and dark as he gets back, and he can't wait to get to bed. Thankfully, he forced his way through work just before leaving, so he doesn't have to finish anything at home right now.

He does his usual night routine and is finally in the comfort of his bed at last. Just as he's about to be engulfed by sleep, his phone dings multiple times and lights up the small room. 

Wonwoo groans and grabs his phone off the bedside table, and there's multiple messages from Junhui from throughout the day and even from a few seconds ago. Wonwoo is somewhat guilty as he realizes he 's ignored the messages. Oops.

Junhui messaged him a variety of cat pics, memes, horrible pick up lines, and funny little jokes and messages throughout the day. It brings a smile to Wonwoo's face before he realizes it.

He scrolls through the messages and laughs quietly between each one, and he notices there's a reoccurring cat Junhui's sent. It's a white and gray kitty with big blue eyes making the funniest and cutest faces. There's a picture where the cat is screaming at something, and in another one it's angry and has its tongue out at the owner. Wonwoo deems the latter as his favorite and quickly saves it.

He sends out a quick message to Junhui. Thank you for the memes, Jun. I'm just about to sleep. Goodnight.

The reply is instant and Wonwoo receives a, No problem, Wonu! Goodnight and sweet dreams!~~ (*･ω･)ﾉ

He puts back his phone on his bedside table and goes to sleep, rain continuing to pour outside, but with a small smile on his lips.

It's half past 7 in the evening and Wonwoo is at a convenience store near his office building picking out instant noodle flavors.

He needs to stack up again, and what with his non-existent cooking skills, instant food is the best way to go. It's not like he purely lives like this at home, Mingyu is kind enough to bring him some food every once in a while when they have extra servings in his and Minghao's shared apartment. Wonwoo's really grateful. Mingyu's a good kid.

The entrance dings from the arrival of a new customer. Wonwoo is about to round an isle when Junhui's familiar scent tackles him as he's engulfed in a back hug by the older boy.

"Hey Wonwoo!" the younger boy laughs and turns to him, and Junhui lets him go (Wonwoo isn't sad, no). "Hey Junnie, buying some things?" the boy nods and they continue with their shopping. This is the closest convenience store from both their work places and they'd run into each other from time to time, so this really isn't an uncommon situation.

They chat idly as they pay for their items, and just as they're about to exit, Wonwoo realizes that it's raining outside. Not really a downpour, but strong enough to inconvenience him. And he forgot his umbrella again. Shit.

"Did you bring your umbrella, Wonwoo?" Junhui asks. Wonwoo sighs and shakes his head, already contemplating the route he has to take to get drenched the least.

Junhui then grabs his wrist and pulls him outside, already opening his own umbrella. "Come on then! I'll walk you to your bus stop. And before you say no, you know I won't let you. This rain isn't gonna ruin my Wonwoo's night! No sir!"

Before Wonwoo could react properly from Junhui's statement, they're out under the rain and Wonwoo shivers from the cold.

Now Wonwoo might hate the rain, he's established that long ago, but Junhui is a warm presence in this cold weather. Wonwoo tries to ignore this feeling in his stomach he's still actively trying to deny, but he's doing a very poor job at it what with Junhui's arm gripping his shoulder to pull Wonwoo away from where his umbrella can't reach, and squishing him against his side.

The night is still in full swing. Despite the rain, citizens are walking all around them, and cars are blaring from the distance. The neon lights from the establishments and streetlights are winking at them from every direction. Everyone's living their own lives, and Wonwoo's just one among billions of others. Why's he getting sappy now? He's not really sure, all he knows is that Junhui is really distracting with the lights reflecting every which way, his eyes crinkling by the corners as he tells Wonwoo another story about work today (he didn't realize he'd been talking), and his smile lighting up his entire face. Wonwoo knows he can't deny it anymore.

They arrive at his bus stop, and just as Junhui turns to leave, Wonwoo grips the formers wrist and stops him with a, "Wait, hold on Jun."

A rosy pink dusts Wonwoo's cheeks. Cute. Junhui blinks. What? He stares expectingly at the younger boy, who in turn, is looking anywhere else but at him. A small smile breaks from Junhui's lips as he in turn takes hold of Wonwoo's hand gripping his wrist. "What is it Wonu? You can tell me."

That seems to do the trick. With Junhui holding his hand and the light pressure he puts on it, Wonwoo breathes in. "Would you like to go out with me?"

