Archive of Our Own ^beta

August 2^nd (Mark)

Taeyong met Doyoung at Mark’s birthday party. After What Had Happened, he hadn’t been in the mood to go, but finally his friendship with Mark and a pep talk from Johnny compelled him to wrap up the pair of sneakers he’d bought him and turn up at his house ready to force himself to stay at least two hours at which point he might be able to fake a reason to leave.

He knew a handful of people there, but not all of Mark’s similar aged friends that ran around the house yelling and laughing. He wasn’t in the mood to make friends or even talk to his current friends, so the natural course of action was to get drunk and hopefully forget about his problems.

He headed to the kitchen, hoping not to bump into anyone that might ask him about his feelings, and of course bumped into Johnny who knew all about it.

“Hey!” he looked happy to see him, “You made it.”

“Oh, yeah, I wanted to see Mark on his birthday, so.”

“Totally, but it’s great you came.” The serious expression Taeyong had been hoping to avoid passed his face, “Are you doing ok?”

“You know, looking on the bright side, et cetera.”

“That’s great, it’s good to get out and forget about things.”

“Mhm mhm,” Taeyong nodded, his eye on the tequila. Luckily Johnny clapped him on the shoulder and left the conversation there, and Taeyong grabbed the bottle and made his escape. He dipped through the crowd and into Mark’s room, climbing out the window and onto the fire escape.

He’d taken a swig of tequila before he noticed somebody there, who was looking at him with wide startled eyes, kind of like a bunny in headlights.

“Oh, sorry,” Taeyong said.

“It’s not my balcony,” the stranger said. His eyes flickered to the bottle. Something about his gaze was judgemental, and Taeyong felt defensive.

“No,” was all he said, shuffling to the other end and curling around his bottle, self-conscious.

“Not enjoying the party?”

“I just got here.”

“And already ran off with the booze?”

Taeyong shrugged at him.

“No, you’re right, none of my business,” he looked back to his phone and continued tapping.

The silence between them didn’t have to be awkward, they were strangers who had nothing to do with each other, but Taeyong said anyway, “I just didn’t feel like coming out, but then I felt like I should, but now I feel like I shouldn’t have.”

“I see.”

Taeyong still didn’t like the quiet between them and asked, “Why are you out here?”

“Just felt like some fresh air.”

Taeyong turned his nose into the breeze. It was a warm summer’s late evening, the sun had just set but parts of the sky were still blue rather than black. There was something else in the air, lavender. Taeyong looked at his companion, at his bottle, at the part of the sky where the sun was just about still illuminating the clouds, and feeling oddly comforted nodded at him and ducked back inside. He returned the bottle to the kitchen and went to hug Mark hello and give him his present.

He stuck to his friends he knew, particularly Yuta who didn’t ask him any questions except where he got his hair dye and if he had any spare. Taeyong craftily asked him how Sicheng was doing, and settled comfortably into listening to the 10 minute long tangent about exactly how Sicheng was doing.

An alarm went off from Yuta’s phone, and he said, “Ooh, it’s time for my other favourite person. We’re gonna give Mark his cake!” He scrambled off to wherever he’d stashed it, and Taeyong wandered over to Jaehyun, linking their arms lightly. He hadn’t noticed who he was talking to, and was startled when he saw it was his balcony guy.

“This is Doyoung,” Jaehyun said, which Taeyoung thought sounded better than balcony guy.

Doyoung waved at him. He looked different in bright lighting, more like a real person than he’d looked half hidden in shadow. He had this odd aura of being slightly intimidating while completely non-threatening. He realised he was pretty tall and broad, but his facial features were soft and gentle.

He didn’t get to tell him his name because Yuta flounced in, dramatically turning off the lights and tackling Mark into the middle of the living room.

A younger boy Taeyong didn’t know carried the cake in, and he joined in as they all sang happy birthday to him in variously accented English until Mark clasped his hands, closed his eyes, made a wish and blew out the candles.

Then came the subsequent swarm of people trying to get a slice, but Taeyong hung back hoping there’d just be some left once the bloodshed was over. He decided to give tequila a second chance and slid into the kitchen, sorting through the bottles to try find it again.

He wasn’t having the worst time in the world, he liked seeing his friends, but he still felt like some sort of an outsider. Not in terms of their friendships, but he saw them all being happy and carefree, while he felt as though he was just an imposter. He wished he’d stayed home again, wrapped in a blanket, so he could feel sorry for himself in private.

Someone came in, and to his surprise it was Doyoung, but a now icing covered Doyoung. He smiled wearily but brightly at him and went to wash his hands.

“Mishap?” Taeyong asked dumbly.

Doyoung just laughed. “It’s Mark’s birthday but I got caked. I lost rock paper scissors, I always do when Donghyuck’s involved. Then I lost again and got caked again, then I lost again and got flicked.”

He started trying to wipe the stuff off of his face, but in some parts was just smearing it. Taeyong’s neat freak hands itched to intervene, but didn’t want to weird out the stranger and stuck to himself.

“That’s unfortunate,” he said.

“At least I didn’t get any on my sweater, it’s new,” he said, gesturing to the grey cotton that stretched across his chest. Taeyong wondered if he’d accidentally or purposefully got one that was just slightly too small.

Doyoung kept fruitlessly trying to clean up, and the last straw for Taeyong was when he actually got cake into his hair.

“Let me?” he offered. Doyoung looked puzzled. “It’s more for me than you, I’m kind of particular about these things. Um,” he looked for a tea towel, but realising there was none he gestured for Doyoung to follow and headed to the bathroom. Half to his surprise he followed him.

He closed the door and pointed at the edge of the bath, and Doyoung sat down obediently. Taeyong wet a towel and started at his hairline.

“So, you genuinely just don’t like mess,” Doyoung asked. His gaze was open, not super judgemental, he seemed more confused at himself for ending up in this situation.

“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s nice to help others, too.”

“You’re not wrong. What’s your name?”

“Taeyong,” he said. “You’re Doyoung?”

“My name’s actually Dongyoung, but people always call me Doyoung,” he replied.

“My name’s actually Taengyong,” he said stupidly, but Doyoung laughed.

“Wow nice to meet you, Taengyong.” Taeyong huffed at him. He was starting to notice how close their faces were to each other. His cheeks looked squishy, but then something familiar about the situation distracted him.

Realising it, he said, “Oh, it was you that smelled like lavender earlier.”

“Out on the balcony? Yeah, I like perfume,” Doyoung replied. His eyes flicked up to meet Taeyong’s and he said, “Why were you actually out there? You didn’t look too happy.”

A familiar unpleasant feeling coiled in Taeyong’s stomach. He’d hardly discussed this with his friends, the reason he was upset and hadn’t wanted to come out. But he knew they’d just feel sorry for him if they noticed his absence, but equally he knew they felt sorry for him due to somebody else’s absence.

“I didn’t want people to ask if I was okay,” he said simply.

Doyoung just nodded. “That’s fair enough. You seem okay.”

Taeyong gave a small smile. “Hopefully.”

Doyoung didn’t push him, just tilted the side of his face so Taeyong could wipe away where the sugar had nearly reached his ears. He eventually said, “It must be nice to know people care, though.”

Taeyong nodded, and then finally he couldn’t stop his eyes welling up and a tear slipping out.

“Heyy,” Doyoung said softly, putting his hands on Taeyong’s on forearms. “Is it all that bad?”

“No, I’m just being stupid,” he sniffed, feeling even more stupid for crying in front of a stranger who was also still covered in cake.

“What’s got you so upset?” he asked, gently taking the towel out of Taeyong’s hands and dabbing at his wet eyes with a clean corner.

Taeyong let out a huff of laughter at the absurd situation, but he was being nice to him and the tequila was running through his system, and he randomly wanted to talk about it.

“I got dumped.”

“Ahh,” Doyoung nodded.

“And I know it’s basic to be all upset with being broken up with, but we were- we had just been talking about marriage and then he went to this fortune teller and she told him I wasn’t the one and he broke up with me over that and I just--,” he paused to take a breath and rub the heels of his hands into his eyes. He could feel it all washing over him again, the heartbreak and the confusion and the humiliation too.

“He sounds like a weirdo.”

“He was!!” Taeyong agreed passionately, and let out a wet laugh. Doyoung was smiling at him, and he really was pretty. He took the towel back and resumed wiping off the last of the icing.

“Thank you so much for your kind service,” he said overly politely. “I’ll rate you 5-stars on Yelp.”

“Here at Yongie’s grooming centre we do our best to please,” he smiled weakly.

He looked up at him earnestly for a second, “It actually was nice to meet you though, Taeyong.”

His intense stare was making feel flustered, so he tried not squirm as he dropped the towel in the sink. “Oh yeah, hanging out with a moody stranger must be so fun.”

“A moody stranger who selflessly saved me from cake hell,” he argued. He touched his face where the icing had been, “I’m gonna smell like vanilla all night.”

“No, it’s still lavender,” Taeyong shook his head. “Is that your signature scent?”

“I try to use a different one every day,” his eyes had brightened, “I only got into perfume recently, but I keep buying more. I don’t have a favourite yet.”

“I like this one, for what it’s worth.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” and this time he smiled wide enough that Taeyong saw that he had a gummy smile, and a cute one. “So did you match your hair and jumper on purpose?”

Taeyong touched his bright pink hair and glanced at his pink jumper. “Well, it was sort of a coincidence, but it looked kind of cute and I left it.”

“It is cute,” Doyoung said, and Taeyong fought to keep his cheeks from matching the pink of his hair and jumper too.

“The jumper’s salmon, not pink, anyway,” he said, making Doyoung laugh again.

He had just started to get comfortable, rare for him because he was a little shy, when Doyoung’s phone rang. He frowned and picked up.

“... I’m in the bathroom, ... Jeno’s what? ... Ok fine, I’m on my way.” He hung up. “My brother drank too much. I don’t want him throwing up in an uber so I’ll drive him home.” He looked as sorry as Taeyong felt.

“That’s okay. It was nice talking to you.”

“You too.”

They looked at each other for a moment, like something meaningful had passed, or was about to pass, but was being cut short by their parting. But their eyes moved away, Taeyong opened the door so Doyoung could get out, and followed him back into the hallway. Feeling a bit stupid following him, he stopped and watched him hop up the stairs. He felt a weird sense of loss, like a broken opportunity to make a connection, but he was already gone, and he already felt like a weird memory.

He entered the living room and saw Johnny, who looked surprised to see him.

“Hey, Yong, I thought you went home?” he said.

“No, I was just hiding from the children,” he said easily. Out the corner of his eye he saw Doyoung half-carrying a boy down the stairs.

“I’m still really glad you came,” he said, handing him some cake.

Taeyong looked at the cake, slightly smushed, and smiled and said, “Me too, actually.”

October 27^th (Yuta and Sicheng)

He didn’t think he’d see Doyoung again, especially as they hadn’t traded contacts, but their circle of friends was smaller than he thought. Yuta invited them both of them to his and Sicheng’s joint birthday party, held the day between their two birthdays.

He’d thought about him periodically, their short meeting had been pretty distinct in an otherwise eventless night. Wiping icing off a handsome stranger’s face as he vented about his ex-boyfriend in a cramped bathroom. Maybe flirting, maybe not.

But as he entered the apartment, there Doyoung was, reading a sheet of paper. He was frowning and seemed to be arguing with Yuta over it. Then Donghyuck bounded over to him and then he was arguing with him as Yuta floated away to his pretty boyfriend. Taeyong found himself stuck by the coat rack, watching the tilt in his eyebrows and the little curve of his cheeks.

“Do you know Doyoung?” Ten interrupted his thoughts.

Taeyong startled, and not wanting his notably devious friend to get any ideas said, “We met once. It was a while ago, he probably doesn’t remember me.”

“Sure,” Ten took a swig of champagne.

“Do you know what they’re doing?”

“I think Yuta is planning something and roped Doyoung and Hyuck into it,” Ten shrugged. “Maybe he’s just thought of a new way to profess his love for Winwin.”

