Archive of Our Own

Yeonjun was late. 

It was his first day back at college after winter break and he was currently running around his apartment because he was late. Yeonjun wasn’t a morning person, per se, so it wasn’t that shocking to himself to realize he slept through his two alarms and woke up with a gasp. ‘I have classes ’, was the first thing Yeonjun thought as he opened his eyes and started to run around automatically to get ready.

He grabbed his belongings around the counter once he was properly dressed, teeth fresh brushed and his backpack on his shoulders. Yeonjun wasn’t actually late, as if he was already missing class, but he’d have no time to have breakfast or settle himself in the classroom calmly, barely making it to take a mere cup of coffee before classes.. 

The day was a bit cloudy, Yeonjun’s favorite kind of weather. He didn’t like it too sunny because of how icky it was to feel sweat rolling down his back when he did barely nothing. He also didn’t like it to be too rainy because he couldn’t do anything when it was raining, it was really like a rock inside the shoe. Thus, cloudy and windy was perfect for Yeonjun, he’d always be more productive and hyped and that was the perfect day.

Luckily he lived not farther than four blocks away from his college and with his long legs taking him in a fast pace towards the gate, he reached the campus in ten minutes. He was a bit out of breath as he rummaged towards his favorite cafe inside the campus, the Eternity Cafe. 

It was almost like a hole on the wall, far away from the most crowded places around the college campus, but it was right to Yeonjun’s department building, taking him no longer than ten minutes to get there. The place was small, but not in a cramped way, rather in a the perfect size for the flood of people who frequented the shop. The wall was painted with creme and beige tones, common in coffee shops, but as one of Yeonjun’s friends - a marketing major - explained to him the colors induced people to consume coffee for assimilation. Yeonjun loved to hear these random facts from his friends, even if he understood nothing about the subject.

The shop had a few plants decorating the place and the air was filled with fresh baked brownies and cookies along with the bitter coffee, never stopping its flow around the place. The background music was faint, volume so low it could be barely heard over the usual chatter from clients and the noise from the workers, but Yeonjun swore he could listen to a lot of 80’s music, probably from a specific playlist or the same radio station every time he visited the place.

It was cozy, comfortable and Yeonjun loved the place. He loved the sense of familiarity that washed over him every time he went there and found the same familiar faces of the workers, some of them already recognizing him as well from how much time he spent there. It was a welcoming place for Yeonjun when he needed an escapade from his rushed and packed routine.

Yeonjun let out a relieved sigh once he entered the place and saw that there was only one person on the line, already getting their order done. He just watched the mop of hair in front of his eyes as he bounced anxiously in place. He checked his phone to see what time it was when he called over to place his order and he exhaled a breath, seeing he still had time to make it to the classroom. 

“Good morning, what can I get you?” The cashier asked with a polite smile as the other person left the counter, Yeonjun could see the crease by the side of their eyes due to fatigue. 

“I want a large iced americano, please,” Yeonjun gently answered, already pulling his card out of the wallet. “That will be it.”

“It’s 3,000 won. You can insert your card,” The attendant motioned to the card machine as he grabbed a cup under the counter. “Your name, please.”

“Choi Yeonjun,” He informed with a small smile, wishing silently for the coffee to be quickly prepared because he was so sleepy that he could feel his eyelids heavy, even though he washed his face with cold water before leaving. If Yeonjun didn’t have caffeine running through his body in the next ten minutes, he’d drop to the floor.

Yeonjun quickly moved sidewards and unlocked his cellphone, checking his classes schedule for the umptenth time just to make sure he'd be at the right place, and scrolling through his instagram feed for a bit. His head was looking down at his screen, mind focused on another world when he heard the worker calling for a Choi over the counter. He mindlessly reached the surface and lifted his head, aiming to grab the cup and walk away. 

However, at the same time, another hand reached for the cup, making Yeonjun look at the said person with confusion as their hands touched, fingers wrapping around his hand. 

“I think I’m still the Choi Beomgyu they were calling for,” The man said with a chuckle and a small smile, pointing his head to the name written on the cup. “I ordered before you, even if you’re another Choi Beomgyu.”

Yeonjun tilted his head to the side and retracted his hand, looking over to the cup and reading in fact that the name on the cup wasn’t his. Choi Beomgyu. Yeonjun widened his eyes and a faint tint of pink dust on his cheeks, warmth spreading slowly as realization hit him.

“Oh my! I’m sorry, I just- I’m in a hurry that I didn’t even think- yeah, just… I’m really sorry,” Yeonjun rambled on a little worried the other one would take it personal despite the joke, and he scratched his nape on the end. 

“It’s fine, Choi Beomgyu . It was just a bit funny seeing it happen as your head was down low,” Beomgyu giggled and took a sip of his cup, the true Beomgyu. As they made the small exchange, it was enough time for the barista to finish Yeonjun’s order and slip the cup towards him with an amused smile.

“Here’s your order, Choi Yeonjun,” The person said without meaning any harm, but finding the situation amusing as he heard both of them talking briefly.

“Thanks,” Yeonjun mumbled, still embarrassed from what happened and started to walk towards the door. Beomgyu trailed behind him reaching for the door as well, which Yeonjun held open for him to go past first.

“I see you’re a gentleman, then,” Beomgyu joked as he slid past Yeonjun, who smiled briefly and rolled his eyes.

“Consider it an apology for almost becoming a coffee thief,” Yeonjun said and mindlessly, they started to walk towards the same direction, reaching for the same building. “Do you study at the Communications and Art building?” He found himself asking before he could hold back his tongue.

“Yes! I’m a film major, just transferred here from my old college as I got a better opportunity here than there, so… “ Beomgyu shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his americano before continuing. “What about you? What’s your major?”

Yeonjun didn’t expect the man to keep talking and following along, but he was glad they weren’t just walking together with a heavy silence wrapping them. Beomgyu seemed to be nice. His features were strong at the same time they had a hint of smoothness over; his jawline was sharp just like his nose bridge, but in contrast, his mouth shape was suave, like drawn with the lightest pencil because of how soft the lines were. His eyes were also no joke, they were bright and lightened up even more when he spoke, as if they adjusted to anything from Beomgyu’s mind. Yeonjun noticed that his eyes were laughing together as Beomgyu laughed as well.

“Oh, I’m majoring in Creative Arts, focusing on dance,” Yeonjun informed proudly. Anyone could see the happy gling that appeared in his eyes every time he talked about his major because it was his true passion.

“Wow, that seems to be cool! I thought of pursuing music once, but things changed majorly once I entered high school, but of course, for the best,” Beomgyu informed him and he, himself, didn’t know why he was sharing so much of him and his life with this person he just met a few minutes ago at the cafe. But once Beomgyu looked over by his side and saw Yeonjun smiling at him, he understood. He smiled back and without realizing they entered the building together. 

“It was nice meeting you, Beomgyu-ssi! Sorry again for the incident,” Yeonjun chuckled, making the other shake his head, “Have a good class today..”

“I hope I can see you around, Yeonjun-ssi! Have a good class as well,” Beomgyu replied and waved to the other, who was already walking away to the main hall of classrooms.

(...)

Classes were fine for Yeonjun. The beginning of the semester, at least at the first week, were simple, easy to get through and be done with. He had philosophy and art theory on his first day of classes and Yeonjun really enjoyed the theoretical part of his course. People often think of an arts major as something that only practice would sum up, but it was way deeper and more complicated than that. Yeonjun was glad he managed to get into the class taught by one of the best professors in the building.

After the bell rang, Yeonjun packed his things and headed out to the same spot he always had lunch with Taehyun. The said spot was a wooden table near the tree by the field in front of the Arts building, having no more than four seats to be occupied. As the place was a bit farther than the center of the campus, it was much less crowded and Taehyun enjoyed having his time and quietness to go through the day. 

Once Yeonjun stepped out of the building, he saw Taehyun already sitting on the table, but with a mop of an unknown red hair in front of him. Yeonjun didn’t mind having another company to sit with, but he couldn’t help but be curious of who it could be, because Taehyun was close to only a few people. Yeonjun had met Soobin, a friend of his building, on several occasions, so he knew that the red hair did not belong to him.

“Hey, hyung! How have you been?” Taehyun exclaimed as Yeonjun got near to the table, not being able to see the unknown person’s face as they were backwards to him.

“I’m fine, Tyun-ah. It’s cute how you act like we didn’t hang out together on Saturday and actually spent the whole vacation appart,” Yeonjun replied with a wide smile earning a roll of eyes from Taehyun and a giggle from the unknown person. Yeonjun left his bag on the floor and sat beside them so he could introduce himself properly.

“Hyung, this is-”

“Beomgyu?” Yeonjun let out before he could hold himself back. Surprise was written all over his face and he smiled gently at the other because of the coincidence. 