Junhui's shocked, to say the least. With his eyes wide and mouth agape, Wonwoo starts to panic. "I—I mean like a date date kind of thing. I know we go out almost everyday, and uh, I mean. You know like, in a couple kind of way—thing. Only if you're okay with tha—" Wonwoo is rambling for the first time and Junhui finds it adorable. He lets out a short laugh and now laces both his hands into Wonwoo's. That shuts him up. He holds their hands between their bodies and Junhui smiles wide. Wonwoo could only stare.

"I thought you'd never ask. I was starting to think of my own way of asking you out, but looks like you beat me to it. I wanted it to be dramatic and spectacular! Maybe ask Soonyoung and Jihoon for help, which now that I think about it would've failed." he lets out a laugh. "Anyway, of course I'd love to. Where to, Mr. Jeon?"

To be fair, Junhui was the one who suggested it. Wonwoo's been to a couple of dates before, sure, he knew what he was getting himself into. But now as he's standing on an ice rink, gripping onto the railings for dear life with Junhui laughing his ass off a few feet away, he's starting to wonder why he agreed to this in the first place. He's never even tried roller blades or skates before in his entire life, dear Lord what was he thinking?

"You doing okay there, sir?" Okay now Junhui is just being mean. So what if he can glide without hesitation against the ice? He's not mad, no. What irks him is that here he is, scared out of his mind, while Junhui spins in circles looking as cute and good as ever with people staring at him as he passes by. Wonwoo can't really blame them, Junhui is a sight to begin with. But still—

"Just peachy, Junnie." Junhui laughs again and takes hold of each of Wonwoo's hands into his own. The latter lets out a loud yelp and grips onto Junhui's arms instead. Please don't let go don't let go don't—

The older boy laughs again and rubs circles against his arm. "Calm down Wonwoo, take it slowly alright? Here, I'll help you."

Wonwoo may not trust Junhui with a lot of things, but what choice does he have right now?

Slowly, the two glide along the ice rink with Junhui never letting go of Wonwoo's hands. He has to give it to him, the older boy is good at teaching. Half an hour passes by and Wonwoo could balance on his own now (although Wonwoo still insists holding Junhui's hand, he didn't need to know that).

Junhui has a great idea, but Wonwoo didn't need to know about it either. They glide along the ice for a while, laughing and skating around in different directions. Wonwoo is having the time of his life, but then suddenly Junhui grips his hands and spins the both of them around, and the younger boy isn't prepared for that at all.

Junhui lets go of his hands and Wonwoo flails his arms. He can balance now, yeah but pair that with spinning? He's going to kill Junhui later for sure.

Just as he's about to really lose his balance, Junhui appears in front of him and catches Wonwoo in his arms. The older boy laughs and grips Wonwoo's waist with both his hands, as the younger's hands land on his shoulders. "Having fun?" Wonwoo wants to wipe that smirk off his face.

He feels like he's in one of those cliché YA novels where the main character bumps into the love interest and the guy catches them or some shit. His cheeks are aflame now for sure, he can feel the heat rising alarmingly fast. But is it from embarrassment from the people staring, or the fact that Junhui's face is mere inches away from Wonwoo's? He's not really sure. Maybe both. Maybe actually the latter.

Wonwoo resolves to hitting him lightly on the chest and mumbling an I hate you before untangling himself from Junhui. He skates away from him and Junhui all but laughs and follows Wonwoo through the rink.

Thankfully, they end their stay there without anymore incidents (save for Junhui almost toppling over a kid and still falling over anyway. Wonwoo laughed. Ah, sweet karma) and they left to head out for an early dinner.

They settle for a small restaurant nearby. By the time they're done, it's barely 7 in the evening, but the sky is dark and the night is cool from the breeze. The two boys hold hands as they stroll around the different areas in the city. They stop by a bookstore where Wonwoo buys a novel he's had his eye on for a while. Junhui asks for some recommendations, and the younger one promises to let him borrow some from his collection some time.

They stop by a mini mart next, and Junhui proceeds to buy snacks for the two of them. "My treat." he says, as he hands Wonwoo an ice pop.

Now they're strolling through a park, eating their treats hand in hand, and chatting about anything under the sun (moon). "Look! A playground! Come on Wonwoo, let's go there." There weren't any kids at this time, or anyone for the matter. It's perfect, and Wonwoo follows Junhui with a laugh.

They finish the treats and settle on the swings, riding lightly and talking animately about dancing.

Wonwoo's never watched Junhui dance live, but he has watched some of his performances that the latter would show him on his phone from time to time. It's a shame he's never watched him up close — Junhui looked to be a really great dancer — but he hopes he could catch him by the dance studio some day.