“Right,” Taeyong said. He hadn’t heard anything from Yuta about any secret plan, but he could see him smiling excitedly from time to time, and clinging to Sicheng’s back. “Our lives would be a lot more peaceful if their birthdays were at different ends of the year.”

Ten laughed out loud, “Oh tell me about it. Then again, maybe Yuta would just get like this twice a year instead of once a year.”

Taeyong hummed in agreement, and that moment the mentioned man saw that he had arrived, and bounded over.

“Happy birthday,” he said to him.

“Thanks,” Yuta chirped, pulling him into a hug.

“What are you guys planning?” Ten asked directly. Yuta raised his eyebrows in mock shock then gave up at Ten’s hard stare.

“Okay, we’re trying not to be obvious, but I have something in store,” his signature grin was starting to take over his face. “But I’m not telling you! I’m just getting Doyoungie to announce something for us to make it more special.”

Taeyong’s eyes glided back to where Doyoung had been, but he was gone. He decided it would be a bit weird to seek him out, seeing as they were strangers, so he stayed with Ten and Yuta for a while, until Yuta was magnetically pulled back to his boyfriend, and Ten had started chattering in Mandarin to two boys Taeyong didn’t know.

One of them decided he would be known to Taeyong, and came over to tell him he was called Lucas, and that Taeyong’s blue hair looked wicked and kind of like Gatorade. Endeared, he thanked him and told him his brown hair looked like chocolate.

Lucas looked flattered, “Aww, thanks man. You’re too nice.”

He spoke with Lucas for a while, finding him amusing and sweet. When Lucas got distracted by nachos, Ten sidled up to him.

“Isn’t he great? So easy on the eyes, great to have around.”

“How happy would your boyfriend be to hear you talking like that,” Taeyong said, not contradicting him though.

“Old habits die hard,” Ten sighed, sipping his wine, “But I am a loyal hoe, I’ll have you know.”

Taeyong hummed in agreement, and let his eyes scan the room once more. He didn’t know why he was so interested to seek him out, but he had been intrigued by him at Mark’s party, and they’d been so friendly to each other then it seemed a shame to not see him again. Also he’d been cute. Super cute.

But the party went on and he made no appearance. Yuta and Sicheng’s apartment was nice, but really too big. He was happy for them though; they really were too happy together for him to be too envious at his own lacking in that department.

Then, out of nowhere, Doyoung appeared.

It was in style too, because he turned off the music and started tapping his glass dramatically to get everyone’s attention. “Hi everyone, Yuta asked me to be today’s announcer. He wants to thank you all for coming, and to thank,” he paused and sighed, but continued at Yuta’s glare, “and to thank Winwinnie for continuing to be a radiant angel and the light and love of his life.” Sicheng rolled his eyes. “Anyway. It’s time for cake. Donghyuck will be leading the singing.”

Donghyuck swept into the centre of the room as the cake was produced from the kitchen and began to soulfully singing “Happy Birthday to you.”

As the room finished the last verse, the couple blew out the candles and held the knife together to cut the cake.

“Remember to make a wish,” Doyoung called over from his script.

Yuta winked at Doyoung, then squeezed his eyes shut as they cut down. Sicheng let go first, with that wan smile, not noticing the concentration on Yuta’s face.

He suddenly snapped his eyes open, and said, “Okay, I made my wish,” and then he dropped to one knee.

Taeyong’s felt his jaw drop, along with everyone in the room, and especially Sicheng who was staring at him like he was insane, until Yuta actually said the words, “Will you marry me?” (Taeyong assumed anyway, he’d said it in Chinese), and then a slow smile spread across Sicheng’s face, and he said, in Japanese, “Yes.”

“CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MARRIAGE,” Donghyuck screeched as Yuta leapt at him.

Taeyong looked at the delight on their faces, at the delight of everyone else in the room, and realised maybe it was possible to be envious. Horridly envious, envious enough that there was a sick claw in his stomach, and its talon reopened the wound of redacted that he had so carefully sewn shut.

People were crowding around the newly engaged couple, as was the normal good person thing to do, but Taeyong grabbed the nearest bottle near him to keep him company, and left the apartment. Not to go home or anything, but the house had started to feel like it was closing in on him. He sat down on the steps and took some deep breaths.  

He was happy for his friends, of course he was, and he and that stupid guy had been broken up for almost three months now so why was he close to tears and slipping out the front door and sitting on the stairs feeling sorry for himself. Back at uni, Taeyong had been the serial monogamist while Yuta and Ten had been the wild children. Everything changed when Sicheng entered the picture, and Yuta’s whole approach to dating changed the second Sicheng first glanced at him. And now they were engaged. Ten had been different. Yuta played around for the fun of it until he found his reason not to, but Ten swore he just wouldn’t settle down. Nobody expected it would be for Qian Kun of all people, who Ten had called boring and annoying after their first meeting. It seemed their lives had switched, because it was Taeyong who couldn’t hold a relationship now.

He took a look at the bottle and fittingly saw it was tequila, his old companion for leaving parties to go feel sorry for himself.

The de ja vu was completed as the door opened again, and Doyoung joined him on the stairwell. They looked at each other, recognising the other immediately.

“So we meet again,” he said. “What are we doing today?”

“I’m just being a bad friend,” Taeyong said, resting his head into his hands.

“No you’re not, of course you’re not,” Doyoung came and sat next to him. “Is, um, redacted bothering you again?”

Taeyong slumped his head against the wall, feeling miserable and lame and also guilty. “I don’t even think about him,” he said, “It’s not even him. It feels like all my friends my age are in stable relationships but I can’t keep one.”

“You’re 24, you literally have your whole life.”

Taeyong shrugged and curled slightly in on himself.

“Tell me about something you like,” Doyoung said suddenly. “What do you like?”

Taeyong stared at him blankly. Doyoung looked at him encouragingly and he said, “Music.”

“What kind?”

He shifted uncomfortably, “I like... making it.”

Doyoung’s eyebrows raised. “Tell me more.”

Taeyong knew what he was doing, but it was better than thinking depressing thoughts, so he told him all about it. He liked rap music, chill music, listening to it as well as arranging tracks, using Jaehyun as his vocalist, too shy to tell all of his friends about it. But it was okay to tell Doyoung about it, somehow.

He listened intently. Taeyong couldn’t tell if he was a good actor or if he actually cared, but he appreciated it, especially Doyoung’s needless kindness to him while he was being a loser.

Gradually he trailed off, running out of things to say, and sniffed. “Is it orange blossom today?”

Doyoung smiled teasingly, “I’m impressed. Are you turning into a perfume fanatic too?”

“If I spend enough time around you, I bet I will,” he replied. The idea wasn’t so terrible.

They sat quietly for a moment, listening to the soft beats of music that were coming from the apartment. The concrete stairs were uncomfortable, but again Taeyong felt oddly soothed in this near stranger’s presence. Maybe they could even be counted as friends at this point.

“Do you think you’re ready to go back inside?” Doyoung asked. He seemed like he genuinely cared about him, and Taeyong was starting to realise he was in the presence of a rare, genuinely nice kind of guy.

“Yeah. I need to go congratulate them, I am happy for them, they’re two of my best friends,” he said, rolling out his shoulders. He had one final thing to ask, “Why are you even out here, by the way, did you need something?”

Doyoung shrugged and said, “I remembered our conversation a couple of months ago and saw you slip out, I wanted to see if you were okay.”

Taeyong was touched, and happy about being remembered.

“I wonder what I’ll vent to you about at the next party,” he said, pleased when Doyoung laughed. “But really thank you, you didn’t have to sit with me all this time.”

“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to,” he said in answer.

The front door of the apartment opened and Kun and Ten appeared, startling them out of their bubble. “Oh hey, Taeyong, I was looking for you to say bye,” Ten said, eyeing Doyoung.

“Oh, right, are you heading out?” he asked, a little confused.

“Kun has work tomorrow,” he said, then flustered at being caught being domestic said, “Anyway it is kind of late. I haven’t seen you in about an hour.”

“An hour?” Taeyong’s eyes widened, “Oh, I didn’t realise it was that long.”

“Really,” he asked, voice steady but his eyes were basically glowing.

Kun had finished buttoning his coat. “I’m ready to go.”

“Cool. Where’s your cousin?”

“He’ll follow us down when he’s done saying goodbye,” Kun replied. They waved goodbye to Taeyong and Doyoung one last time and disappeared down the stairs.

Taeyong took a deep breath and stood up. “Okay, I’m done being moody. Let’s go.” Doyoung nodded and stood too.

They were once again interrupted by the apartment door opening. There stood a teenager in an expensive looking coat. His sharp eyes fell on the tequila bottle.

“Can I have that?” he asked.

“What?”

“If you give it to me I’ll invite you to my birthday party,” he said, very graciously.

“Your birthday party?”

“It’s very exclusive, my parents are letting me hold it in the mansion,” he said emphatically, wiggling his fingers at the bottle, “Please!”

Doyoung and Taeyong looked at each other in confusion, but he made the decision for them, grabbing the bottle and handing them a piece of card with a date and address before running away.

Chenle’s 18^th Birthday Bash!!! Congratulations for being invited!

“Did we give alcohol to a minor?” Taeyong worried. “I hope Kun doesn’t find out.”

Doyoung’s eyes were fixed on another part of the invite, “He lives there?? He wasn’t kidding about a mansion. How rich is this guy.” He looked interested now.

Taeyong read it too. “Oh jeez. That’s insane.”

“But, wouldn’t we be like, 5 years older than everyone there?” Doyoung added.

Suddenly intrigued, gripped by the want to be spontaneous and also maybe an opportunity to befriend Doyoung, he said, “I’ll go if you go.” Doyoung held his gaze for a moment, searchingly, then grinned at him.

“Cool! Let’s crash a teenager’s mansion party.”

November 22^nd (Chenle)

The party wasn’t for another month, in which time Taeyong managed to procure Doyoung’s phone number and various social media accounts and then stalk all of them, and also message him across all of them.

He was grappling with what was a cool, casual conversation starter, and finally typed in, “Naruto’s more famous than Digimon.”

Doyoung’s response was immediate and explosive.

Grinning, he got to typing, and their exhilarating debate somehow lasted three hours, before dissolving into talking about their favourite tv shows and movies.

He found out Doyoung was an Aquarius, a perfectionist, easy to rile up but fun to tease because he didn’t actually get mad, smart and funny and cute and strongly resembled a bunny more than should be typical for a human.

He started looking forward to the “birthday bash”, and feeling bold texted Doyoung to see if he wanted to meet up beforehand. Doyoung offered to let him come over to his, seeing as it was closer to Chenle’s. His apartment was neat, which he liked, with various cute decorations like a plushy hedgehog on the windowsill.

His room smelled like every floral, woody, citrus scent you could imagine.

“That’s a lot of perfume,” he said, running his fingers over the cold glass of the various bottles.

“They’re all different, though,” Doyoung said as though it explained it. He was pulling on a sweater vest over his shirt. Somehow he didn’t look nerdy, but oddly chic.

Taeyong moved on from the perfume shelf and started going through his drawers, ignoring the “Nosy,” he got in response from Doyoung. He asked him, “How are your socks so organised?”

“So I can pick them for the right occasions easily,” he replied. This was clearly a normal thing in his eyes.

“Occasions?”

He came over. “Plain black for work, thick for snow days, ankle socks for summer, cartoon for special occasions.” He said it so seriously, Taeyong found himself nothing but endeared.

“What are you wearing today?” he asked.

Doyoung lifted his foot to show some dark grey socks. “Because we’re going to a nice house.”

The house was indeed nice, massive. It felt like they were in that movie Crazy Rich Asians, where they rounded the corner and saw That House. Maybe Chenle’s family’s house wasn’t that extravagant, but it was definitely a mansion. Taeyong was starting to think he should have worn a suit or something, but Chenle answered the door only wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

“Oh hey, you two came!” he looked surprised but excited to see them, “Cool! Thanks for that tequila.”