“Do you know each other?” Taehyun questioned, tilting his head to the side, confused at the sudden interaction in front of him.

“You see, it’s a funny story,” Beomgyu said with a grin as Yeonjun groaned and hid his face on his hands from embarrassment as he recalled the events of earlier. “We just met this morning at the café. Yeonjun-ssi was going to take my order by accident because he was late and didn’t hear the right name being called on the counter.”

Taehyun cackled as soon as he heard the story, not failing to make Yeonjun slightly blush, embarrassed to hear it all again. “Hyung, are you that old that you already have hearing problems?” Taehyun mocked him with a fake innocent expression, swaying to the side once Yeonjun tried to slap his arm across the table.

“Yah, I’ll scream into your ear and then we’ll see who has hearing problems,” Yeonjun retorted, lips turning into a pout as he felt his cheeks burning red. Beomgyu only chuckled at their exchange, munching another bite from his sandwich.

“Ok, so you already know that Beomgyu hyung is him. He studied with me back in high school and now he has transferred to our college. He's rooming with Kai,” Taehyun promptly informed after their bickering and motioned to Beomgyu, who waved cutely at Yeonjun, as if he didn’t know him. 

“It’s nice to properly meet you, Beomgyu-ah,” Yeonjun used a fake deep tone as he offered his hand for Beomgyu to shake.

“The pleasure is all mine, Yeonjun-ah,” Beomgyu replied with the same intonation, both of them chuckling at their interaction. “Wait, should I call you hyung?”

“If you are younger than 99, then yes. I’d like to be friends,” Yeonjun smiled at him with his lips pressed, making him look cuter than what he intended to. 

“Of course I’d like that. I think we’ll really get along,” Beomgyu bumped their shoulders, mirroring the smile he held on his face. 

Lunch was short, but still felt like a fresh breath of air for all of them. It was a needed break in the middle of their hectic schedule, having time outside the school building to properly talk and hang out with friends. Lunch was short, but it was enough time for Yeonjun to notice how he wanted Beomgyu to stick around with them. 

Beomgyu was funny, funnier than Yeonjun could have ever guessed. Yeonjun found his stomach hurting from how hard he laughed as Beomgyu recalled the day he spent ten minutes hitting what he thought was a cockroach with a broom, only to discover after the tiring hitting session that he was hitting a black sock of his own. His defense was that he was without his glasses description.

Beomgyu was also sweet, caring without intending to. Yeonjun found himself being drawn to the way he treated people and the ones he loved, because those he cared even more than normal. He’d write handwritten letters to his parents every once in a while, he’d keep any gift his friends would give him, he also liked to surprise his friends out of nowhere on a common day, because he said people should be treasured and loved without a special date up on the calendar.

There was so much more about Beomgyu and Yeonjun already wanted to dive into him and swim across his mind, floating around the water as he let himself be dragged according to Beomgyu’s flow.

After the first day, it became routine. Yeonjun would always leave his own building to sit at lunch with Taehyun and Beomgyu, sometimes with the random appearance of Soobin or Kai, because, as they had different majors, it was hard for their schedules to match up with the other three. Even though Yeonjun and Beomgyu studied in the same building, they never came across each other’s path, not even in the hallways, only meeting and spending time together when they had a break.

As Yeonjun predicted on the first day he spent lunch with Beomgyu, he was indeed an interesting person.

Beomgyu was easy-going, but Yeonjun could see that he’d only open up and actually let someone into his life if he trusted them enough. Being easy to talk and be with wasn’t enough for him to consider a person trust-worthy, but up to this date, Yeonjun still couldn’t find a reason on why Beomgyu trusted him and included him to his secluded circle of friends. Not that he was complaining, though, because Yeonjun was more than happy to be included.

It’s been going on for a whole month now since the first time they had lunch together, and every day, Yeonjun was able to capture a new side of Beomgyu and to learn new parts of him.

Beomgyu didn’t like tomatoes and was a picky eater overall, he played the guitar and it was his burning passion that he kept as a hobby, he loved to write and used to be addicted to poetry, he loved photography and once he finished college, he’d love to work with art direction and photography as a whole, he had an older brother and because of that his parents treated him as their baby, he used to paint in his free time, but as college got tougher, he hadn’t had properly time to do so.

And that wasn’t even 1% of what Yeonjun learned and discovered in between stories and lunches.

Beomgyu’s presence was warm as a whole, also a bit of grounding, welcoming everyone in and lighting up the place. His laughter was boisterous and contagious, always dragging people along to laugh with him. His eyes were always attentive, looking around and absorbing as much as he could from his surroundings, and making sure to people that he was indeed listening and paying attention to them. 

Beomgyu and Yeonjun got along surprisingly well, not taking even a week for them to start to banter and bicker around. They had an unknown, thick and good chemistry, having similar tastes in lots of things at the same time they were completely opposites. They fell into a bickering that irrevocably fitted them and their friendship dynamic. It would always make Taehyun fall into laughter during lunch.

“You know, you could not be a pain in the ass for once and actually watch something I recommend,” Beomgyu whined at the table, making Yeonjun snort by his side.

“Why would I do that? Last time I watched something you recommended I ended up watching a movie of marxist chickens made of modeling clay,” Yeonjun answered and took a sip of his soda can, staring at Beomgyu’s face, who was wearing an offended look now.

“Don’t you dare say that about ‘Chicken Run’! It’s not my fault you didn’t have a good childhood, full of good, historic movies,” Beomgyu replied, looking deeply offended by Yeonjun’s remark. “Besides, you liked the movie after all.”

“Can’t say no to that. It was a wonderful metaphor to capitalism and socialism,” Yeonjun nodded along and adjusted his fringe to get it out of his vision.

“Then, that’s why you should watch Invincible! I’m sure you’ll like it, especially because you’re a Marvel person,” Beomgyu stated, tone cheerful and loud as if he was trying to sell a product.

“Is that an insult?” Yeonjun asked with an eyebrow raised and took a mouthful of his ramen.

“No offense intended. I do like some Marvel movies myself as well,” Beomgyu raised his hands and pretended to surrender himself as Yeonjun narrowed his eyes.

“Okay, I’ll give it a chance and let you know about it,” Yeonjun said, earning a wide smile from Beomgyu. Taehyun only looked back and forth to them as he munched quietly on his lunch, giggling at the parts he found funny. “If it’s bad, you’ll pay me lunch.”

“Deal,” Beomgyu shook their hands to seal their agreement with a knowing grin, sure that Yeonjun would like the said series.

Beomgyu was right.

Yeonjun did like the series. After lunch, Yeonjun didn’t have extra classes by afternoon and he could go back to the comfort of his own apartment. He took the chance of not having college work to do for the week and started to watch the series Beomgyu recommended. It turns out that Yeonjun has been hooked since the first few minutes of the first episode.

Invincible wasn’t an animation show for kids, it was serious and with lots of topics meant for adults. There were graphic depictions of violence and serious fights between the hero characters, there was romance drama and family troubles. The beginning was only introductory, explaining how the heroes of the plot worked and who they were, and also introducing a bit of the main conflict in a mysterious, incomplete way; Yeonjun liked it within minutes and as soon as he finished the first episode, he messaged Beomgyu.

yeonjun: WHAT THE FUCK

yeonjun: I JUST WATCHED

yeonjun: pls dont tell me they actually died in the first episode

Beomgyu laughed as soon as he saw the messages on his phone screen.

beomgyu: well well well

beomgyu: i guess someone did rlly take my rec

beomgyu: keep watching and youll have answers :D

Yeonjun smiled contentedly, seeing the quick reply he received from the other.

yeonjun: ill have them on the last episode

yeonjun: do they actually die?

Yeonjun knew Beomgyu wouldn’t answer him, especially giving a spoiler, but still he shoot his shot.

beomgyu: i wont answer that hehe

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, but the smile on his lips nevee left his face. 

yeonjun: bye loser going back to watch it

beomgyu: looking forward to your reactions ! 

Yeonjun was horrible when it came to watching the series. He always thought he had something better to do and couldn’t focus entirely on it if he was alone. When he had company, it was different, there was someone else to be with and talk about what he was watching. Besides, Yeonjun loved spending quality time with the ones he loved, so it was a win-win situation. 

Beomgyu wasn’t there, that’s a fact. However, his presence was so constant in Yeonjun’s mind that it was as if he was there. The fact that every second of the series Yeonjun watched, he’d text Beomgyu right away to talk about it, opened a new field of vision to him. 

Yeonjun finished the series in two days and a half — if he hadn't dance classes, he would have finished earlier. Beomgyu laughed out loud and sent it to Yeonjun via audio due to the extremely aggressive sequence of key smashes Yeonjun sent him after finishing the episodes. 