Not to mention the way he expresses himself through his movements and facial expressions. Wonwoo is no dancer, he can't really judge dance in its specifics, but he knows for sure that with the way Junhui dances matching with his expressions, he feels as though he's being attacked in a metaphorical sense. Not the best way to describe the feeling, but you get the idea.

"Maybe you can try dancing some day, Wonwoo! It's fun, and it's great exercise to boost your immunity." Junhui is swinging back and forth, and Wonwoo is mildly concerned that the boy is going too high.

He lets out a short laugh and thinks about it for a moment. "Hm. I do have to work on that. I'll think about it, maybe some day." If he has the time outside of work, maybe he can. Besides, it can be a great way to bond with Junhui even more.

They chat for a while more and swing back and forth.

"So Mr. Jeon Wonwoo, I'm curious. Since when did you realize you're in love with your friend?" Wonwoo lets out another laugh and throws Junhui a look of amused disbelief. His cheeks are gaining color again, and the latter stops swinging and is batting his eyelashes at him, hands clasped under his chin.

Wonwoo pucnhes him lightly on the shoulder with a, "You dork, I'm not in love with you just yet." Junhui pouts. He did say yet, so the older still counts that as a win. Junhui wiggles his eyebrows and Wonwoo throws his head back and laughs again, the former joining him soon after.

He can't really say for sure. At first, Junhui was just a presence Wonwoo was fascinated by. He was a great friend — generous, kind, lively — and he just loved hanging out with him. They spent most days together from the five months they've known each other, even outside work where they'd just do errands. Sure Junhui was cute and good looking, anyone with eyes would say so. And while of course Wonwoo likes himself a cute guy, Junhui's got a great personality to match that with. There wasn't really a specific event Wonwoo could think of that made him realize his feelings for Junhui, every time they spent together was unique in its own light. But thinking about it now, he guesses it's those collective of events that tugged at his heartstrings in a way friends don't.

Soonyoung and Jihoon are close friends of his, just like Junhui, but Wonwoo didn't want to hold them close, or hold their hand, or wipe off a piece of food from the corner of their lips from laughing so hard about dubbing a Spongebob episode in Chinese. Not in the way Junhui did. He'd find himself staring at the older boy and he just can't stop.

It did catch him off guard at first, were these actual feelings, or just appreciation of someone? But then Junhui would crouch down and pet cats passing by and meow as if having an actual conversation and Wonwoo's heart would do somersaults and, yeah, he definitely likes the guy no doubt.

Wonwoo first feels it on the tip of his nose. Then on his hand, his cheek, and next thing he knows, Junhui pulls him over to the covered area of the playground set, just above where the slide meets the floor as rain descends from the sky.

He's positive this playground is meant for kids below the age of 12, not for two 6 foot high 24 year olds. It's a tight space, but it's comfortable enough that they can sit side by side just fine.

"See? What a nuisance." Wonwoo says, although there's no real bite to it. Junhui is warm and at least he gets to sit close to him.

But Junhui just laughs and sticks his arm out the covering. He stretches and flexes his fingers and lets the water drip against his skin. It's cold, but it gives a nice feeling.

"Yeah, I agree it is, but I guess it depends on your view of it." Junhui says, and Wonwoo lets him speak. "If you let it affect you then yeah, it's gonna be a problem for the rest of the day. But that's exactly what you should do!" Wonwoo blinks. What?

Before he can question him, Junhui continues. "Since you know it'll be affecting you, then it's up to you how you'll deal with it. You can be a grouch about it, or make the most out of it! You can play under the rain, skip around puddles, or even just make good use of the weather and wrap yourself in a blanket and read a good book." Junhui smiles wistfully, and Wonwoo just knows that the guy has done all three.

"Hm. So are you saying I'm a grouch then?" Wonwoo questions with a smile. Junhui rolls his eyes playfully and takes hold of both Wonwoo's hands and rubs them together with his own. The friction is nice and Wonwoo leans into it.

"I'm saying, you can try and loosen up a little, Mr. Grumpy. There's a whole new world to discover when you don't let it affect you negatively." Junhui smiles up at him through his lashes, and Wonwoo realizes, maybe Junhui's right.

Behind the universal symbolism of rain being sadness, negativity and the like, Wonwoo vaguely remembers there's a fine line in that area that he overlooks a lot linked to life. And Junhui represents just that.

From his playful and bright personality, and the fact that Junhui can make a tricky situation work for him, Wonwoo thinks its a great comparison. The boy is just always full of life and Wonwoo finds that admirable. 