Still suspicious of what his motives had been, Taeyong asked, “What did you even need it for?”

“Don’t ask don’t tell,” he replied cheerily. “What are your names by the way?”

“I’m Taeyong.”

“I’m Doyoung.”

“Oh you’re Jeno’s brother,” he said, “Don’t be uncool! Nice to meet you,” he skipped away.

Taeyong sniggered, “Yeah, don’t be uncool.”

“I’m the coolest person here,” Doyoung said defensively, glancing at his sweater vest.

“Handsome,” Taeyong told him, relishing in the smile he got in return.

They paused to look around and take in the size of the room. For just an entry hall, it was bigger than Taeyong’s apartment. He felt worried about breaking something, in case it would cost his apartment to replace it, or in case Chenle’s parents were part of the Chinese mafia or something and would come after him.

They followed in the direction he had gone, and found the dining room, the table of which was adorned with alcohol. A familiar tequila bottle was among the collection.

“These kids are really going to drink all of this,” Taeyong said, wondering if he should be worried or impressed.

“As the responsible adults here,” he shot him a meaningful look, “Shouldn’t we confiscate this?”

Taeyong grinned at him, they grabbed a bottle each and headed in the opposite direction of the noise.

While the teenagers in the house were screaming and dancing on the ground floor, the two of them instead slunk up the stairs, feet sinking into plush carpets as they went.

They peeked through doors into all of the rooms as they went. “Who needs three private sitting rooms,” Taeyong said in wonder. Then said, “Ooh, bean bags.” He put his alcohol down and flopped onto one. Doyoung laughed at him and dropped less dramatically onto another one.

“What do kids even do at parties these days,” he asked, filling a paper cup with white wine.

“Drinking games,” Taeyong replied thoughtfully. “Back in my day we just played 21 questions sober.”

“It’s not your day anymore,” Doyoung said, pointedly drinking from his bottle.

Maybe it was a bit of an odd situation, but the more Taeyong found himself in odd situations he realised maybe that was just life, and his life had just been dull before he cleaned cake off strangers and then went to rich teen’s parties with said stranger a couple of months later. Whatever the scenario, what he knew was that he was liking it, and he wanted it to continue.

Before long he could feel his neck turning red as it did when he drank, but Doyoung’s cheeks turned pink, so he decided satisfied they were on even footing.

They were settling into a kind of quiet as the night went on. Lazily he asked, “What’s your perfume today?”

“This one,” he said, pulling a cologne out of his bag, and read aloud, “The scent makes you feel like you’re standing under a windy blue sky and a clear fragrance passes through the tip of your nose.”

“Huh,” Taeyong said, and looked out towards the night sky. “Well the sky isn’t blue right now, but I can see that! Or smell that.”

Clearly pleased, Doyoung put it back into his bag.

The more they talked and the more alcohol they drank, the more comfortable Taeyong started feeling. He already liked being around the other boy, but right now alone in a private sitting room away he felt positively cosy. He shuffled his bean bag closer to Doyoung, who repositioned in response.

“What’s your type,” he asked, as his head dropped onto Taeyong’s shoulder.

“Mmmm,” he hummed. Everyone he’d dated had been different from each other. He closed his eyes and visualised a perfect man. “I like smart guys, people who are smarter than me so they can tell me how to do things. And smart enough to not believe fortune tellers. They have to be nice and give me a lot of love. And... be cute.”

Doyoung nodded. From his position, he was basically rubbing his cheek against his shoulder. “I like cute guys too. But I like being the smart one.”

“You’re super smart,” Taeyong said. “I bet you can do long division and stuff.”

“I sure can,” he said, making Taeyong giggle.

He closed his eyes, letting the weight of Doyoung’s head against his shoulder lull him slightly. He pretended he was under a windy blue sky.

He woke up because Doyoung’s phone started beeping. Doyoung woke up at the same time, lifting his head and blinking sleepily. He made blank eye contact with Taeyong, then looked back to his phone.

“It’s 2am,” he said and rubbed his eyes. “I set an alarm so I wouldn’t stay too late.”

“I can’t believe we fell asleep, are we elderly?” Taeyong mumbled.

He was just slightly nervous he’d made Doyoung uncomfortable, or maybe their easy friendship they had been slipping into would be compromised by their impromptu cuddle nap, or if it was awkward that he was reading too much into it.

That was when he noticed there was no music playing anymore. “It’s quiet,” he said, and Doyoung moved to stand up.

He held out his hand for Taeyong to help him up too. Maybe it wasn’t awkward, he thought, relieved.

They made their way back to the main hall, only getting slightly lost, and down the plush stairs back to the living room they’d heard the commotion coming from.

In the room, in the semi dark, a gaggle of teen boys were passed out in various positions strewn across the room. He recognised Mark half on top of the coffee table.

“Maybe we’re not so uncool,” he whispered, and Doyoung snickered.

“The elderly win this round,” he said back, and they retreated.

They Ubered home, dropping Taeyong off first. He found himself disappointed to part from him. Still a little drunk, he hugged him before he got out of the car, and as he watched the car pull away, he could still feel Doyoung’s phantom arms around him from where he’d hugged back.

No one they knew had a birthday in December, but now they didn’t need chance meetings and mutual friends’ birthday parties to see each other. Doyoung texted him asking if he wanted to go shopping. He bought the three cardigans Taeyong picked out for him, a new cologne he found in Zara, then they got coffee, then they walked around the furniture store, then they got dinner, then they saw a movie, then they finally parted at 11pm.

Taeyong decided it was about time they had a snapchat streak, and told him so with a selfie involving his new red hair. Doyoung sent him a single rose emoji, then a selfie of him in his new cardigan.

Doyoung asked to hear more of his music, so Taeyong invited him over and they lay on his bed listening to his latest tracks and ordered Chinese food. In a short time, the other boy had become a permanent fixture in his life.

When Christmas rolled around, he decided he needed to get him a present, but wasn’t sure if they were close enough yet to warrant getting him something super huge, so when his eyes fell on a pair of rabbit cufflinks he couldn’t help himself and bought them.

Doyoung got him earrings in the shape of little cats. He loved them.

They were at their parents’ houses for Christmas so had exchanged gifts a few days before, but on the actual day when he was full from all his mom’s cooking and not in the mood to watch Christmas specials, he slunk upstairs to call Doyoung to wish him happy Christmas, and found he missed his voice and presence.

“What are you doing for New Year’s?” he asked impulsively.

“My work’s throwing a party but I’m not super excited about it,” he replied. Taeyong could visualise his cute, sullen face.

“My friend Ten’s boyfriend Kun’s birthday is January 1^st, they’re throwing a joint New Year’s and birthday party, do you want to come with me?”

“Um, that absolutely sounds like it beats awkwardly drinking with people I don’t like that much,” he was laughing. He added, “Thanks, that’s nice of you.”

“It’s not nice of me, I want you there,” he said truthfully. “I’ll Ten you’re coming.”

“I thought it was Kun’s birthday?”

“Maybe, but it’s Ten’s party,” he snickered. “I’ll see you there.”

After they hung up, he flopped back onto his bed and held his phone over his beating heart like a teenager who’d asked their crush out. Maybe he kind of had.

January 1^st (Kun)

Kun and Ten’s apartment was always stunning, but made even more spectacular at the birthday/New Year’s event by Ten’s extravagant decorating sprees and Kun’s organisational skills. Ten was flitting around in his element hosting, while making sure everyone met his babies.

“I love your earrings! Did you wear them for Louis and Leon?” Ten asked, shoving his new cats into Taeyong’s face.

He received Louis gracefully and scratched behind ears. “Absolutely. They’re lovely.”

“Aren’t my babies the cutest?” Ten purred. Then lowered his voice. “I want a dog too. Specifically, Lucas’s dog. Bella will be mine.”

Taeyong stared at him, and decided to just smile and nod.

They were interrupted by a guy he didn’t know. “Where’s my favourite fat boy?” he was asking eagerly.

"Stop calling Louis fat or I’ll smack you, Kunhang,” Ten snapped. The boy made grabby hands for the cat and Taeyong handed him over.

“Aren’t you chubby?” he cooed. “Fatty baby!”

Ten shoved Leon at Taeyong and chased Kunhang out of the kitchen.

Taeyong looked down at Leon, who looked back at him equally confusedly. That was when Doyoung entered the room, and smiled brightly to see Taeyong. Taeyong stepped forward to hug him, only to remember he was holding a cat. He plopped him onto the counter and grabbed the other boy into a hug. He hadn’t seen him in way too long (a little over a week) and he’d missed him.

“Nice earrings,” Doyoung teased.

“Oh, yeah, this guy gave them to me so I’m wearing them to be polite,” he fake sighed, before cracking and patting Doyoung’s cheek.

“I know how you feel, I’m having to wear these lame cufflinks,” he lifted his sleeve to show the shiny bunnies holding his cuff together. He didn’t have a sweater on today, but an oversized cardigan. He looked cuddly.

A new floral scent was wafting over to Taeyong, “What is it today?”

“It’s called no.88 by Czech and Speake.”

“Rose?”

“Nice,” Doyoung gave him a thumbs up, “Bergamot and geranium too.”

“I’ll pretend to know those are,” Taeyong said. “I like the smell of roses.”

“I got it because it reminded me of you,” Doyoung said, then added hastily, “Because you had pink hair then red hair, it was like roses.”

“And I’m pretty?” he asked boldly.

Doyoung was laughing slightly nervously, then Ten appeared.

He passed him Louis and said, “Hi Dongyoungie, my favourite bunny, I got carrot sticks in when I heard you were coming.”

He had been looking down at the surprise cat and Ten’s teasing kicked in a moment late, and his eyes narrowed. Ten giggled delightedly and pecked his nose, then Taeyong’s for good measure, grabbed two bottles of wine and was gone again.

“Let’s go say hi to the others,” Taeyong said, resting his hand on Doyoung’s arm to try placate him, and pulled him into the main room after Leon joined Louis on the counter. He was trying not to giggle at the bunny line, knowing it was overused, and luckily Doyoung didn’t notice and cooled off at the contact from Taeyong. He smiled at him in the way that made Taeyong’s heart swoop, and they joined the party.

The party was amazing, obviously. Fun and a little crazy from Ten’s influence and kept classy by Kun, twice as much as alcohol as anybody needed, and all his favourite people there. Doyoung was in that category now, he thought fondly, watching him with Johnny and Jaehyun.

It was weird thinking they’d already known him, and he hadn’t met him until last August, but he was glad they had. It made their friendship circle feel more complete, somehow.  

Later, he was slightly alarmed to see Doyoung getting on so well with Kun. They were talking eagerly about inflation rates together.

Taeyong let himself drift away, and Ten came up behind him. “Your glass empty, that’s illegal in this house,” he tutted, filling it with champagne. “Are you having a nice time?”

“Of course I am,” Taeyong said, leaning his head against Ten’s shoulder. “How are things with you?”

“Great, I mean, really great,” he lowered his voice, “I never thought I would, you know, settle down. But it’s...”

“It’s nice,” Taeyong finished. “It’s not embarrassing to like domesticity.”

“Mmm, it’s a little embarrassing, but at least he and I aren’t wearing matching sweaters like Yuta and Sichengie” Ten said. His gaze became a little softer, “Are you missing it?”

“Not that much,” he said, finding it was true as he said it.

“Hmm. Almost as if you’re not really lacking it lately,” Ten said mysteriously. “Ooh, it’s almost midnight, I need to find Kun,” he mimed smooching noises and skipped away.

Oh of course, it was time for midnight kisses, he thought slightly bitterly. He wondered if he should dart outside to hide the awkwardness of being single. Leaving parties to sulk seemed to be his brand, but Doyoung appeared in Ten’s stead and flopped down next to him.  

“I was just talking with Kun,” he said, “I learned he and Kunhang are different people. Anyway, he and Ten seem kind of an interesting couple.”