For a moment, neither of them noticed they were strangers slash acquaintances, still getting to know each other, when they started to text each other massively. They kept it as a daily habit without noticing, every text linking them to three different topics, never running out of things to talk about. 

When they realized, three months had already passed and they were glued to the hip. When people started referring to them as one, ‘Yeonjun&Beomgyu’, they got to know how close they got in a short amount of time. 

Yeonjun exhaled sympathy and talked with every one, the same would go for Beomgyu, but it was extremely hard for him to open up to someone, to actually make a friend out of a stranger. However, things aligned without effort when it came to Beomgyu. 

It wasn’t forced, nor uncomfortable. It was natural and automatic to befriend him, as if they knew each other longer than they really had. 

It was a gift to know Beomgyu. 

It was Beomgyu’s birthday. 

Well, not exactly as it was missing two days, but still. Yeonjun mulled over the said date because he was torn in between giving Beomgyu or not a gift. Would it be too much? Considering they didn’t know each other not so long ago, Yeonjun was afraid of being too much or even being misunderstood. 

He really liked Beomgyu’s presence in his life, and he loved being Beomgyu’s friend, but Yeonjun was afraid of not being on the same page regarding their friendship. Yeonjun was intense, always known because he felt too much, said too much, did too much, and over the years, he turned out to be secluded on his own and with the ones that he knew he truly loved.

 He was almost close to sulking to Taehyun about it when he received a text from the said person, inviting him to make him company on the shopping as he searched for a gift for Beomgyu as well. Yeonjun exhaled relieved and went to his room to change his clothes and meet Taehyun at the shopping.

To Yeonjun, Taehyun was like the moon. Always appearing at the right time and even when it wasn’t visible, the moon was always there watching him, just like Taehyun was always by his side.

The walk to the shopping was quick, a ten-minute walk that was enough to help Yeonjun ease his mind and not freak out in front of his best friend. Taehyun was waiting for him at FNAC, already eyeing some things Beomgyu would be interested in and would like to receive as a gift. 

“Hey, hyung,” Taehyun waved at him as he saw Yeonjun approaching him in the store.

“Hi, Tyun. How have you been?” Yeonjun greeted him as he put his arm around his shoulder and checked out what he was looking at. “Wow, a polaroid?”

“We literally had breakfast today, but I’m good. And yes, I think Beomgyu hyung would like it. He’s in love with vintage stuff and all, so I guess it fits him, but I don’t know,” Taehyun softly explained as he searched for options of instant cameras on the shelf.

“I’m sure he’d love it. Also, I was thinking, should I buy him a gift as well?” Yeonjun vocalized his worry, trying his best to sound as nonchalant as he could. “I mean we’ve been friends for almost four months now, so…”

“Hyung,” Taehyun turned to him, looking seriously at his face. Yeonjun gulped down as he nodded his head for Taehyun to continue. “You’re worrying too much. Again. Just buy him something if you want to, not everything has to be overanalyzed. I’m sure he will be more than happy to receive a gift from you, especially.”

Yeonjun nodded, almost pouting, but decided that he’d actually buy Beomgyu something. Taehyun had decided on getting a polaroid cam and a LOL special voucher, as Beomgyu was a game addict and Taehyun wanted to balance the two sides of him: the vintage and the loser gamer.

Yeonjun stopped whining somewhere between Taehyun’s gif choice and he decided on buying Beomgyu scented candles and a necklace, holding a baby blue pendant. Those would be the ones Yeonjun would buy, but he’d also add a fresh baked cookie because he knew Beomgyu was a cookie addict. 

It was easier than Yeonjun predicted and Taehyun wasted no time in shooting him an ‘I told you’ once they exited the shopping, bags in hands as they went back to their own apartments. 

Beomgyu had invited them both to go out for dinner with him on the actual day of his birthday. They would go to a barbecue place, Beomgyu already demanding for Taehyun’s grilling skills to take care of the meat and the grill for them. Taehyun rolled his eyes, teasing him saying he didn’t want his presence, but his skills so he could eat meat. Beomgyu shoved him as he laughed. 

The place they were invited to go was nice. It was wide and even indoors, the smoke and the smell of toasted food was almost non-existent. The restaurant offered tables outside, but even though winter went away, the cold breeze of the night remained the same and the trio opted for a table inside. They took one by the back corner of the place, with no one sitting next to them. 

Beomgyu already knew the place, it was his supposedly favorite one, and he already knew what he wanted to order. The waiter handed the menus to Yeonjun and Taehyun to analyze, but the meat set Beomgyu wanted to order was enough to feed all of them. 

“Okay, hyung. Do you want your presents now or after eating?” Taehyun asked as he patted the bag by his side. 

Beomgyu’s eyes immediately traveled to it and he almost bounced on the spot like a kid on Christmas Day. “Now! Please, give me them,” He asked as he made grabby hands towards Taehyun. 

Yeonjun and Taehyun laughed at his antic. Taehyun handed him the little bag he had arranged the gifts, seeing the way Beomgyu’s face lit up when receiving it. Taehyun didn’t show very often his love through presents because he didn’t know how to, but he always tried his best when it came to Beomgyu and Yeonjun. 

Beomgyu opened the bag slowly, carefully taking off the tape on the sides, not wanting to rip anything. It was endearing to watch his focused face as he opened the bag with ultimately carefulness. Once he opened it, he took the first one, the little box from the polaroid cam. 

Beomgyu gasped as he saw the box and read the information of what it actually was. He had his eyes widened and his mouth opened, not closing after gasping. His eyes traveled up from the box to Taehyun’s face and they were sparkling, a literal spark of light adorning his eyes. 

“Taehyun-ah, how could you— This is literally expensive,” Beomgyu whined, firstly, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment upon the realization that he was cared for by his friend. “This was literally my dream! I don’t even know what to say, just— Thank you… One million thank yous for this,” Beomgyu smiled widely and the other two couldn’t help, but mirror him and smile as well. 

“You deserve it, hyung. Besides, it was about time for me to give you a big birthday gift after all those years,” Taehyun argued as he raised his eyebrows. 

Beomgyu smiled small, his whisker dimples appearing on his face. Yeonjun didn’t know he had it and he couldn’t believe Beomgyu could get even prettier than he already was. 

Beomgyu’s hand dived into the bag again and grabbed the envelope inside. He opened it carefully, just like he did with the bag, and cheered as saw what it was. 

“Yes! I can’t believe you’re indulging my gamer side, Taehyunie,” Beomgyu joked as he held the LOL card in his hand. 

“I love you even when you’re a loser, hyung,” Taehyun said cutely, earning a glare from Beomgyu, but also a loud chuckle from Yeonjun. 

They were interrupted by the waiter bringing their food to the table. Beomgyu tucked his gifts inside the bag again and left on the remaining chair by his side. 

“I’ll give you mine later,” Yeonjun informed him and Beomgyu’s eyes widened slightly. He didn’t expect Yeonjun to buy him a birthday gift, especially because they have been friends for merely three months now. Friends of years from Beomgyu didn’t bother to buy him something, but of course Yeonjun was different. 

Taehyun started grilling the meat with Beomgyu, surprisingly, helping him out. Yeonjun arranged the side dishes on the sides of the grill, putting a cup of soda for everyone. They cheered the first cup on Beomgyu's behalf, all of them cheering loudly. As Taehyun got up to pay the bill along with Yeonjun’s split part, he handed his gift bag to Beomgyu for him to open.

“Here’s my gift, I hope you like it,” He said shyly, handing the bag to a smiling Beomgyu.

“It’s a gift you bought for me. I’ll like it nonetheless,” Beomgyu gently replied, trying to ease any worry Yeonjun might have about it.

He chuckled and dismissed him. “Idiot, stop that! Now, open it.”

Beomgyu did as told, unlacing the bow on top with delicacy, as if he didn’t want to ruin the wrapping. It was both nice and thrilling to watch Beomgyu opening a gift. As he took his time to unwrap it, the person watching him could see how much he cared for the gift as he wanted to keep it as a whole. 

Successfully, Beomgyu opened the bag and got a little velvety box on the bottom. He grabbed it with care and opened it. As he saw what was inside, he gasped, smiling widely as he lifted his gaze to look at Yeonjun.

“Hyung, oh my Gosh!” Beomgyu exclaimed, almost bouncing on his feet as he took the thin chain necklace out of the box. “I love it, can you please put it on me?” He asked as he turned around, putting it around his neck.

“You told me before you were looking for it, so why not give it to you?“ Yeonjun explained gently as he closed the clasp of the jewel on him.