"Just like you then?" Wonwoo asks. Junhui laughs and nods several times. "Just like me!" He says and smiles triumphantly.

"Hm. Well there is one thing that'll make me enjoy being trapped here under the rain." 

Wonwoo leans in, and all he can see are stars reflecting on Junhui's eyes. He stops midway, asking without words, and Junhui leans in to close the gap between them. Wonwoo startles a little, but without a moment's hesitation he sighs and gives into the kiss.

Junhui's lips are soft, tastes like chapstick, and incredibly warm. He cups the older boy's face with one hand to angle it a little better and, wow, Wonwoo could get used to this. Junhui laughs a little into the kiss, but doesn't stop and grips Wonwoo's hand on his face and holds his other hand as well.

This is by no means the best kiss Wonwoo has had. It's still raining, the air is humid yet he's still shivering slightly, his hair is damp and his clothes are partially wet, yet he doesn't really mind. It's not perfect, yeah he can agree, but this moment is just so entirely something he and Junhui could only experience. And that, in itself is perfect enough.

It's 6 am on a Saturday morning and Wonwoo shivers from the cold where his duvet had fallen off his shoulder. The chilly air that seeps through his apartment windows tickles his skin, and the soft patter of each rain drop bouncing by the window sill relaxes him somewhat.

There's a rustle on his side, and without opening his eyes, he knows Junhui's awake and about to get out of bed. Another rustle, and the older boy disentangles himself from the sleeping figure (or so he thought).

He sits up, and just as he's about to stand, Wonwoo throws an arm around Junhui's waist and pulls down the other boy against his chest in one swift motion.

Junhui shrieks from surprise, but giggles as Wonwoo presses his face against his neck and buries himself in his brown locks.

"It's too cold, Junnie. Come back to bed." Wonwoo's voice is thick from sleep, and Junhui shifts in his arms to face his half-dead boyfriend. He has one eye open and is peering at the older boy with a soft smile.

"Good morning to you too, Wonu." Junhui kisses the tip of his nose and Wonwoo scrunches up his face in that adorable way that he does.

With the lack of sunlight from outside, their room is dim and muted. The lights aren't on and the dark clouds aren't helping either, but Wonwoo can see Junhui just fine.

"It's too early to get up. Sleep some more." Wonwoo knows Junhui is a natural early riser, and this is one of the rarest times Wonwoo wakes up with him. But he doesn't want him to leave just yet, it's the perfect weather to sleep in and cuddle and laze around.

Junhui laughs softly and pokes him on his side. "But I'm hungry and I have to cook breakfast anyway. You can sleep some more, you know."

The younger boy sighs and loosens his grip against the other. "Fine, but you have to give me a kiss first before you go." He lunges his face at Junhui and the latter immediately sits up.

Junhui tries to pull away. "Won, morning breath! Stop!" He laughs and holds him away, but Wonwoo insists and steals a quick peck anyway. "You're disgusting."

Wonwoo smiles and turns to face the ceiling and covers his eyes with both his arms. "Says the one who ate food off the floor the other day."

He hears a gasp. "It's the three second rule, okay! And it hardly touched the floor, stop shaming me." Wonwoo can hear the pout in his words and laughs again. He brings down his arms and holds them out, and Junhui crawls into them anyway.

He kisses the crown of Junhui's head and hugs the boy close to his chest. It's cold and raining out, but he doesn't mind. He's getting enough warmth from his boyfriend and Junhui gives the best hugs anyone could ask for.

Junhui hums and traces invisible patterns along Wonwoo's arm. The latter looks down at the boy on top of him and, he doesn't know what to think. Junhui's brown locks are sticking up in different directions. His face is kinda bloated from sleep, he has a trail of dried saliva on his cheek, and his shirt has coffee stains on it. If Wonwoo looks closely enough it's actually his shirt Junhui is wearing. And all he can think of is how beautiful this man is. 

He can't really describe the feeling exactly. He sees Junhui everyday, he's supposed to be used to it by now. All he knows is that when he looks at him, his heart fills with admiration and he can only describe Junhui with any beautiful word he knows. He made him refrain from looking at the negative side of things and is instead replaced by positivity, just like with rain.

Wonwoo may not have had the best memories when it came to rain, he's still salty about his 7th birthday party for sure. But he's long realized that it doesn't mean he'll continue having bad experiences all the time. Junhui makes sure of that.