“Oh yeah, they make it work though. It’s like, from our perspective they’re different, but in Ten’s eyes Kun is just a guy and vice versa.”

Doyoung nodded, “That’s true. They seem happy, with their cat family.”

He seemed content to leave it there, but when something was bothering Taeyong he lost his filter around Doyoung, not to mention he was past tipsy, and it was almost his would-be anniversary with redacted, who he didn’t think about anymore, except for this season apparently.

“It is interesting, how two people who don’t seem perfect for each other are living all harmoniously, but two people that by all means are right for each other couldn’t,” he said.

Doyoung looked at him hesitantly and asked, “Are we still talking about them?”

“Isn’t love really random, if you think about it? How many times have people liked someone who didn’t like them back, it’s totally by chance for you to find someone available and complementary to yourself, but then equally you see a hundred happy couples on the road every day. Every baby you see was made by a couple! You and I exist because our parents happened to like each other. But if it’s so common, how come I specifically can’t hang onto someone? Did you know I’ve never had a New Year’s kiss?” he finished.

“How’s that possible?”

“I don’t know,” he sunk into his chair, “I met redacted the week after New Year’s, and on all other New Year’s didn’t have one for one reason or another.”

“I still don’t understand,” he said, “I mean you’re you.”

“I think the problem is I’m me,” Taeyong sighed, missing the look Doyoung was giving him.

Around them, the countdown had begun. “Do you see, single another year.”

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” everyone yelled around them.

"Here," Doyoung said, grabbing his hand, and with a determined look in his face pressed a kiss to Taeyong's knuckle, then a second.

Taeyong's brain promptly set itself on fire, as well as the skin Doyoung’s lips had touched, but he forced his last remaining brain cell to throw water on the flames. He resolutely smushed a kiss against Doyoung's cheek in return.

Yes it was soft, yes it was squishy and yes Taeyong would probably not be able to forget the feeling in a long while, but he got a bright gummy smile and he didn't think anything else mattered. 

People had stopped kissing and had started singing happy birthday to Kun, but Doyoung and Taeyong were too busy smiling at each other to join in.

January 25^th (Lucas)

“Do you know Lucas that well?” Taeyong asked, from where he was flopped on Doyoung’s bed throwing a rolled ball of socks in the air and catching it.

“Only as well as you do,” Doyoung said from his vanity.

They’d both been invited to his party. Apparently, he befriended people quickly and efficiently, and any mutual friend was good enough for him to lay down his life for. They knew a bunch of other people going, so they decided they were going too. Joint decisions was a new thing of theirs.

“Taeyong?” he called, and he sat up in response. He lifted up a make up palette, “What do you think? You’re better at this.”

Taeyong dropped the socks and stood up confidently.

“Welcooome back to Yongie’s grooming centre, thank you so much for returning, my good customer,” he giggled, sticking his hands into Doyoung’s hair for no particular reason other than he wanted to. “What are we looking for today?”

“Something trendy and cute, Yongie-nim,” he said mock seriously.

Taeyong dropped his hands to pull on Doyoung’s cheeks and pretended to consider something carefully. “Mhm, mhm, ok, ok I think I’ve got it.”

Starting to take it a little more seriously he moved to get in front of him. He patted his hair back into place and instead grabbed some make up he’d bought with him, electing to blend some dark nude shades onto his eyelids and sparkle onto his cheeks.

“They’ll think we’re heading out clubbing,” Doyoung said, not complaining.

“No, it’s a cute, natural look,” Taeyong said. He turned to the perfume shelf, “What scent today, sir?”

“Can you grab me that Tom Ford one?” he asked, and Taeyong passed him it. He spritzed it twice. “Did you want any?”

“Sure,” he said excitedly, and Doyoung spritzed him too, then stood up. He stopped to observe his make up job. “10/10, excellent work.”

“Not too clubby?”

“No, of course not, perfect,” he said, probably just to be nice but Taeyong glowed anyway, and they headed out to Lucas’s place.

Lucas opened the door and said in greeting to Doyoung, “Welcome in, hey you smell good, what’s that?”

“Tom Ford.”

“Neato,” he grinned, and then sniffed Taeyong, “You too?”

“I’m using Doyoung’s,” he explained.

Lucas nodded, then his eyes widened like something had occurred to him, then said, “Oh cool, that’s super cool, great you guys.” He patted them both on their shoulders. Leading them inside as though he hadn’t confused them, he continued, “I feel like my sense of smell improved since I got a dog, like she’s been passing her skills to me, you know.”

They nodded slowly, then the doorbell rang again, so he retraced his steps, waving at them friendlily in goodbye. 

Looking around the apartment, he found it was cleaner than he might have assumed Lucas’s house would be. The walls were covered in photos of his friends, and his puppy Bella, who had trotted over to Taeyong and Doyoung to say hello.

Delightedly Taeyong stopped to pat her hello. “Baby,” he cooed, “Cutie, softie, sweetie.”

Doyoung crouched between them, phone out, and Taeyong quickly started posing for photos with Bella, Doyoung laughing at him.

“Cute you guys,” came a voice, and he looked up to see Ten and Kun. “How long have you been here?”

“We just got here,” Taeyong said, losing his photoshoot as Ten scooped up Bella.

Ten’s eyes went between them. “Together?”

“We carpooled,” Taeyong said as casually as he could.

“Cool,” he said. “Get that camera out Dongyoungie.”

Less enthusiastically Doyoung took Ten and Bella’s pictures. “You’re not as cute as Taeyong.”

“Kun, defend my honour,” Ten snapped, as Taeyong beamed.

“You’re much cuter,” he said diligently.

“Fight Doyoung for me.”

“Maybe after the party, let’s not cause a scene on Lucas’s birthday,” he said patiently, and Ten sighed.

“Fine,” he kissed the top of Bella’s head, “I don’t want Bellie to witness any violence anyway.”

“Thank God,” Doyoung said flatly.

Lucas came up to them. He looked slightly nervously at Ten holding Bella, and cautiously took her. Ten allowed it, maintaining intense eye contact with him.

The party was slightly frat party like, with more drinking games than the New Year’s party and less canapes, but most of Taeyong’s friends were there and he was with Doyoung for most of the night, and for once he found himself not wanting to steal a bottle of tequila and run away.

He saw Mark and happily waved him over.

“Hi, Mark! How’s your New Year’s resolution going?”

Mark had resolved to start running. He sighed, “My legs hurt like Hell. Why do good things for your body feel so bad?”

“That’s why I just resolved to be nice to people,” Doyoung said.

“When are you gonna start that?” Taeyong asked. He got swatted at and elated, hit back.

“Hey, you guys know each other?” Mark asked, glancing between them like something had just clicked for him.

“We’re friends,” Doyoung agreed. The corners of his mouth upturned.

Looking excited with the turn of events, Mark asked, “No way, when did you meet?”

“Your party.”

“Woah,” he clapped his hands together, “Check me out, bringing people together. Nice!”

Taeyong caught Doyoung’s eye, and they both smiled, and that happiness started spreading through his chest

Lucas slid into view, grinning at them and carrying the puppy, “Hey dudes! I didn’t get a chance to catch up, what’s happening?”

Mark patted Bella, “Just hanging. How’s being 21?”

“Great! I showed them my ID and they like, sold me alcohol.”

“Sweet.”

“Doyoung, what are you doing for your birthday?” Lucas asked, “Renjun looked through your wallet he said your birthday is next week.”

Alarm surged through Taeyong. It’s what? he thought in a panic.

“Yeah it is- he did what?”

Lucas waved him off, “Don’t worry about it. Throwing a party?”

Doyoung was miming a cut throat at Renjun who shot a peace sign back, then looked back to Lucas. “I’m not sure.”

What do I get him what do I get him what do I get him-

“Aww you have to, you’re the first of February gang, you need to get the party started.”

Who else is born in February? Taeyong thought hurriedly. Johnny, Jaehyun, Ten, Doyoung too, I have so many presents to buy.

Mark said, “You didn’t have a party last year either. Come onnn, hyung!”

Doyoung was still looking uncertain.

“I’ll just get Jeno to ask you,” Mark added.

Knowing he was beat, Doyoung finally said, “Fine, it’s short notice though, people might not come.”

“It’s a Saturday, everyone will be there.”

Ten appeared, “Be where?”

“Doyoung’s birthday party,” Lucas said.

“Cool, Kun and I are coming,” he took the puppy out of Lucas’s arms and disappeared.

“See!”

“He just stole your dog,” Mark said.

Lucas looked at his vacant arms and said, “Sorry, got to go.” He and Mark hurried away.

After being slightly stunned into silence by their lively friends, Taeyong said accusingly, “You didn’t say it was your birthday.”

“I forgot,” Doyoung said, then added, “You’d have gotten the Facebook notification.”

“I wouldn’t have gotten you a present!”

“You don’t have to.”

Taeyong rolled his eyes. “Yes I do. Fake friend. What day is it, February 1^st?” He tapped it into his calendar.

“When’s your birthday then?”

“July 1^st.”

“We’re both born on the first,” Doyoung observed, he had a small smile on his face.

Taeyong, also feeling oddly happy about it, smiled back. Then fake glared, “Don’t be mad if your present is bad, I don’t have long to buy it.”

“I’ll like anything you get me,” Doyoung said honestly, looking at him with his big eyes on his cute face, and Taeyong was starting to feel fucked.

February 1^st (Doyoung)

He very much realised that whatever Doyoung had said, he wanted to get him something nice. He wanted to make him happy, he wanted him to like him. The very next day he woke up uncharacteristically early for himself and headed to the department store to scour for something to buy for him.

Doyoung already had so many perfumes, and Taeyong knew virtually nothing about what type he might like so he headed to the clothing department.

The other thing Doyoung seemed to like to collect was sweaters, and specifically tight ones. He drifted around, conjuring up mental images of how the colours would match his black hair and how the fit would look on his broad shoulders.

Then, he came across a jumper in salmon pink, one that looked near identical to one that Taeyong owned himself, that Doyoung had complimented back then. The first time of many he’d made Taeyong feel flustered like a teenager.  

We could match he thought to himself, imagining them turning up somewhere in jumpers of the same colour, and then suddenly embarrassed snapped it back on the rack and grabbed a yellow one.

Matching jumpers is a couple’s thing and we’re just friends, he reminded himself as he left the clothes store after buying the sweater. He power-walked towards the exit, but the perfume department called to him and he retraced his steps back to look over to it. He wanted to get something that could be a part of something important to Doyoung, and was too tempted to walk away.

Maybe just one bottle, he thought, and set about sniffing every one he could get his hands on. Gucci was nice, right? They had nice bottles too. Lost, he finally asked an employee for help.

“It’s for my friend,” he said, struggling. Doyoung was a sort of difficult person to describe, “He’s- very nice? He liked woody scents I think, but not manly manly ones, you know?”

She hummed. She lifted a bottle, which had a cute angular shape, and said, “Here, this has a base of sandalwood with vanilla, and brightened with lily.”

Taeyong sniffed it. It was soft and sweet and he liked it. With no real idea of what else he could get, he bought it and hoped for the best.

For the first time in a while, Taeyong felt slightly apprehensive for a party. He and Doyoung had been close for a while, and he was definitely important to him, but he didn’t know how important he was to Doyoung. What was his role at this party, casual guest or close friend guest? Should he offer to help set up?

In the end it got sorted easily.

They were chatting on the phone when Doyoung’s birthday naturally came up.

“What are you doing besides the party? That’s only happening in the evening.”

“I don’t have any plans. I guess I’ll call my parents.”

“That’s no fun, you weren’t even going to have the party before we told you to! Let me come buy you breakfast.”

“Aw, Yongie, you don’t-,”

“And I’ll help you set up the party,” he carried on, steadily inviting himself to spend Doyoung’s entire birthday with him. He added, “Unless you don’t want me to.”

“Of course I want you to.”

Glad Doyoung couldn’t see the grin spreading across his face, he said, “Ok. I’ll see you then.”