“You literally didn’t have to,” Beomgyu mumbled as he turned back to face Yeonjun. He looked down at the necklace, brushing his fingers on it as he admired the object. “But, thank you, I’m really grateful. I know we know each other for a short time, but I wanna keep you close for a long time as well,” Beomgyu stated truthfully looking at Yeonjun, his eyes sincere as he smiled at the other.

“I’m glad you think the same. I really enjoy our friendship, Beoms,” Yeonjun replied with a smile, ruffling Beomgyu’s hair.

(…)

“So, there’s this party,” Taehyun said as soon as he dropped down on the bench, facing a bewildered Beomgyu, trying to solve something from his polaroid camera on the table.

It’s been two weeks since Beomgyu’s birthday. Things have been the same, the three of them meeting regularly during their breaks in college, keeping company and complaining about life. The semester was still in the middle, the exam season was a bit too far, but as Beomgyu’s course was more practical than theoretical, he was already stressed and struggling with some essays and projects to make. 

“Oooh, talk about it, Taehyunie,” Yeonjun prodded with a wide grin, locking his phone and leaving it on the table.

“I don’t know who’s hosting, but Kai and Soobin hyung invited me and I’m inviting you both,” Taehyun explained with a smirk, making Yeonjun snort.

“Sure, I could drink some today,” He accepted without much problem, no need for bribes or convincing from his side.

“Yeah, me too. As Katy Perry would say, thank God it’s Friday,” Beomgyu mumbled as he finished adjusting his camera, smiling widely as he raised it and saw everything was back to working fine.

“I’ll text you both the details. I have to study with Kai today, so I’ll be at his house and we’ll go together,” Taehyun explained as he got his bottle of water from his bag, chugging down a mouthful of it.

“I can give you a ride, Gyu, we live really close,” Yeonjun offered to his friend with a smile.

“If it’s not a bother, I’d love to,” Beomgyu beamed at the offer. He hated to take Uber and he would never ask for rides.

“It’s settled, then. I’ll get you at 8pm,” Yeonjun stated and took a bite of Taehyun’s snack bar, making him whine.

After that, they chatted a bit before Taehyun had to vanish away to some laboratory inside his building, and Beomgyu to go to the library because he had to write a five-page length of a script for one of his classes. Yeonjun had his usual dance classes and he left as he dropped Beomgyu off on the library’s door.

It became a habit for them, Yeonjun always dropping Beomgyu off without meaning to. Either to classes, or to the cafe shop they always stopped by, also the one they met at. Beomgyu felt cared for with the simple act, especially because he knew Yeonjun did it mindlessly. 

As the day went by, Beomgyu lost himself in his writing, barely moving from the table he found as soon as he entered the library. When he noticed, the clock was past 6 pm and he scrambled his things together, putting it messily back into his bag as he grabbed the empty wraps of the snacks he ate while working. 

He grabbed the bus to his apartment and as soon as Beomgyu got there, he went to the bathroom and started his ritual for going out. The fact that his hair was the most important thing for him when going out was the reason why he spent almost forty minutes styling it. 

Once he finished, he was quick in choosing an outfit for the occasion. Beomgyu was wearing his usual black skinny jeans, along with his pair of all star. As for the upper part, he went with a buttoned short-sleeved black shirt with red floral embroidery on the chest part. 

He sprayed his favorite cologne on his neck and his wrists, and went to apply makeup on himself.  It was never too much to dress up to go to a party, especially because Beomgyu liked to do it for himself, for him to feel good and feel pretty. Yeonjun had already texted him saying he was on his way to catch him and Beomgyu waited for him on the couch. 

When Beomgyu got to his car once he had arrived, Yeonjun felt the air being knocked out of his lungs. He had never seen Beomgyu outside college, moreover going to a party. As Beomgyu entered and sat on the passenger’s seat, his cologne filled the car and Yeonjun’s nostrils. 

We're singing in the car, getting lost upstate

“Hey there, Beoms,” Yeonjun managed to greet him as he put on the seatbelt. 

Beomgyu smiled blindly at him. Was he wearing glittery eyeshadow? Yeonjun wondered. “Hi, hyung! You look hot, loved your shirt,” Beomgyu said with a smug smile, sounding more like a teasing than a compliment. 

“Wow, thank you,” Yeonjun put a hand on his chest for theatrics and Beomgyu chuckled. “You look pretty, you look good in make-up,” Yeonjun complimented back, confirming his suspicions of Beomgyu indeed having glittery eyeshadow on his eyes. 

“Thanks, I try my best,” Beomgyu replied with a smirk, teasing glint shining in his eyes. 

The drive towards the party was filled with their loud singing. Beomgyu proclaimed himself the DJ of Yeonjun’s car and he put his best playlist to get excited and in the mood for a party. Yeonjun felt himself loosening and getting relaxed, even though he was entirely focused on driving safely. 

The party was being held in one of Yeonjun’s friends' houses and he’d leave the car to get back in the morning. He would never drink and drive, knowing damn well people would throw any drop of alcohol down his throat to make him drunk. 

When they arrived, the party was already popping. There was a considerable amount of people there, but it wasn’t packed or crowded, as the house was large and people could have space. It didn’t mean people on the improvised dancing floor knew what personal space was. 

Taehyun was by the corner chatting with Soobin when Yeonjun spotted them. Before talking to them, Yeonjun grabbed Beomgyu’s wrist for them to go the kitchen and get a drink first. 

“Can you make a cup for me? We’re similar when drinking,” Beomgyu asked with a pout as he scanned the beverages they had available on the counter. 

“Sure, do you want orange soda or another?” Yeonjun asked as he grabbed another cup and filled it with vodka, just like he did with his own. 

“Orange’s just fine,” Beomgyu answered, watching Yeonjun concentrate on making their drinks. He filled the rest of the cup with the soda, taking a little sip to check if it was too strong or not. Yeonjun hummed and smiled once he demeaned, satisfied with his own cup. 

“Here it is, sir,” Yeonjun handed the drink to Beomgyu with an exaggerated serious tone. 

“Thank you, milady,” Beomgyu replied cheekily, winking at Yeonjun, who narrowed his eyes and tried his best not to flush at the joke. 

“Evil, you’re evil, Choi Beomgyu,” Yeonjun scoffed and started to walk towards Taehyun’s direction. 

“I try my best,” Beomgyu mumbled back and took a sip of his cup, humming delightedly at the content. 

They chatted for a while about the silliest things ever, as all of them saw each other on a daily basis. Some people that knew either Yeonjun or Soobin stopped by to greet them, the majority of them too drunk to actually form a proper sentence. 

It was a chill party, Wooyoung always held the best ones around campus. Taehyun excused himself to go to the bathroom and Soobin to get another drink to himself and talk to Kai in the kitchen, leaving Yeonjun and Beomgyu tucked away in a corner of the room. Thankfully, the music wasn’t that loud from where they were. 

The duo was fine, swaying their bodies along the melody of some Doja Cat song when a man approached them. 

“Yeonjun? Is that you?” He exclaimed as he faced them. Yeonjun shifted awkwardly on his feet and Beomgyu instantly noticed the change

“Oh, fuck,” Yeonjun muttered lowly before putting a fake smile on his face. “Hi, Jihyong,” He greeted politely, his eyes looking everywhere but at the person’s face. 

“Long time no see, huh? How are you doing?” The man asked with a wide smile, but Beomgyu didn’t see it reaching his eyes. 

“Fine, you know, busy with college and all,” Yeonjun replied, his tone distant and his answer evasive. Beomgyu frowned at the interaction because he could sense Yeonjun wasn’t comfortable. 

“Having much fun lately? Like the old days,” The man wiggled his eyebrows and smirked, clearly hinting to something else. 

That was the final straw for Beomgyu. 

“I can assure you that we have been having fun, right, baby?” Beomgyu replied as he stepped to Yeonjun’s side, wrapping his arm around his waist and glueing their sides together. He looked at Yeonjun and smiled sweetly in an attempt to ease him. “Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I’m Choi Beomgyu, Yeonjun’s hyung boyfriend. And you are?” Beomgyu offered his hand to the other to shake, but by the way the unknown man was frozen on the spot, a bit shocked by Beomgyu’s statement, Beomgyu knew he did the right thing. 

“Uhm, an old friend of his. Jihyong,” He managed to say, voice not nearly as confident as he previously was. His grip on Beomgyu’s hand was weak, despite the big arms he had. 

“Oh, yes, he told me about you before. What a small world, right?” Beomgyu exclaimed loudly, chuckling at the end, making Yeonjun splurt out a huff of laughter from his mouth. “Anyways, glad to see you. If you excuse us,” Beomgyu grabbed Yeonjun’s hands and walked away from the room, walking to the balcony at the back. 