For as long as they've been dating, the older boy goes above and beyond to make sure his boyfriend doesn't end up in a bad mood when it's raining that day. It's the little things like extra cuddles at home, little cat doodles on post its that greet him as he opens his laptop at work, even making sure his umbrella is in his bag when he knows for sure he forgot it by the front door that morning.

Wonwoo doesn't know what he achieved in his past life to be as lucky to have Junhui in his life, but he's grateful nonetheless.

Lightning flashes in the distance. Thunder follows a few seconds later and the sky rumbles. The weather is going bad these days, it's rainy season and it'll get progressively worse for sure. Wonwoo is already dreading just thinking about the commute to work, but right now, with Junhui curled up on his chest, he thinks the rain won't be so bad. He's had some of his best memories under the rain with Junhui, after all. 

Wonwoo hears a light snore and glances down at the now sleeping boy in his arms. He shakes his head and laughs softly at the sight, Junhui's drooling again. It's cute. He shifts their positions carefully as to not wake him up, and presses a soft kiss to Junhui's forehead. He pulls up the duvet over the two of them, breakfast forgotten, and drifts off to sleep once more.

"How much longer are you going to stand out there? It's raining Jun, you're gonna catch a cold."

"Come on, Wonu, just this once? Please?" They're at the park again. The rain's not that strong tonight, just a light drizzle, but Wonwoo still holds the umbrella low to shield him from getting wet.

Wonwoo sighs. "No Jun. It's cold and I'm tired and I just wanna go home." As much as he loves his boyfriend, he really could use his bed and a warm cup of coffee right about now. And cuddles. He really just wants to cuddle Junhui with their brown tabby but the guy is persistent and Wonwoo just wants to rest.

Junhui is under the rain, a few feet away from Wonwoo and going around puddles in his black rain coat. His duffel bag bounces a little as he hops around, with the silver cat design on the red stringed bracelet gleaming as he goes. At least he has his hood up Wonwoo thinks miserably.

"Just this once, please please Wonu? I promise I won't ever ask again! Wait — no I still definitely will, but please? Pretty please?" Junhui is pouting and if Wonwoo wasn't so tired, he'd have cooed.

Junhui has the greatest idea of asking Wonwoo if they could kiss under the rain. Just like in the movies!

It's nearing 8 pm and damn, they still have the commute home and Wonwoo really is exhausted from today's work. He's just been staring at a computer the whole day while Junhui's been dancing and doing flips in the studio. Where he gets that extra surge of energy is beyond him.

"Maybe some other time, Jun. Is that okay?" Junhui must've heard the sincerity is Wonwoo's words, because he smiles and agrees at last.

Wonwoo can still see the small pout forming on Junhui's lips as he waits for the latter to finish retying his shoelaces. Wonwoo walks up to Junhui's back and, as he stands up, Wonwoo lets go of the umbrella and grips Junhui's waist with one hand, and cups his cheek gently with the other in a short — but sweet — kiss.

He feels rather than hears Junhui's surprised yelp from the action. Wonwoo kisses him for a second longer and pulls away only slightly, murmuring into Junhui's mouth, "Let's continue this at home, Junnie." There's a glint in his eyes and he smirks a little and turns to pick up the discarded umbrella in one fluid motion, walking in the opposite direction and leaving a bright red Junhui in his wake.

Junhui gapes at his boyfriend, cheeks aflame and eyes wide as he stares at his retreating form. It takes a moment for his brain to rewire and catch up to Wonwoo, clinging to his arm and hitting him lightly on the chest and burying his face onto his damp shoulder. "Not fair, Wonwoo! Not fair at all!"

Wonwoo is wide awake now. He laughs and glances at the man before him. His face is red and all scrunched up from emotion and Wonwoo can't help but sigh at the sight. He adores Wen Junhui and he can't help but feel content and ease. His heart twists and he's just so, incredibly happy.

He laughs and laces his fingers with the older boy as Junhui stops hitting him. He reaches down and brings a soft kiss to his forehead, and Junhui tightens his hold on Wonwoo's hand just the same.

"You still love me though, admit it."

Junhui giggles and stands up straighter, planting a kiss on Wonwoo's cheek. "I'm not denying that. I really do love you, Wonwon."

This isn't the first time Junhui's said that, but it tugs at Wonwoo's heart just the same as the first time he did. He smiles affectionately at the man and pecks his lips once more. "I don't doubt it. Me too, Junnie. I love you just the same."

He holds the umbrella over the two of them, red stringed bracelet hanging by the handle, and they walk to their bus stop towards home.

Wonwoo likes the rain. It reminds him of Junhui.