“I’ll see you then.”

So Taeyong was the first person to see Doyoung on his birthday, the first to hug him and say happy birthday, and the first one to give him his present.

He handed it to him slightly nervously. “Remember I didn’t have long.”

“Remember it doesn’t matter,” Doyoung said, his smile wide across his whole face before even opening the gift. He pulled apart the wrapping paper carefully, and grinned at the yellow sweater that fell against his lap. “I love it!”

“Is it not too flashy?”

“No, it’s perfect,” he held it against himself, “I don’t have a yellow one yet. The size looks good too.”

“I know you like them slightly too small,” Taeyong said, making Doyoung laugh bashfully. “Open the smaller one.”

Doyoung picked up the little package. His eyes lit up as he figured out what it most likely was, and oo’d at the bottle of perfume he unwrapped. “Gucci,” he said admiringly. “Bamboo, that’s a nice name.”

“I just chose a pretty one. The lady said it’s sandalwood with amber and lily,” Taeyong told, him feeling more anxious now that it was in his hand.

Doyoung immediately spritzed it against his wrist. His face lit up at the scent, “It’s lovely,” he said, immediately rubbing it on his neck too. “Thank you.”

He put it down to hug Taeyong. He could smell it on him now, and he felt satisfaction bubbling in his chest at Doyoung wearing something he’d got him, more so than when he wore the bunny cufflinks. He hugged him back, Doyoung always gave the best hugs. He didn’t know if it was because of something he did, or because Taeyong liked him such an embarrassing amount, but he always tingled pleasantly afterwards.  

“Do you really like it?” he asked into his shoulder.

“It’s perfect,” Doyoung promised.

Taeyong paid for breakfast despite Doyoung’s argument that’s he’d already got him a present, but Taeyong could be as stubborn as the other man when he wanted to be and he smugly handed his card over to pay for the meal.

They went to the store to get stuff for the party later, snacks and extra booze, and then Taeyong insisted on streamers and balloons and Doyoung sighed and allowed it. They picked up the cake Doyoung had ordered earlier and put it carefully in the car.

“I should have got the cake,” Taeyong realised, “You shouldn’t have to buy your own cake.”

“Don’t worry about it, it means I got the one I wanted,” Doyoung said.

Finished with the important errands they stopped at the Starbucks drive through for coffee then headed back to put things in the fridge and start hanging decorations.

“Do your worst with the music playlist,” Doyoung told him, and Taeyong got to work on Spotify.

They ordered lunch then cleared everything away and finished tidying the house. Both of them were clean people, something they bonded over, and Doyoung’s house was spotless by the time they were finished with it.

Doyoung flopped onto the couch. “I’m tired already. Can we rest until people get here?”

“You’re the birthday boy,” Taeyong reminded him, joining him and leaning against his side.

“Thanks for helping out. And buying me breakfast, and coming round at all,” he said softly.

“It’s not a problem,” Taeyong hummed. “Today’s the day I can be your slave.”

Doyoung chuckled and patted his side. Things were always so comfortable with him. It felt domestic, even though they were just friends, but Taeyong could get addicted to the feeling of being so close with Doyoung, being the one that he saw on his birthday first, co-hosting his parties.

Eventually Doyoung had to get up, realising he hadn’t put snacks out yet, and then the doorbell rang and guests started arriving. With the host busy Taeyong took coats and directed them to refreshments.

Yuta and Sicheng turned up ladled with gifts and wine.

“Where’s Doyoung?” Sicheng asked, looking a little surprised at Taeyong answering the door.

“He’s setting up snacks in the kitchen, actually I should go help,” he said, hurrying over after depositing coats in the bedroom.

In the kitchen, his gaze fell on a whole bowl of sweet potato cubes. “You’re my favourite human in the whole world,” he said sincerely.

Doyoung looked embarrassed and averted his gaze and said, “I wanted you to have something you liked.”

“I like you,” he said without thinking.

They made eye contact, and Taeyong realised what he’d said, and then Yuta barged between them to grab some chips. “Chenle’s messing with the stereo,” he said cheerily.

Doyoung nodded and moved to leave, not before muttering to Taeyong, “You already have me.”

Ten and Kun arrived. Worryingly, Ten was holding Lucas’s dog Bella and less worryingly Kun was holding a bottle of champagne, which he handed to Doyoung.

“Happy birthday!” Ten said, and eyed Doyoung’s shirt, “Ooh top button undone, are we feeling crazy, Doie?”

Doyoung rolled his eyes, and patted Bella. “You didn’t actually steal Lucas’s dog, did you?”

“No, I wish, I saw him outside a moment ago,” he nuzzled her head, “I’m working on getting to him to agree to coparenting.”

“Tennie, we can get our own dog,” Kun said gently, taking both their coats and hanging them up.

“Our own dog, and Bella,” he said. His eyes locked onto Taeyong and he barged over to say hi, “Ooh, I want to do shots with Yongie!”

Bella was passed to Jaehyun, who looked surprised but not upset at the predicament and held her until Lucas showed up not long after and was reunited with his dog.

Ten was lining up shot glasses for him and Taeyong.

“It’s still kind of early,” Taeyong was saying, eyeing the line that Ten was preparing.

“It’s good to get ahead of the game, I thought you liked being organised,” he passed one to Taeyong. “3, 2, 1!” They downed their glasses together. It couldn’t hurt to get started a little early, maybe. It was a party after all.

Doyoung took over greeting guests, so Taeyong hung out with the others in the living room, arguing that no they weren’t allowed to change his playlist, and drinking whatever was handed to him.

He was definitely further gone than the other guests, but found he was just having a good time. He didn’t want to hang off Doyoung for the whole evening, it was his birthday and he should give him time to talk to his guests and stuff, so he did shots with Ten, asked Yuta about his wedding plans, pried vodka away from Chenle and found Lucas again and chatted to him for a while.

“Hey, great job with this place by the way,” Lucas admired the decorations. “I kind of thought Doyoung would live in a stark white futuristic place, but it’s cosy in here.”

“Thanks,” Taeyong smiled, then said, “I mean it’s Doyoung’s party but I helped set up. And his apartment did use to be a little sparse, I’ve been helping him fill it up a little.”

Lucas nodded understandingly. “I love that for you two. You’re great.”

Brain a little fuzzy, Taeyong just nodded along. Lucas really was such a nice boy, he thought, even after they were no longer talking and he had been handed more wine to drink.

He found himself losing track of time, enjoying himself whether he was attached to Doyoung’s side making sure he was happy or talking to his friends. He then quickly remembered they had to do the cake, and alarmed to see the time he grabbed Taeil to help him carry it because he was a little wobbly and sent Mark to turn the lights off.

With the lights off and everyone singing, the crowd of people parted to clear a path to Doyoung. He was smiling at Taeyong. Silly, he thought, Taeil’s carrying the cake.

The cake was pink, slightly to his surprise because he hadn’t known Doyoung liked strawberry cake too. But whatever, he just sang along and cheered when he blew out the candles.

He approached him to try help serve the cake, but found his coordination was more out of whack by the second.

“Your neck’s all red hyung,” Doyoung said softly. “Why don’t you go sit with Johnny and I’ll bring you some cake.”

He wanted to argue, seeing as it was Doyoung’s birthday so he should be the one being brought cake, but sitting down sounded pretty great and he went obediently when he was nudged towards Johnny. He flopped down beside him on the couch.

“Hi Johnnnny,” he said happily. “I’m here to sit with you.”

“I can see. Enjoying yourself?”

“Mmmmm,” he leaned back against the couch. “Doyoung’s birthday is fun.”

“You and Doyoung are so close lately, seems like you’re always together,” Johnny observed.

“I like being together with Doyoung. Doyoungie is... a good Doyoungie,” he said, nodding rapidly. His good Doyoung brought his cake over.

He licked up a little bit of frosting, and wiggled happily at the taste. “Strawberry,” he beamed.

“I thought you liked chocolate, Doyoung,” Johnny said.

“I like strawberry too,” Doyoung said. Taeyong was glad Doyoung liked it because strawberry was his favourite. He concentrating on his hand eye coordination in eating his cake, not concentrating on whatever Doyoung and Johnny were talking about until his snack was finished, the paper plate was being taken out of his hands and laid on the table.

Now with a full stomach he was struck by the desire to find somewhere warm to rest, he shuffled closer to Doyoung and rested his head against his shoulder. An arm snaked around his shoulders. Yes, yes, perfect. Comfy. The music faded away into the background and he let his eyes close. Doyoung was firm, his jumper was soft and he smelled like lilies today, and best of all was just the fact that it was Doyoung he was laying against. My favourite his hazy mind told him.

He wondered briefly if Doyoung would get up and move, seeing as it was his party and maybe he wanted to host, and he hoped he wouldn’t because he really was too comfy to give him up just yet. He opened his eyes to look across the room, seeing everyone talking amongst themselves and laughing, and was happy to be surrounded by friends and safe and warm against his human pillow.

He could feel the vibrations in Doyoung’s chest as he said, “I think Taeyong’s a little sleepy.”

Feeling no need to contradict him, Taeyong simply closed his eyes again.

“Happy birthday again,” Johnny said.

“Thanks, you have a good time?”

“Oh yeah, better if I hadn’t had to fish Mark out of the shower earlier.”

He felt Doyoung shake slightly with laughter. “Are you doing anything for your birthday next week?”

Taeyong opened his eyes to see Johnny shrug and say, “I don’t think so, not super in the mood. Maybe a small thing.” He saw Taeyong awake and smiled at him. Taeyong smiled back.

“You should have said, we could’ve had a joint thing and you wouldn’t have had to worry as much.”

“Nah, it’s your day. How much has Taeyong had?”

Doyoung turned to look at him. “I didn’t see. He might not even be that drunk.” Taeyong stuck his tongue out.

“I’m glad you guys are friends, I’d have introduced you sooner if I’d known you’d get close.”

I’m close with Doyoungie, Taeyong thought to himself.

“Hey, how about for my birthday we do something the three of us? We can drive to the beach.”

Doyoung made a noise in agreement. Taeyong was thinking, yes fun, but realised he hadn’t said it until Doyoung nudged him. “Tyong?”

Johnny laughed, “Tyong?”

“I’m Tyong,” Taeyong said happily. “Tyong tyong. Tyongie.”

“Maybe he is drunk,” Doyoung conceded. “You should stay over, hyung.”

“I’ll sleep in Doie’s bed,” he agreed. He lifted his head from his shoulder.

“Now?”

His cheek now feeling cold, he decided it could wait and returned to his previous position. “Let’s go to the beach,” he said.

Johnny was laughing at him again, he didn’t mind. He mumbled, “Let’s go to the beach beach let’s go get away.”

“They say what they’re gonna say,” Johnny finished for him.

Taeyong laughed, and decided nice as his position was it could be improved, and he wrapped both his arms around Doyoung’s torso. This also meant he couldn’t get up and leave if he tried, Taeyong thought with satisfaction.

“Is he always like this?” Doyoung said, whose only response to being trapped on the sofa was to card his fingers through Taeyong’s hair.

“I mean, not that I’ve personally seen.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to bed?” Doyoung asked him.

“Are you coming?”

“Not just yet.”

“No then,” Taeyong said easily. “There are coats on your bed anyway.”

“I’ll move them for you.”

“For me?” he looked up at him with wide eyes.

Doyoung let out a soft laugh and patted his head, “Anything for you, Tyongie.”

Eventually all their friends starting leaving, but not before Doyoung stayed true to his word and moved the coats so Taeyong (who had accepted himself that yes, he’d had too much) could flop face first into his pillows while the party finished up.

He must have slept only a little, because he was still alone in the bed when he woke and still tipsy by the feel of it. The bed smelled like Doyoung, which was the mixture of perfumes too complex to identify, plus his own Doyoungie smell. He forced himself to sit up and pulled his socks off, then padded over to the door and stuck his head round.