He made his way through the sea of people and once they were outside, Yeonjun exhaled heavily. Beomgyu saw the way his shoulders slumped down as if something was lifted from him. Beomgyu was surprised when he felt Yeonjun’s arms around him. 

“Fuck, thank you. Thank you truly, Beomgyu-ah,” He mumbled close to Beomgyu’s ear, his hold tight and gentle on Beomgyu’s body. 

“No need to worry, hyung. I’m always here to help,” Beomgyu replied with a smile, hugging him back with the same eagerness. “I could see he made you extremely uncomfortable and all, so I had to step out,” Beomgyu said with a frown as they parted ways and sat back on the little wooden bench beside them. 

“You didn’t have to, but I can’t lie how glad I am for that,” Yeonjun confessed truthfully as he giggled from watching someone trip and fall on the garden in front of them. 

“You can always say you’re dating me or whatever if you want to avoid someone at a party,” Beomgyu quietly added, not breaking the comfortable bubble they wrapped themselves in. 

“Noted! I will do, if needed. He’s just—“ Yeonjun trisd to find the right words as he motioned his hands around, making Beomgyu laugh. “We hooked up once, but he always bragged about it in an awful way, as if I was his prize or something. Told him to screw himself as soon as I discovered it, but he’s obsessed with me,” Yeonjun explained, a bit embarrassed of admitting he had involved himself with the other. 

“That’s the hyung I know! He’s a douche, but he’s handsome, so I get you,” Beomgyu replied with a teasing smile, making Yeonjun roll his eyes. “I’m glad you cut things off, though. You deserve better. You didn’t have to tell me, but I’m happy you trust me with that,” Beomgyu said earnestly, making Yeonjun smile at him. 

“Of course I do! You’re the only one that knows I cried at the end of Stranger Things,” Yeonjun joked, bumping their shoulders and Beomgyu laughing loudly. 

“Your secrets are safe with me, hyung!” He teased the other. “Now, back to the party! Let’s drink, I’m still sober,” Beomgyu grabbed Yeonjun’s hand and dragged him back to the house. 

They drank enough to both of them start to have their visions blurry and their heads spinning. They danced and sang the songs from the top of their lungs, like there was no tomorrow. Beomgyu always got gigglier when he was drunk and he couldn’t hold back his laughter as he spotted Taehyun and Soobin making out in a lone couch next from where they were. He pointed the couple out to Yeonjun, who gasped at the scene and made a mental note to tease Taehyun about it the following week. 

Some people were already leaving the party and the house was getting emptier as the minutes passed. Yeonjun was tired and he was dying to just lay on his bed and pass out. 

“Wanna crash in my place?” He asked Beomgyu as they drank a cup of water in the kitchen. 

“God, yes! I’ll need emotional support by the morning after drinking this much,” Beomgyu groaned as he held his head, rubbing at the side and messing even more his hair. 

“You can sleep on my bed, Gyu. I’ll take the spare cushion to sleep on the floor,” Yeonjun said as he handed a spare pair of clothes to Beomgyu. He was smaller than him, so the clothes would be naturally oversized for him. 

“Hyunggg, it’s your house. I should be the one sleeping on the floor,” Beomgyu whined with a pout as he grabbed the clothes and pulled Yeonjun’s shirt sleeve. 

“It’s not up for discussion, though,” Yeonjun ruffled his hair and grabbed his own pair of clothes to head to the bathroom and change. 

“You know I don’t mind sleeping on the same bed as you, right? Unless you don’t share, then, it’s fine,” Beomgyu called him when he was at the door, sounding nonchalant as he unbuttoned his shirt, fingers fumbling clumsy at the buttons. 

“I don’t mind it too, but I don’t want you to sleep badly because the bed is too occupied,” Yeonjun leaned on the doorframe as he stared amusedly at Beomgyu opening his shirt. 

“Now, you’re just saying bullshit,” Beomgyu replied, eyes droopy because of the alcohol and sleepiness. “C’mon, I’m sleepy already,” Beomgyu whined and Yeonjun retracted himself to change his clothes. 

When he got back to his room, he found Beomgyu tucked under the blankets, sleeping soundlessly. He didn’t even have strength to take off the make-up from his face, but Yeonjun knew it would be uncomfortable in the morning. He grabbed a cotton pad and his cleansing oil, sitting quietly at the edge of the bed next to Beomgyu’s face. 

He gently started to wipe Beomgyu’s face, doing his best not to wake him. However, the cold contact of the oil on his skin was enough to make Beomgyu stirr awake. Yeonjun stopped cleaning him as Beomgyu moved and blinked his eyes. 

“Hyung,” He mumbled a bit muffled as his voice was laced with sleepiness. 

Yeonjun smiled at him, “Just cleaning your face. You can go back to sleep.” 

Beomgyu pouted and blinked his eyes twice before closing it again and letting Yeonjun finish his task. Je put the dirty cotton pads on the trash bin and carefully, slipped under the covet, laying beside Beomgyu. Yeonjun yawned and adjusted himself quietly, drifting off to sleep in a second. 

Yeonjun was the first to wake up, feeling a heavy thing on top of his chest as he slept facing the ceiling. When he looked at the side, he found Beomgyu tucked under his chin and his arm wrapped around Beomgyu’s body. Their legs were intertwined under the blanket and Yeonjun could feel the smoothness of Beomgyu’s leg on top of his. 

He smiled fondly at the other, not knowing Beomgyu was a cuddler while sleeping after the never-ending teasing he made with Taehyun, who loved cuddles to sleep. Yeonjun detached himself gently from Beomgyu’s hold and walked towards the kitchen to prepare them something to eat. 

Luckily, Yeonjun wasn’t with a hangover, but his mouth felt as dry as a desert. He chugged down an entire bottle in one go and then, moved swiftly on the kitchen to grab the ingredients to cook. 

After a good twenty minutes, Yeonjun heard faint steps reaching the kitchen. He looked back from the stove and found Beomgyu rubbing his eyes, his hair sticking to every direction. He giggled as he watched Beomgyu yawn loudly. 

“Good morning, sunshine,” Yeonjun greeted him once Beomgyu plopped himself down on the chair. 

“Morning,” Beomgyu mumbled back, vouce hoarse and deep from sleep. “Fuck, my head is heaving 10 pounds and I just woke up,” He groaned as he lifted his head to look at Yeonjun. 

“I left an aspirin on the counter here for you. I’m just finishing breakfast to save us,” Yeonjun pointed at the counter with the spatula he was using to flip tge pancakes. 

“Hyung, you’re one in a million. Really, you’re my favorite,” Beomgyu breathed out in an exaggerated tone, making Yeonjun laugh. 

“Sure thing,” Yeonjun shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. 

He finished the last pancake and put it on the plate, dividing the pile into two for both of them to eat. Yeonjun had also made scrambled eggs to eat along with toasts and on the table, he displayed a bowl with strawberries and a tub of honey. Beomgyu waited for him at the table with a small smile, swaying his legs under it like a child on a swing. 

Yeonjun wanted to coo at how cute Beomgyu looked, but he held himself back. He put the plate in front of Beomgyu and sat across from him, grabbing a strawberry and popping into his mouth. 

“I hope you like it,” Yeonjun said, chewing on the fruit as Beomgyu took the first bite.  

“Hmm, it’s so delicious,” Beomgyu said as soon as he swallowed it, flattering Yeonjun’s cooking skills. “Hyung, I’ll pay you to cook for me from time to time, is that alright?”

“As long as you’re paying me,” Yeonjun said with a chuckle, starting to eat his own pancakes. 

Two weeks later, Yeonjun found himself a bit worried. Beomgyu had called off the Saturday arcade date with him and Taehyun. It was fine, he literally didn’t have any obligation to go and all, but when Monday arrived, Beomgyu wasn’t in college. Yeonjun looked for him to eat breakfast and lunch, but Beomgyu was nowhere to be found. 

It would be fine if it was any other day, but Yeonjun was almost running towards Beomgyu’s house to tell him the news. 

Yeonjun got a job. And not only that, but he also got a job where the building was literally beside where Beomgyu worked. 

He wanted to tell him the news and to eat lunch to celebrate, but Beomgyu didn’t go to college. Yeonjun had to choose between dealing with Taehyun and Soobin’s never ending flirting or eating lunch by himself. 