The apartment was empty, the remnants of the party being the bottles and cups and wrapping paper littering the room. He moved forward to see Doyoung standing in the kitchen. He was leaning against a counter staring vacantly at the floor.

He looked pretty standing in the electric lighting. A possessive feeling overcame Taeyong as he watched him. He was the only person still here to see it.

Doyoung looked up and smiled to see him. “You awake?”

Taeyong nodded and walked towards him to wrap his arms around his neck. “Happy birthday.”

He squeezed him back, “It’s not my birthday anymore.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he mumbled, “Did you have a nice day?”

“Very nice,” he said, “super duper nice. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“I don’t know. Thank you for existing. I’m glad we met.”

Fizzing with happiness, Taeyong pressed his face into Doyoung’s neck and nodded.

He must have been leaning a little too much on him, because he said, “Let’s get you back to bed.”

“You too.”

“Me too,” he agreed, letting himself be tugged back to his room. He changed into his favourite oversized t-shirt and black shorts, then brushed his teeth and lent Taeyong a toothbrush too, and then crawled into bed next to him and fell asleep.

February 9^th (Johnny)

They met at Doyoung’s house to drive to the beach. Johnny arrived to see them both leaving out the front door and said teasingly, “Just how many nights did you stay?”

Taeyong’s mouth dropped and he hurried to say, “Only one night! I just got here early!” He huffed some more to himself while walking towards Johnny and stopped to hug him. “Happy birthday!”

“Thanks, TY,” Johnny replied. “Thanks to you both for coming.” He looked at the large basket Doyoung was holding. “Feeding an army?”

He rolled his eyes. “Ask Yongie, he turned up at my door at 7am demanding to use my kitchen and forced me to be his sous chef.”

“I wanted you to have a nice birthday picnic,” Taeyong said, “I called your mom to ask what your favourite foods were. Also, Doyoung agreed to this yesterday he’s tarnishing my name,” he swatted the boy in question.

“Ouch,” he pulled a sad face until Taeyong rubbed it better, and Johnny wondered if he was going to be third wheel on his own birthday trip.

“It’s your birthday, you sitting in the front?”

Strategically, Johnny said, “I’m tired still, let me nap in the back and Taeyong can play his TY Tracks.”

Taeyong’s eyes lit up, and he produced his CD from under his coat and hopped into shotgun position to put it into CD player. Doyoung got into the driver’s seat and the squabbling started immediately, first over volume, and then air conditioning.

“It’s too warm in here,” Taeyong was saying.

“It’s February and the car’s been sat here all night, how is it too warm?”

“Let me turn the AC on!” Taeyong demanded.

“Are you a psychopath?”

They turned to Johnny at the same time, expectantly.

He blinked and said, “I don’t mind.”

Doyoung started the engine and turned the AC on. Taeyong made a happy wiggle and pressed play on the CD player.

The drive was a peaceful one, Taeyong’s music today having chill vibes. They found a parking spot near the beach front and pulled the picnic basket out of the boot.

“Let’s find somewhere nice to sit,” Taeyong said, tugging them in the direction of picnic tables. It was cold out, being February, but not freezing, and they were wrapped up warm enough to be fine eating outside.

“Wow you guys, this is so much,” Johnny said, looking touched at the amount of food they made.

Taeyong brought out the cupcake that said “HBD J!” on it and stuck a candle in it.

“Aw you guys,” Johnny laughed, as Doyoung struggled to light it in the breeze. Taeyong cupped his hand around the flame to protect it as they sang happy birthday together. Johnny closed his eyes to make his wish, then blew out the candle.

Taeyong and Doyoung cheered for him, and pulled out their own cupcakes to eat.

Then they packed everything up again to wander over to look at the sea. Taeyong caught sight of an ice cream van. He tugged at Doyoung’s sleeve, who said, “You’ll get cold.” Taeyong tugged again and they both got soft serve cones.

Doyoung was right of course, and the cool breeze and the ice cream made him shiver, but noticing this Doyoung put his arm around him and he warmed up.

The breeze’s direction changed and a familiar perfume was blown his way, familiar because it was the one he’d bought Doyoung. He knew he was probably just wearing it because he knew Taeyong would be there, but it made him glow inside with happiness.

Johnny’s phone started ringing. “It’s my mom,” he said, moving away to answer it.

Taeyong and Doyoung stayed by the railing, looking out to the grey sea. Maybe it had been a slightly brave move getting ice cream in a brisk day like this, but Taeyong couldn’t bring himself to care. He found himself more carefree than he’d been in years, out at the beach with two of his best friends. And ice cream sometimes tasted even better in cold weather, he decided, taking a lick.

“You’re cute,” Doyoung said out of nowhere.

Taeyong let out a nervous giggle at the suddenness, asking, “What?”

Doyoung scrunched his nose, “You’re just so cute, sticking your tongue out to eat the ice cream. I don’t know.” Taeyong just blinked at him, trying not to get too flustered, and Doyoung continued, “Okay not to be corny, but you know you’re objectively the most attractive person I’ve met in my life.”

Taeyong pulled up his coat collar to hide his face.

“Come on you have to have looked in the mirror,” he said. “I was so shocked when we met.”

“You’re one to talk,” he said, making Doyoung scoff, “With your bunny face.”

“Don’t turn this around, Lee Taeyong, we’re talking about your miracle face here.”

“No seriously!” He struggled with how best to tell Doyoung the truth, that he thought he was beautiful, that he wanted to spend his whole life looking at him, that his broad shoulders and narrow waist and firm muscles should be criminalised. All he could think to say was, “You’re just, you’re pretty. And handsome at the same time, and also cute. I don’t know how to put it,” he laughed slightly manically.

“It’s okay. I’m not expressing myself well either,” he looked back out to sea, “I really think you’re the most beautiful person in the world though.”

Then he looked back at Taeyong, and a current passed between them like it so often did, the one they felt but never brought up.

“Your ice cream’s melting,” Doyoung said softy.

“Oh,” Taeyong looked back to his neglected cone, and licked up any stray drops before they could make his fingers sticky.

Doyoung let out a stressed sort of sigh, and then Johnny returned to them.

“Wow Taeyong, you’re not one to be a messy eater,” he grinned. “What were you talking about?”

“Nothing,” Taeyong said quickly, “How’s your mom?”

“She’s good. Come on, we haven’t been on the beach properly yet,” he said, leading them to steps down to the beach.

Doyoung warily stayed back from where the tide lapped at the sand, being a victim of being thrown into the water one too many times. Taeyong coaxed him over for pictures though, demanding they have photo memories of the day.

“We have to have pictures for Johnny’s 25^th birthday,” he insisted. “Quarter of a century!”

“Shhhh,” Johnny whispered. “Let me pretend I’m young forever. Like Doyoungie, our 24 year old whipper snapper.”

“Today’s maknae,” Taeyong said happily. “Take some pictures of your hyungs.”

Doyoung gave him a side eye which was as intimidating as if an actual bunny had tried glaring at him, but he walked a few metres away to take pictures of them.

“Okay, okay, your turn,” Taeyong skipped over to push Doyoung over to Johnny.

Johnny endured this as well, and then said, “What about you two?”

“It’s your birthday,” Doyoung started, but Taeyong already pushed the phone into Johnny’s hand and grabbed Doyoung. Johnny laughed airily.

As soon as he lowered the camera Taeyong’s smile dropped and he turned to Doyoung sternly, “Look happier! I want a cute one.”

They tried again, Doyoung obediently being cute this time (he was always cute but Taeyong wanted a Cute cute one) and Taeyong ran to check the photos on Johnny’s phone.

“Perfect,” he beamed, Doyoung shuffling over to stand behind him and look too.

“They are nice,” he said, hooking his chin over Taeyong’s shoulder. Johnny flipped to the front camera and took a quick selfie of the three of them with them two still in that position, Taeyong reflexively pouting his lips when he saw the camera on him.

“I want that as my background,” he said.

“I’ll send them all when I get home,” Johnny promised.

They stayed for a little longer, strolling along the beach and then going back the way they came. They got coffee to warm up before Taeyong did the drive home. Doyoung insisted Johnny got in the front this time. “I’m today’s maknae after all,” he said, getting in the back.

He and Taeyong still managed to bicker. Taeyong was too cold this time while Doyoung was too warm, and Johnny still didn’t mind, so on the heater was turned.

They were quiet for most of the journey, but he could look at Doyoung in the mirror bopping his head to the music and smile.

“This is one of my happy memories,” he said. “Today was a good day.”

“It was a great birthday, I’m glad we did it.” Johnny said. “I’m glad you two are friends too.”

“Me too,” he could hear Doyoung saying from the back, and it wasn’t just the heater that was making him feel warm.

February 14^th (Jaehyun)

The fact that Jaehyun’s birthday was also Valentine’s day had always made sense to Taeyong. He suited being a Valentine’s boy, seeing as he was definitely every girl’s dream Valentine. He was really too nice, he’d organised his party to be earlyish afternoon, so anyone who had a date had ample time to go for their dinner dates. He’d pushed all his furniture to the walls and laid down blankets so it was like an indoor picnic.

There were streamers hung up saying “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” and ones with love hearts on them too.

“Your decorations are always so nice,” Taeyong mentioned to him.

“I never have to think hard for a party theme,” Jaehyun agreed. “I wonder sometimes if it will get too samey, but I think it’s nice too.”

“It’s always nice,” Taeyong assured him. Jaehyun was so nice, any party of his would feel nice anyway.

He smiled to see Doyoung come up to them. “Yongie, I need to go sort something out for a sec.”

“Sure, see you in a minute.”

Jaehyun waved bye to him and asked Taeyong, “Has Doyoung been wearing the same perfume for two weeks? He usually changes more often.”

Trying not to show he pleased he was, Taeyong shrugged as casually as he could, “It’s actually the one I got him.”

Jaehyun’s eyebrows raised and he turned to him, clearly interested. “Oh, I see. He must really like it. I wonder how you knew exactly what perfume he’d like.”

Taeyong shook his head, “I just guessed, I probably got lucky.”

“Right, lucky,” Jaehyun was smiling over the rim of his cup.

“Well, it could just be because he’s being nice and wearing it around me because we’re friends,” he said.

“Taeyong, I got him perfume too,” and he froze. “Wouldn’t it make sense for him to wear it to my party using that reasoning.” Jaehyun was looking at him warmly, and maybe pointedly.

Not wanting to think too deeply and access a part of his brain that might lead to more dangerous feelings, Taeyong said, “Maybe he did just... like the scent.”

“He likes something about it for sure,” Jaehyun agreed.

Doyoung reappeared, moving back towards to his spot at Taeyong’s side.

“What did you need to sort out?” Taeyong asked.

“I remembered I put your scarf under someone’s heavy coat, I moved it so it wouldn’t get crumpled,” he explained.

Taeyong couldn’t help but wind his arms around his middle. “Doyoungieee! Too nice to me,” he cooed, relishing in Doyoung awkwardly avoiding eye contact, “What a good dongsaeng.”

“Help yourselves to anything you need,” Jaehyun said, smiling that angelic smile, and wandering away to leave them to it.

The party was lovely, casual and less alcohol addled thanks to its day time scheduling. Everyone was free to drop in and leave whenever, Jaehyun wanting to allow for his friends’ Valentine’s day plans. The couples trickled out of the party early to head to whatever dates they had planned, Yuta practically vibrating as he dragged Sicheng out of the party, and Jaehyun finally kicked stragglers out at 7pm because he was seeing family.

Taeyong had basically been beside Doyoung the entire party, and remained gravitated towards him as they hugged Jaehyun goodbye and strolled down the steps together into the dark evening. They started wondering down the street, neither particularly having anywhere to go and it feeling natural to keep walking together.

“That was fun,” Doyoung broke the comfortable silence, “He doesn’t always have parties on his actual birthday because people are busy. It must have been nice for him.”

“He seemed happy,” Taeyong agreed. He was wondering how he could casually bump their shoulders together. He altered his course and brushed against him, before leaning away again. He caught the scent of the perfume he’d give him again. He said, “Do you actually like the perfume?”