As Yeonjun didn’t have any afternoon classes, he headed home after grabbing the remnants of his lunch. Once he sat on the couch, he texted Beomgyu. 

yeonjun: beoms are u alive

The reply was instantly. 

beomgyu: lol missing me already 😏

Yeonjun smiled at the screen at Beomgyu’s obnoxious behavior. 

yeonjun: you wish

yeonjun: just got worried

yeonjun: you didnt go to class today

beomgyu: awww you care for me hyung

Beomgyu was really insufferable. 

beomgyu: dont worry just overslept today because i had my class canceled

yeonjun: and you didnt go to see me at college :(

beomgyu: hyung youre funny

beomgyu: up for some coffee now

beomgyu: then i’ll see you

Yeonjun ignored the fluttering feeling at the tip of his stomach. 

yeonjun: only if u are paying

yeonjun: you know im broke

Not for too long , Yeonjun thought with a smile. 

beomgyu: spoiled 

beomgyu: but deal

beomgyu: ill meet you at your apartment in five

yeonjun: 😘😘

Yeonjun didn’t move an inch from his couch as he waited for Beomgyu. The end of the afternoon was already ticking on the clock, and all Yeonjun wanted was to spend the rest of his day talking nonsense with Beomgyu. He wanted to talk about his new job, the last episode of Stranger Things they watched together, the unfunny joke his professor made at the class. 

Yeonjun wanted to tell him every bit of his day and he was looking forward to it as if it was something entirely new. 

It took Beomgyu barely ten minutes to text Yeonjun and tell him he was waiting downstairs. Yeonjun grabbed his coat and flew down to get to Beomgyu. The air was chilly, kind of cold not in an entirely refreshing way, but not too much to get uncomfortable. Beomgyu greeted Yeonjun immediately with a wide smile, hugging him as he approached the other.

“Hey, hyung, how are you?” He said as they parted ways, making Yeonjun smile at him as well.

“I’ve been good. Got some good news to share. And you?” Yeonjun asked as they started to walk towards the café.

“Gosh, I think I slept today what I didn’t sleep during the entire month. Couldn’t be better,” Beomgyu replied, Yeonjun chuckling faintly at his side.

They walked together, comfortable silence enveloping them as they strolled through the streets. Beomgyu looked around as if everything was new to him, meeting a new world in front of his eyes. 

I walked through the door with you

The air was cold

But something about it felt like home somehow

Yeonjun tried his best to be discreet, but he was sure he failed miserably on it. As they reached the café, he saw Beomgyu shivering as a brush of wind went past them. It was cliche, it was obnoxious to do something of the kind, but when Yeonjun noticed, he was already putting his coat over Beomgyu’s shoulders for him to take. 

Beomgyu smiled at him, the small smile that always made his mouth look tiny and his lips turn into a slight pout. Yeonjun thought he looked adorable as ever every time he smiled like that. 

They sat at their usual table, the one they spent hours and hours speaking nonsense and laughing together, trying to forget their routines and their worries as they embraced themselves in warmth and familiarity. If felt so familiar and so right to be stuck together, it didn’t look like they knew each other for barely five months. 

Yeonjun asked for an americano for him and a chocolate cappuccino for Beomgyu along with a piece of strawberry cake he knew Beomgyu liked as well. Despite joking about being broke, Yeonjun was the one to treat Beomgyu as they waited for their orders. 

“Tell me the news. I can see you giddy and almost jumping around,” Beomgyu said as soon as they sat down on the table after walking away from the counter. 

“Okay, so, hear this. I got a job,” Yeonjun smiled widely as he spoke. 

“Hyung, oh my God. That’s amazing!” Beomgyu gasped and mirrored Yeonjun’s large grin, smiling stupidly at the newfound information. “Where are you going to work? Is it college related? Tell me.”

“It’s not college related, but I’ll work at the vintage library and CD shop next to yours,” Yeonjun answered, motioning his hands around. 

“I can’t believe it! We’ll be right next to each other,” Beomgyu pointed out excitedly. “We’ll definitely have to eat lunch together when we have equal shifts, please.”

“That’s what I thought too! I’ll have my first day tomorrow, that’s why I wanted to tell you,” Yeonjun informed Beomgyu. 

“Then, I’ll treat you to lunch,” Beomgyu puffed his chest out proudly, making Yeonjun laugh at him. 

They were briefly interrupted by the waiter bringing their orders and they happily continued talking. Yeonjun told Beomgyu how easy it was to tease Taehyun when Soobin arrived at their table, how funny it was to see one of his professors wearing a wig for a class presentation, and how the coffee at their building didn’t taste good. 

It all felt too cozy, too natural. 

It felt like home. 

When they left the café, it was already dark and they started walking towards their apartments. Their fingers brushed against each other as their arms were glued together. Yeonjun felt his hands itching to turn over and intertwine their fingers. Wait, why do I want to hold hands with Beomgyu? was one of the intrusive thoughts that kept him back. 

They reached a traffic light and Yeonjun saw Beomgyu looking at him from previously as they were walking. Yeonjun had to hold Beomgyu’s arm to prevent him from walking because he almost crossed the red. 

You almost ran the red 'cause you were lookin' over at me

Wind in my hair, I was there

Beomgyu gasped in surprise and he held Yeonjun tightly as they waited on the sidewalk. 

“Watch out, Gyu-ah. Are those glasses already out of use?” Yeonjun poked his cheek with a finger and Beomgyu just rolled his eyes. 

“Fuck off, hyung,” Beomgyu replied and looked at the street, watchint the cars go past them. 

When Yeonjun laid down that night, he drifted off to sleep with the image of Beomgyu on his hoodie. 

(…)

On the following day, their routine went like any other. Beomgyu whining about waking up early and spending an awful amount of money in medium quality coffee, Taehyun talking about the early run he did at 6 in the morning and all the physical benefits it gave him, and Yeonjun just laughing as Taehyun groaned after hearing another impromptu question from Beomgyu. 

Yeonjun was a bit on his own nerves, anxious because of his first day at work and Beomgyu could sense it right away. They met at the entrance of their building as their classes ended and Beomgyu saw Yeonjun bouncing on his feet. 

Beomgyu came around and hugged Yeonjun from behind, arms wrapped around his body and preventing him from moving. “Hey, hyung. Ready to go?” Beomgyu asked gently after Yeonjun gasped in surprise from the sudden closeness. 

“Yeah… Let’s go, Beoms!” Yeonjun prodded, exhaling heavily as Beomgyu let go of his arms, intertwining their fingers instead. 

The walk towards their jobs wasn’t too long, nothing more than a good fifteen-minutes walk. The day was warm, no copies in sight on the sky, and despite that, the sun wasn’t scalding hot. A fresh breeze made its way past them, especially when they passed in front of the park, the fresh and clear smell of plants and trees filling their nostrils. 

“Where do you wanna eat, hyung? It’s your first day, after all. You deserve to be spoiled,” Beomgyu asked as they entered the shopping mall close to their jobs. Yeonjun raised an eyebrow at his words and Beomgyu rolled his eyes. “Only today.”

“Aww, I thought you finally noticed I deserved to be babied like Kai,” Yeonjun complained with an exaggerated pout. 

“Don’t compare Kai’s cuteness with you ever again, hyung,” Beomgyu held his shoulder with a sympathetic look on his face, laughing afterwards as he saw Yeonjun’s offended look. 

“I don’t know what to eat. Maybe we could go with some pasta? What do you think?” Yeonjun prompted as they stepped on the escalator. 

“Good for me! I’m craving some aglio and olio pasta anyways,” Beomgyu agreed, poking Yeonjun’s cheek. 

The Italian restaurant was empty when they arrived. They could see the relief in the waiters’ faces seeing the place calm and without loud people to make them go wild. Beomgyu and Yeonjun calmly seated themselves in a far corner at the back of the place, almost hiding away from anyone that could walk in and see them. 

One of the waiters came by and handed them the menu, waiting patiently for their orders. Yeonjun ordered for spaghetti with tomato sauce and Beomgyu ordered pasta al aglio e olio, along with coke to drink. 

“Ew, you’re getting tomato sauce,” Beomgyu snickered while grimacing at him. 

“You do realize ketchup is the same, right? They’re tomato based, but they are good,” Yeonjun snorted as he saw Beomgyu’s face. 

“Still, it will be tomato either way,” Beomgyu contested. 

“I’ll terror you in your nightmares with a tomato,” Yeonjun joked and pinched Beomgyu’s hand on top of the table. 

While they waited for their food, Beomgyu asked Yeonjun about his expectations for the job, how his work schedule was, if he’d have to wear a tight apron or an ugly grey polo uniform shirt straight out of a department store. Yeonjun delighted himself with the endless nonsensical things Beomgyu talked about. 

The waiter came back after a while with their plates and they ate in a comfortable silence, both of them groaning in delight at the delicious food. The place was filled with faint jazz music in the background and Beomgyu joked about being back to the 40s with the songs, he loved them. 

After paying for their meals, Beomgyu demanded to walk Yeonjun to his job like he did on a daily basis with him. 

“Have a good day, hyung! Tell me everything when you’re at home,” Beomgyu held both of his hands and Yeonjun found the action cute. He had never seen Beomgyu that glowing over a silly thing like that before, and to know it was because of him made Yeonjun’s stomach flutter somehow. 