Doyoung looked at him in surprise, “Of course I do.”

“But is actually that much better than the other ones you have?” Maybe it was good, but he still knew it was less than half the price of one like his Chanel perfume.

The taller boy was quiet for a moment and Taeyong wondered if he should have said anything and wished it wasn’t as dark so I he could see the other’s face, before Doyoung replied, “It’s special because you gave it to me, of course.”

And then he was glad it was dark so that Doyoung couldn’t see his cheeks heat up. Feeling stupidly happy, he couldn’t find the words to say anything.

Doyoung paused in the street outside a restaurant. The sign said: couples eat half price.

He looked at Taeyong. “Are you hungry? It’s not like they’ll investigate.”

Taeyong beamed, grabbed his hand, and they went inside.

March 23^rd (Renjun)

Somehow, they ended up invited to Renjun’s birthday party. Doyoung had always considered him Jeno’s friend, but somehow through attending a bunch of the same parties, having mutual friends and Chenle putting in a good word, they found themselves standing outside a roller-skating rink.

Hesitantly Doyoung asked, “Can you rollerblade?”

“No, can you?”

“No.”

“It’ll be a fun new experience,” Taeyong said, half for himself as well as Doyoung.

“Right,” he said, unsure. “I guess I’ll need you to hold my hand.”

Nowhere near the actual rink, Taeyong immediately linked their hands together and smiled sunnily at him. Doyoung squeezed his fingers and smiled back, and then they realised they actually needed to go inside.

He dropped his hand as they walked over to where their friends were gathering, but his palm kept tingling anyway.

Roller skating was an interesting experience. They spent the first twenty minutes teetering around with Jaehyun and Kun who were equally new to it. Ten glided away and pirouetted, sticking his tongue out at them.

Giggling he took pity and came back over, taking both of Kun’s hands to help him balance.

“I need a boyfriend who’s good at this,” Taeyong complained.

“I’ll practice for next time,” Doyoung promised.

Gradually they got used to the feeling of having wheels for feet and wobbled about with increasing confidence, trying to not get disheartened by all the kids that were out-rolling them with ease. Doyoung abandoned him to go use the bathroom, so Taeyong relied on moral support from Ten, who laughed at him instead.

Out of breath, he rolled over to the edge of the rink and found a bench next to a younger boy who was texting someone with a little frown. When he noticed Taeyong, it morphed into a delightfully handsome smile, before he returned his eyes to his screen. He felt as though he’d seen him before, but in their interconnected friendship circles it wasn’t unlikely to see people around.

Taeyong wished he hadn’t left his own phone in his locker. He focussed on watching everyone else. Renjun looked to be in the middle of a roll-off with Donghyuck, with a circle of boys hyping them up.

“Hyuck will win. He wins everything,” the boy next to him said.

“I’ve noticed. It’s a bit of a super power,” Taeyong agreed.

“I think he stays up all night practicing random skills so he can challenge people and win,” he continued. His tone was light and amused. “He never forgave me for winning our back flip-off.”

“Your what?” he laughed.

“He hadn’t realised I’d also taken lessons,” he grinned. He looked back over to the roller fight, “Renjunnie's holding his own, he must have guessed this would happen.”

“Let’s hope it stays friendly,” Taeyong said, noticing the tensions rising as their rolling reached a stalemate.

The boy put his phone down and said, “My name’s Jeno,” still with that sweet smile.

Taeyong’s eyes widened as he realised quite who he was talking to, Doyoung’s most darling dongsaeng. He’d seen him when Doyoung had carried him down the stairs, nearly a year ago.

“Oh, you’re Jeno! Doyoung talks about you all the time.”

Jeno laughed. “Does he? Sorry if I’m boring to hear about. What was your name?”

“I’m Taeyong.”

His gaze buffered, and then he beamed at him, “Wow, speaking of people Doyoung talks about all the time! It’s so nice to finally meet you.” He looked so genuinely pleased to meet him Taeyong felt like blushing.

“Sorry if I’m also boring to hear about it,” he looked down at his hands.

“Oh, not even a little.” Taeyong didn’t get a chance to gauge his meaning, because Doyoung popped up and then froze, looking back and forth between them.

“Oh.”

Jeno cracked up at him, “I finally met your Taeyongie,” he said cheerily, and stood up. “I’m gonna go to stop Renjun from murdering Hyuckie, see you guys,” and rolled over serenely to them to help pull them apart.

Doyoung flopped into his vacant seat. “You two probably should’ve met sooner.”

Taeyong was grappling with the thought that maybe he was of near equal importance of Jeno in Doyoung’s eyes, and how light and airy that made him feel. He said honestly, “I hope he liked me.”

“Oh, who wouldn’t like you. I like you enough for the both of us anyway,” Doyoung said, and stood up. “Help me roll back to everyone?”

Taeyong took his hand happily, and they wobbled away.

June 6^th (Donghyuck)

Winter had ended, spring passed, summer began, and Doyoung was Taeyong’s best friend. He didn’t notice when being invited to things went from “Are you coming?” to “Are you and Doyoung coming?”, but he liked it. He sent him good morning snapchats with messy hair and showed up at his house uninvited to flop onto his bed and complain about whatever he wanted to. Doyoung re-organised Taeyong’s sock draw by occasion, and Taeyong started stashing sweet potato cubes at his place, then stopped because Doyoung started buying them for him himself. Doyoung hadn’t smelled like anything but sandalwood and amber with undertones of lily since February.

He went to Jeno’s birthday, and was surprised to find it a small intimate affair, and pleased to have been included, realising he was perceived as important to Doyoung. Donghyuck’s birthday was next, a summer barbecue affair with the same 20 faces Taeyong had been seeing for the last few months. It was a hot day and the garden party progressed into a water gun fight, Doyoung got targeted as usual and was soaked before long.

Taeyong pulled him away to help him clean up after being faced with Donghyuck’s wrath, thinking privately about the similarities to how they’d first met.

How different things were then, he was still upset about that ex. He hadn’t thought about him since New Year’s, when Doyoung had kissed his hand.

Their friendship was so different now, 10 months later. Doyoung had been a stranger who had been the only one able to comfort him when his heart was still fractured, then a friend, then a best friend. The person who took better care of him than anybody else in the world, whose company made him so happy and comfortable. There was something else there, he didn’t know if he could even call it a crush because he hadn’t felt any type of affection like this before. And he didn’t care, he just liked having Doyoung around him.

“When is Yongie’s Grooming Centre going to start charging me?” Doyoung asked as Taeyong rubbed his hair with a towel. They had gone a little away from everybody else, who were still screeching in the sun with their water guns.

“You’re for free,” Taeyong said, “But just because you’re cute.”

Doyoung winked at him, and he swatted him with his towel. He looked up to see Taeil walking over to them and waved him over.

“Get attacked again?” he said sympathetically to the damp Doyoung.

“It’s always me,” he said. “Please tell me your party is indoors?”

“I was thinking paintball.” He laughed at the terror on Doyoung’s face. “Nah, nah, karaoke at my place.”

Doyoung sighed in relief. Taeyoung dropped the towel and plopped onto his lap. Doyoung let out an oof, but his arms circled round his waist nonetheless.

“You two going to duet?” Taeil asked them.

Taeyong brightened and he tugged at his arm, “Doie let’s do a song! You need to show off your vocals.”

“You too, hyung, I love your singing,” he said, and got a flustered punch in the arm for his troubles.

“Noo, you’re the singer!”

Taeil was backing away, “See you two there, then.”

Doyoung waved him off. When he was out of earshot he said, “That reminds me, I left buying his present too late. I need to think of something.”

Taeyong slumped back against him. “I wanted to get him custom air pods, but it turns out they’re expensive,” he sighed.

“Mm,” Doyoung sighed too.

It was getting a little too warm to stay say close to each other, but neither made an attempt to move for a little while, until Doyoung said, “Hey, want to get the air pods together, as a joint present?”

“Ooh that’s a good idea,” Taeyong said. “Let’s look for one together.”

Doyoung squeezed him around his middle, then said, “Hyung, I’m burning to death.”

“I am too but I’m not a coward,” Taeyong huffed, but rolled off him. “I kind of want to get sprayed with water again.”

“Stick by me,” Doyoung told him, and they both returned to the carnage.

June 14^th (Taeil)

Taeil’s karaoke machine was probably more used than ones in actual karaoke bars, given the amount he and his very vocally inclined friends liked to use it.

It was a fight to stop Donghyuck from hogging it, and to convince Jaehyun to do more than a couple of songs, but having so many friends with good singing voices always made it an entertaining activity.

Taeyong and Doyoung had wrapped up the little box as nicely as they could before giving it to him.

“A joint present,” he said with a glint in his eyes.

“Is that okay? I promise we weren’t being cheap,” Taeyong started to explain but Taeil interrupted.

“No that’s fine. Cute,” he said. There was something meaningful about his tone. He unwrapped it and then smiled widely. “Moon air pods!” he said, admiring the design. “This is so cute you guys.” He opened them up and put them straight in his ears. “Oo, I feel boujie.”

He winked at them, then got distracted by Donghyuck fighting for the microphone back from Renjun. Somehow, they managed to wrangle the mics for the themselves when they wanted to do their song.

Afterwards he found his throat was a little dry. “I’m going to get some water,” he said. Doyoung got up naturally and went with him, carrying his full glass.

“Did I sound okay?” he asked as his filled one up for himself.

“I keep telling you, you have a great singing voice!” Doyoung insisted. “I made Johnny record it you can listen to it back!”

A boy walked in carrying some empty glasses. “Oh hello,” he said, “I loved your song.” His name was Jungwoo, Taeyong knew, because Taeil had told him earlier when he’d sang.

“Thanks, yours too,” Taeyong said. “It was cute.”

Jungwoo smiled bashfully, and addressed Doyoung, “Your voice is really good.”

“I took vocal lessons in high school,” he told him. He slid an arm around Taeyong’s waist. “I guess Taeyongie could have benefitted off that too.”

“Don’t be rude to me, I’ll beat you up,” Taeyong said happily.

“Oh yeah, oh yeah?” Doyoung started making fake boxing movements.

Taeyong batted him gently twice on the shoulder. Doyoung clutched his shoulder and started fake wailing.

“So mean! How could my hyung do this to me?” he warbled.

“Are you Yuta and Winwin?”

They turned to Jungwoo in shock, having half-forgotten he was there.

“What?” Doyoung asked in surprise.

“Taeil-hyung was telling me about his friends that were coming. You two were acting cute, I thought maybe you were the engaged ones.”

He must have seen their stricken expressions, but just carried on with an innocent smile, “Are you Taeyong and Doyoung, then?”

Composing himself first, Doyoung said, “I’m Doyoung, he’s Taeyong.”

Jungwoo nodded brightly. “Nice to meet you!”

“What did Taeil say about us?” Taeyong asked, slightly desperately.

“Oh nothing,” Jungwoo shrugged, “Lucky guess.” He grabbed a cupcake and waved goodbye, leaving them frozen.

Taeyong broke the silence, “Neither of us look Japanese or Chinese, I swear.”

Doyoung gave a choked laugh, “No, of course not.”

And they didn’t say anything else about it, just returned to the party to sing another duet.

July 1^st (Taeyong).

Taeyong’s birthday was next. Last year redacted had thrown him a surprise party, and wanting something totally different made sure he planned his own this year. He realised offhandedly he hadn’t thought about the guy since January, or cared about him since October. He hadn’t dated anybody in that time though. He hadn’t been anywhere to meet new people, besides the friends he’d met and made at the various parties he’d gone to. And Doyoung, of course. When he had Doyoung he didn’t feel like he needed anyone else. It was a scary thought, but it was true, as long as he had Doyoung as his friend until his old age when they could move into a retiring home together he didn’t need a boyfriend. Not when he had the domesticity, the companionship-

So, he’d been in love with Doyoung for several months, it looked like.

Maybe it wasn’t that shocking, since the second they’d met he’d been drawn to him so naturally and magnetically he’d never stopped to fight it or consider it. They’d fitted together seamlessly. The feeling Doyoung gave him couldn’t be accounted for by friendship, not when he meant the world to him, not when he wanted to be by his side forever. He wanted to spent every birthday, Christmas and New Year’s Eve with him, he wanted to always have his hand to hold, to have the smell of his perfume near him, to sleep in his bed whether he was drunk or not.

He wanted to buy those matching jumpers he’d hesitated to buy back then, and wear them in public together.

It was starting to make things difficult. When they were together he found himself staring at him lovingly for long stretches of time and realised that was weird and he needed to stop, but it was difficult when Doyoung was so cute. Whenever Doyoung said anything nice to him he let out a high, panicked embarrassing laugh. At this rate if he kept being so annoying, Doyoung would never want him back.

The question, “what are you doing for your birthday?” came up.

This year, he just wanted to watch movies with a few close friends. The list ended up being a little longer than he’d originally intended, because invited Yuta meant inviting Sicheng, Ten wouldn’t come without Kun, and Donghyuck would most likely follow Mark if he came.

Doyoung invited himself over early to help set up, the same way Taeyong had done back in February. He forced himself to not be awkward around him, but worried that was making him more awkward. In any case, Doyoung acted exactly the same, which didn’t help because that was the Doyoung that Taeyong liked so much.

Eventually he asked, “Are you okay? You seem jittery.”

His brain fuzzing into white noise, he managed, “Yes! Justttt nervous for later, I haven’t had lots of people round in a long while.”

He hoped that would be it but Doyoung was too nice and he had his little concerned scrunch on his face and he said, “You don’t have to do it, you know, we can still cancel?”

With a lot of panic at being left alone with him again before he could get a handle on himself, Taeyong said, “Ohh no, no, don’t worry, I want everyone to come!”

Doyoung nodded slowly, and squeezed his arm, “Don’t be afraid to say anything, though, I’m always here for you.” Taeyong shot him a thumbs up, trying not to visibly swoon.

Too handsome he thought to himself. This was especially true today, because he’d tucked his shirt into his pants in a way that made his waist look matchstick thin, and he’d brushed his hair into a Kpop idol style and maybe he’d been working out because his biceps looked firm as hell, but luckily Taeyong was shaken out of his dumbass thoughts by the doorbell ringing.

His friends all arrived and handed him presents. Yuta and Sicheng gave him a joint present (“because we’re engaged now, you know” and Taeyong tried not to think to much about it) and Ten just handed him alcohol and burst into a long tale of how he’d already trained Louis and Leon to sit and spin on command.

He found the gathering was just what he’d wanted, people he found easy to talk to sitting around in his living room (even though he choked a little around Doyoung lately).

He chose a random movie and put it on, shuffling to sit in the space on the couch left next to Doyoung intuitively by his friends. He wondered how much they knew, what they all thought. What he knew was that his arm tingled where it touched Doyoung, and when Doyoung put his arm around him he thought he might blow up.

He’d always felt this way around Doyoung, the rush of happiness, but the knowledge now that this was something more made it nerve-wracking. He usually loved having Doyoung’s arm around him and snuggling in beside him, but he was worried he would feel his heart hammering against his chest and everything would be given away.

So he wriggled away, standing up and going into the kitchen in pretence of getting some water.

Johnny followed him in. “Is something the matter? It’s your birthday why do you look stressed?” he asked.

Taeyong was all set to say everything was fine, to get to the end of the night so he could stop to think, he didn’t want to say it out loud because that would make it real and then he would really have to face this all, but this was Johnny who always knew all about what was going on with him.

He looked around nervously, saw it was just them, and said in a rush, “I’m in love with Doyoung.” He squeezed his mouth shut immediately, waiting for the force of his words to hit him, but finding they were perfectly easy. They were absolutely coherent with how he felt.

Johnny was nodding slowly at him. “Okay. I’m very proud of you for saying that. But are you only just figuring that out?”

“Yes,” he said quietly.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing.”

“Right. Okay.” Johnny rubbed his temples.

“It’s just, I need to think a little more,” Taeyong said, “Like... what does this even mean?”

“You love him.”

“Definitely.

“And you want to be with him?”

“All the time.”

Johnny gestured, “So what’s the problem?” Taeyong just stared at him blankly. He didn’t really know either. Johnny shook his head, “No you’re right, tonight’s not the night, but you’ll talk to him about this soon?”

Taeyong nodded, “Soon, soon.” He was already quaking at the thought. “I’ve never been nervous like this before.”

“Well, have you ever felt this way before?”

He shook his head.

Johnny let out a laugh and pulled Taeyong into a hug, “You look like a kicked puppy, TY. This is a good thing, okay? And it’s your birthday, cheer up. Go find your Doyoung and enjoy yourself.”

Agreeing with him that Doyoung was the one he wanted to see, he went to sidle up to him. The accelerated heart beat and nervous manic giggle he had around him were still a little annoying to deal with, but it was worth it to have Doyoung’s whole attention and smile on him, as he put his arm back around him.

He didn’t know why this was so difficult, surely falling in love with your best friend was a good thing, at least that’s what Johnny seemed to think. And that was what Taeyong thought too, really, there wasn’t anybody else in the whole world he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

It couldn’t be that he wasn’t over his ex, because the supreme neutrality he felt towards that redacted man was incomparable. Maybe it was more that- Mr Redacted had shown him that no matter how much you trust someone, and trust that they love you, your whole relationship can be reduced to ashes in moments. You think it’s stable and reciprocated, but one trip to a fortune teller is enough to break apart everything you thought was so fixed.

But then again, as Doyoung had said in words that had so seamlessly comforted Taeyong a year ago, “that guy sounds like a weirdo”. Taeyong had just had the misfortune to be involved with a weirdo, and looking back there were signs pointing to it too, signs that Doyoung didn’t have.

Taeyong couldn’t help but remain conflicted, especially with this internal conflict still so new, and with no concept of how Doyoung felt yet. As Johnny said, maybe he should leave it a while.

So he left it.

But Doyoung didn’t.

When the movie was over and everyone was crowding around Johnny’s phone deliberating on what food to order, Doyoung tapped Taeyong’s shoulder. “Can I give you your present now?” Taeyong nodded, and Doyoung added, “In your room?”

He looked a little nervous, so Taeyong smiled at him and squeezed his arm before leading him in. They’d been alone in there countless times, but it felt different today, but today it felt meaningful. Having your crush in your room, who had a very serious expression on his face.  

He’d left the gift on Taeyong’s dresser and picked it up to hand it to him, not making eye contact. Heart hammering for some reason, Taeyong received it and poked it through the wrapping paper. It was soft, like clothing. He couldn’t think why Doyoung would be nervous seeing as they knew each other’s style so well, but the other boy was shifting from foot to foot anxiously.

He pulled apart the paper and saw that the item was yellow. He took it out, and all in a rush he realised it was the same jumper he’d bought Doyoung for his birthday.

He was smiling like an idiot, he knew he was smiling too wide to look sane, but he couldn’t do anything but smile as he stared down at the soft yellow material.

“So we can match,” Doyoung explained, as though it wasn’t obvious.

“Couple jumpers?”

“That’s also the point,” Doyoung fidgeted. Things suddenly became crystal clear.

Taeyong couldn’t think of what to say, so he kissed him instead. He might have spent his whole life smiling if he didn’t occupy his mouth with something else. Doyoung’s shoulders sagged in relief before his arms moved to hold him tightly, and Taeyong realised he’d been stupid to not think his feelings had been reciprocated. He and Doyoung were always on the same wavelength.

They clung to each other, and Taeyong couldn’t think of a single reason now why he’d been hesitating, not when it was so natural to have Doyoung’s cheeks squished in his hands and his body so close and kissing him.

Doyoung pulled away first, kissed his cheek, then said poutily, “I was about to confess, you interrupted me.”

“You did confess though,” Taeyong said. “Or, I took it as one.”

“I had more to say!” Doyoung continued. Their arms were still around each other as they squabbled.

“Ok, go ahead,” Taeyong said.

Doyoung opened his mouth, then closed it again, and narrowed his eyes. “I can’t think anymore.”

“Airhead,” Taeyong said affectionately.

“No, something else is occupying my thoughts,” he said, equally affectionately, sending a thrill through Taeyong.

Seeing as he was already occupying Doyoung’s thoughts, Taeyong thought it was fine if he occupied his face again, and grabbed him again, with the other boy responding with equal enthusiasm. This time neither of them let go.

Outside, Yuta said, “They’ve been gone a while. Should we get them?”

“No. Leave them to it,” Johnny replied. Nobody argued.

August 2^nd (Mark, again)

Despite it being the middle of summer, two guests showed up to Mark’s birthday party in matching yellow jumpers.

Mark had made a few more friends from his running club who were there. Excited at fresh meat, Taeyong dragged Doyoung over to them for the sole reason of introducing himself and saying, “I’m Taeyong, this is my boyfriend, Doyoung,” because the words sounded so good coming out of his mouth.

It had been a month already (a pretty fucking great month) and he still wasn’t over it. Doyoung being his whole boyfriend was too amazing a feeling for him to stop being wowed by so soon.  

Mark’s birthday was being spent at the amusement park, and though they were there for him Taeyong was very much treating it as a date that happened to be on Mark’s birthday and a lot of their friends were there at the same time.

When they’d spread the word about their relationship he’d have liked for people to have acted a tiny bit more surprised, but Jungwoo from Taeil’s party had sent them a congratulations card which he appreciated.

After being dutifully attentive to the birthday boy, the two of them drifted away together to go look at things, getting into an argument about which way the roller coaster the wanted to ride was. Doyoung was right in the end which was fine because Taeyong was right most of the time, and he had to let him have something once in a while.

At the coaster they noticed Chenle waving to them before he bounded over. “Hey you two, going on the Jungle coaster?”

“We were thinking about it, looks kind of scary,” Taeyong said.

“Rollercoasters aren’t that scary. My best friend Jisung came all this way for Mark’s birthday but he’s too scared to go on anything. Have you seen him by the way? He’s tall and looks kind of like a mouse, probably insisting on not riding anything.”

“Sorry,” Doyoung said. “We’ll keep an eye out.”

“Thanks! Sorry for disturbing you two if you were having alone time. How long have you been together, anyway?” he asked cheerily.

“One month and one day,” Taeyong said, bumping their shoulders together. He’d spent the whole day before baking a cake especially for their month-aversary, and arrived at Doyoung’s apartment to find he’d spent the same amount of time and the whole night making dinner for him.

Chenle laughed as though he’d told some sort of joke, but they were staring at him blankly. He stopped abruptly and said, “Oh you’re serious?”

“Why?” Taeyong frowned.

“Haven’t you been together like, at least a year?” Chenle said, “You were in that bathroom together last year at Mark’s, and you went off together at Sicheng’s party- and Lucas told me you were dating back in January?” He shrugged, “Whatever, you’re a cute couple. The matching jumpers are a little embarrassing.”

“Get out of here, brat,” Taeyong ruffled his hair as he scarpered off to torment somebody else. “That kid’s really something,” he hummed, looking over to Doyoung. Doyoung was staring into space pensively, so he pulled at his sleeve to get his attention.

Doyoung said, “It’s interesting that everyone thinks we’ve been together that long.”

Now that Taeyong thought about it, it wasn’t like they’d been apart much. By all means, they’d been together the whole time. They’d been going on dates, being each other’s favourite person, helping each other, liking each other and wanting each other for months. Even if it hadn’t been official, looking back, you could say they had been together.

“Maybe we have been,” Taeyong said.

“Maybe we have been,” Doyoung agreed.

Taeyong grabbed his hand and kissed him firmly and the two of them, uselessly in love with each other for longer than even they knew, walked off to get ice cream to cool off, because it was summer and they were wearing sweaters.