“I will, Beoms! I promise,” Yeonjun answered with a smile and he squeezed Beomgyu’s hands for reassurance. 

“Today will be a good day,” Beomgyu finished with a warm smile and brought one of Yeonjun’s hands to his lips, kissing the back of it gently. “Bye, hyung!”

Beomgyu waved his hands as he started to walk towards his own building, leaving a dumbfounded Yeonjun behind. He was doing his best to understand the sudden action and continue with his life, but Yeonjun’s mind froze at the situation. 

After a moment, he gathered his confused thoughts and entered the shop, heading towards the staff room to get ready to work. 

Yeonjun would think about it later. 

When he got back home, he immediately texted Beomgyu to let him know he was safe and tucked in the comfort of his apartment and that he wanted to talk about his day as Beomgyu asked. Yeonjun left his phone on the bed and went for a relaxing hot bath. 

Twenty minutes later when he emerged from the bathroom, he got a single reply from Beomgyu saying he was finishing a LOL battle and he’d talk to Yeonjun. The thing is LOL battles would usually take more than forty minutes to finish and it would actually take some time for Beomgyu to reply. 

Yeonjun rolled his eyes jokingly because of his friend’s gaming tendencies and he headed to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. He wasn’t exactly craving ramen, so he prepared a quick, easy sandwich to go with. 

Once he finished eating, thirty minutes later, Beomgyu still hadn’t replied to him and Yeonjun was growing a bit impatient. 

Then, he spammed Beomgyu with, at least, fifteen texts of his name. 

It was silly, but effective in some way because it took only two minutes for Beomgyu to reply to him. He apologized for taking so long and for reparation he made something for Yeonjun. Yeonjun quirked an eyebrow at the message and waited for Beomgyu’s reply.  

His friend sent a photo of his keyboard, focusing on the letter Y that was in a different color from all the remaining letters. 

beomgyu: you’re in my mind even when im playing hyung 😘

Yeonjun felt his heart fluttering at the photo and only chuckled at him. 

Beomgyu was one of a kind. 

(…)

A month later, Beomgyu did not expect to open the door of his apartment after going to the cinema with Yeonjun and find his mother sitting on the couch. She was knitting something in her lap when Beomgyu entered the place, Yeonjun following behind with doe, blinking eyes, as if he was intruding something. He kept himself awfully quiet and Beomgyu found it amusing how he felt pressed because of his mother’s presence.

“Mom? How are you doing? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming over?” Beomgyu said as she got up to wrap him in a tight, big hug, her arms enveloping his entire body. 

“You’re always too busy, it wouldn’t make a difference to tell you beforehand,” She answered and pinched his cheek, making him whine and Yeonjun giggle. “Oh, hi, I don’t think we've ever met before.”

“We haven’t, ma’am. I’m Choi Yeonjun, Beomgyu’s friend, it’s really nice to meet you,” Yeonjun politely greeted her and Beomgyu almost snickered by his side. It was funny to watch Yeonjun acting so polished when all they did was fool around and tease each other with silly jokes.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Beoms actually had mentioned you before in some of our calls, so it’s nice to finally meet you,” She added with a wide smile, making Yeonjun lift his eyebrows curiously.

“He does?” Yeonjun genuinely asked as he shook hands with Beomgyu’s mother.

“Mom!” Beomgyu whined and oh? Was that Beomgyu blushing? Yeonjun was truly confused with the entire situation, but he remained smiling gently still.

“I hope there were good things only about me,” Yeonjun scratched the back of his head, flushing a bit by the recognition of Beomgyu’s mother knowing him. 

“That I can assure,” She warmly said to him, her smile reminding Yeonjun of Beomgyu’s one. They sure looked alike, almost like a printed version of one another. 

“Did you eat, mom? I’ll make some coffee for us,” Beomgyu asked and before she could answer, he was already off to the kitchen. 

She laughed fondly at him and sat back on the couch. “C’mon, I’d like to know you from you, not from my son’s point of view,” She said to Yeonjun, tapping on the empty spot by her side to invite him. 

“There isn’t much about me to know, ma’am,” Yeonjun chuckled, a bit embarrassed of interacting with her without Beomgyu’s assistance. “I’m majoring in Creative Arts, planning to build a career focusing on dancing. Me and Beomgyu study at the same building, so that’s how we got closer.”

“Oh, Beoms mentioned it. He said you were an amazing dancer, and I’m pretty sure he’s right about it,” She replied with a gentle smile, making Yeonjun blush and smile back. “Do you dance for a long time?”

“Ever since I learned to walk, I guess,” Yeonjun giggled and informed her. 

“That’s so nice! Beomgyu also learned to play the guitar ever since he was a kid. His father and I liked to say it would help him focus as he was a hyper kid,” She warmly added as they talked. 

“He must have been a handful one,” Yeonjun answered, thinking of how a little Beomgyu would act if the older one was already loud and hyper most of the time. 

“He was, but we adore him too much,” She replied, rolling her eyes fondly. “Have you seen him as a child?”

Photo album on the counter

Your cheeks were turning red

You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed

And your mother's telling stories 'bout you on the tee-ball team

“Not actually, ma’am. Beomgyu says he was an awkward kid wearing round glasses, so he never showed me,” Yeonjun replied with a small smile. 

“Oh? Then, I’ll have to show you! Wait here,” She said and got up from the couch. The woman opened a drawer on the TV table and got a photo album from inside. Yeonjun didn’t know Beomgyu had them in his apartment. 

She sat back on the cushion and opened the first page, showing a picture of a baby Beomgyu wearing a bear beanie. Yeonjun immediately cooed at him, admiring the chubby cheeks and the toothless smile in the picture. Beomgyu’s mother had the same reaction, caressing the picture with her finger. 

Then, she turned the page and showed a slightly older Beomgyu, wearing round glasses in front of a ship. Yeonjun chuckled fondly as he looked at the picture. 

“Beomie loved traveling to the beach, but he hated going on ships. He gets sick easily while riding it, even buses would make him sick,” She informed Yeonjun as she laughed as well. 

They were interrupted by a loud whine coming from Beomgyu holding a tray with three cups of coffee along with some biscuits. 

“Mom! What are you doing? Please, don’t embarrass me,” Beomgyu pleaded as he left the tray on the center table and tried to snatch the album away from his mother, but failed at the task. 

“Showing pictures of you is not embarrassing. Stop overreacting, baby. Why didn’t you show Yeonjunie pics of baby you? You always demand photos of you cute,” The woman said while raising an eyebrow, a suspicious smile tugging up her lips. 

“Because you always get the worst ones! I bet you showed the one I’m naked with foam all over my head,” Beomgyu complained with a pout as he squeezed himself purposefully between Yeonjun and his mother. 

“Actually, she didn’t, but now I have to see it,” Yeonjun poked Beomgyu’s waist and made him yelp. “Ma’am, please, show me later.”

The woman laughed at their interaction, watching them fondly as she sipped her coffee. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking, Beomgyu’s mother not missing any chance to talk about a story of little Beomgyu to entertain Yeonjun. Beomgyu flushed deep red when Yeonjun cooed after his mother told him about the time he was sick and he made a paper with rules for his parents to follow, refusing from going out of his room and making them sick as well. 

When night fell upon them, moonshine glowing out in the window, Yeonjun got up from the couch to head home. 

“I had a pleasant afternoon today, ma’am. Thank you,” Yeonjun said as he bowed in front of her.

“Hey, I was here too!” Beomgyu whined as he pulled the sleeve of Yeonjun’s shirt. 

“I always have a good time when I’m with you, Beomgyu,” Yeonjun replied with a knowing smile, as if what he was saying was obvious. 

“It won’t hurt to say it, thank you,” Beomgyu smiled cheekily at him, batting his eyes exaggeratedly. 

“I’ll see you next week, have a good trip both of you. I hope you can rest well and enjoy it,” Yeonjun added when he was opening the door, waving goodbye at them. 

Beomgyu was going to spend a week in a beach house with his parents and grandparents. He actually asked Yeonjun to tag along so he wouldn’t be alone, but Yeonjun had a college extra project to do and he sadly couldn’t go. 

Beomgyu eased him and said he wasn’t going to be alone. He would have the sea and it would be his company. 

As soon as Beomgyu got to the beach, he texted Yeonjun excitedly about collecting little seashells by the sand and how beautiful the day was. Beomgyu sent a photo to Yeonjun, showing the bright blue sky and the thin sand, probably burning hot as Beomgyu was wearing shoes while in the sand. 

Yeonjun laughed heartily as he spoke with Beomgyu over the phone. He could literally feel Beomgyu’s happiness through the messages and in his mind, Yeonjun pictured perfectly the way Beomgyu would smile widely and laugh freely. 

It was so easy to be around Beomgyu. It was so easy to be drawn by him, by his personality and all the little quirks he had because they all made him the Beomgyu was. Beomgyu was like a warm hot chocolate on a windy cold day, like a relieving hug after holding your breath for too long. Beomgyu was the definition of comfort and he was also reassurance. 

Yeonjun felt like he could be himself with Beomgyu, he could show him his weaknesses, his burdens and share everything with him, from the good to the bad, because Beomgyu wouldn’t judge or leave him hanging. Beomgyu would wrap himself around Yeonjun just like his words would wrap around Yeonjun’s heart. 

Beomgyu was like a fresh breath of air out in a big field. 

Yeonjun stared at the ceiling of his apartment as he was laying down on his bed. Suddenly, everything felt too serious and too much for him. What was it? What was that feeling that spread through his chest by the mere thought of Beomgyu? Was that warmth normal? Because Yeonjun was sure he never felt it with any of his friends before. 

Oh. 

Oh . 

It dawned on Yeonjun. He liked Beomgyu. Actually, he might even be in love with him. 

And everything suddenly made sense in Yeonjun’s head. The way he felt at ease with Beomgyu, how he wanted to spend as much time as he could with him, how he enjoyed hugging Beomgyu, holding his hand and having him close, how he wanted to never let him go. 

And Yeonjun didn’t freak out. He just accepted it as if it was his fate all along, suddenly a missing puzzle piece falling into its right place. Yeonjun smiled dumbly and closed his eyes, relishing upon the giddiness spreading through his body at the newfound information of himself. 

He felt his phone buzzing on his chest and he held it up to his eyes, seeing a picture of Beomgyu in front of the sea, holding a seashell and smiling widely. 

yeonjun: get out of the way

yeonjun: i wanna see the sea

Yeonjun smiled, pressing the save button on the photo. 

beomgyu: if u want the sea then come here

beomgyu: youll be only seeing me in this chat 😏

Yeonjun could live just fine liking Beomgyu. 

On the following day, Beomgyu told Yeonjun he and his parents would be going to a far beach without a phone signal, so due to that, he’d be missing for most part of the day. Yeonjun asked for him to take pics and share with him when he could. 

Meanwhile, Yeonjun went to the movies with Huening Kai. They watched a thriller movie that neither of them remembered the name nor were scared by it. It was a nice day, Yeonjun loved the soothing presence of Huening Kai. He always managed to recharge his batteries without doing anything. 

Yeonjun paid for their food after leaving the cinema and Kai thanked him. They talked about meaningless things, such as Taehyun’s new cooking obsession, the new Nintendo game that was released and he and Soobin were saving up to buy together, and also the series they started watching at the same time a few days before. 

When Yeonjun reached his house, he felt recharged, happy to spend time with Kai. He left his phone charging and went to take a bath, warm water running down his muscles and relaxing his entire body. Yeonjun dried himself and put on some pajamas, even though it was still 7 pm. 

As he came back to the room, he heard his phone buzzing and he grabbed it. The name beomie shone bright at the screen and he quickly unlocked the device to answer him. 

beomgyu: have a photoshoot of me hyung !

beomgyu : * sent 13 pictures *

Ironically, Beomgyu didn’t appear in any of the pics. Yeonjun rolled his eyes and admired the photos, as always, all of them perfectly well-taken by Beomgyu. They were mostly of the scenery at the beach, it even had a picture of a little colorful fish in the crystal clear water of the sea. 

At the end, Beomgyu attached a video and Yeonjun stared at it confusedly. 

He tapped to open and when it did, Beomgyu appeared on the screen holding his guitar in front of the sunset. The view was beyond beautiful, the sky shining blue with the sun on the horizon, purple and pink mingling together with orange. 

Once Yeonjun played the start button, the soft melodies of the guitar strings filled his ears. 

Zayn . 

Beomgyu was singing one of Zayn’s songs. 

Was it Fool For You? Because if so, he was playing one of Yeonjun’s favorite songs, and he’d actually start screaming. 

Yeonjun loved Beomgyu’s soothing voice, how his deep tone still managed to be soft and gentle, as if his words caressed Yeonjun’s ears every time he heard him. Not to talk about how talented Beomgyu was with instruments and music in general. 

And indeed, Beomgyu was singing Fool For You. 

Yeonjun felt his heart quickening its pace and his stomach fluttering, as if he just dropped from the highest part of a roller-coaster. He was smiling dumbly at his phone, merely watching the video and letting himself drift to a far place in his mind where Beomgyu meant the words in the song for him. 

After finishing the video, Yeonjun replied him. 

yeonjun: whats that

yeonjun: do i have a private singer now

beomgyu: only if u pay me 😝

Yeonjun laughed and before he could react further, Beomgyu was calling him. 

“Hey there, hyung,” Beomgyu’s ecstatic voice came from the other side of the line. 

“Missing me that much already, Beoms?” Yeonjun greeted him, smirking and laying on his side. 

“You only wish,” Beomgyu said after chuckling. 

“How’s things there, Beomgyu-ah?” Yeonjun asked what he meant to text him. 

“They are awesome! I love coming here, but I feel like there’s sand where it shouldn’t be, you know,” Beomgyu replied, a hint of whining at the end of his reply. 

“At least, you’re at the beach! Look at the bright side,” Yeonjun scoffed at him. 

“Yeah, I suppose,” Beomgyu mumbled back. Yeonjun could really see the other rolling his eyes. “Did you like what I sent you?” Beomgyu asked after a beat, his voice now quieter. 

Did he mean the video ? Yeonjun wondered in silence. He didn’t know if he should actually mention the video, or if it would be awkward to compliment Beomgyu. The video was sent with no context and maybe it should stay that way. 

However, Yeonjun wasn’t racional. 

“The video?” He asked and Beomgyu hummed. “I loved it! You know I really enjoy your voice,” Yeonjun tried to sound nonchalant. 

“Yeah? I was a bit rusty, I haven’t sang in a while,” Beomgyu replied with a giggle. Yeonjun wondered if he was blushing again. 

“Yes, it was…” Majestic, amazing, beautiful . Yeonjun felt the words at the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t know if he could speak them out loud. It would break the calm bubble they created. “Perfect.”

Yeonjun didn’t care. He was all in for Beomgyu. 

“Hyung,” Beomgyu chuckled embarrassedly. “You flatter me.”

Yeonjun chuckled silently. “Can I ask why you sent it? I mean, I loved the video and I would love to receive more, if you want to,” Yeonjun swallowed the lump of his throat to ask him. 

Beomgyu was quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words to answer his friend. There was some kind of tension hanging on their call and neither of them could exactly pinpoint why. 

“I was deep in some thoughts, trying to unscramble them and get my mind right at it. Then, I felt like singing and something told me to send you. I still have to make sure of something,” Beomgyu answered after a while, words rushed and low as if he was spilling some sort of secret. 

Yeonjun felt his heart rushing without reason, some kind of thrilling emotion zapping through his body. “Do those thoughts involve me?” He asked quietly. 

“Yes,” Came Beomgyu’s short and direct answer. 

Yeonjun exhaled, trying to think of a way to head their conversation. He felt like suffocating, so many things unsaid choking him. 

“Will you tell me about them?” Yeonjun almost whispered. 

Beomgyu stayed quiet. 

Yeonjun thought he had screwed up and he instantly wanted to take back his words. 

“When the time’s right, yes,” Beomgyu answered, his voice serious and firm. 

Yeonjun didn’t know what to think about it, if it was good or bad, if he should be worried. He tried not to think deeply about it yet, and tried to wander his mind off topic. 

“Okay,” Yeonjun replied, and then, tension hung over between them. 

“You know,” Beomgyu started, “We never really called each other before.”

“We literally see each other every day, why would we do it?” Yeonjun rolled his eyes, not hiding the smile on his face as he spoke. 

“Just saying,” Beomgyu laughed. “Your voice’s different through the phone.”

“Soon enough, you’ll hear the real me complaining in your ear again,” Yeonjun joked, trying to untangle the knot at the tip of his stomach. 

“Yeah, I will,” Beomgyu agreed with a chuckle. “I gotta go, hyung, dinner’s ready.”

“Eat well, Beoms. Make sure to eat lots or else when you come back, you’re screwed,” Yeonjun threatened half-heartedly. 

“Ooh, I’m so scared now, hyung,” Beomgyu teased him. “I gotta go now, bye, Yeonjunie hyung. Don’t miss me too much, ‘kay?” 

“As if I would,” Yeonjun replied. “Bye, Beomie.”

Yeonjun missed him. 

And if he went to sleep that night while replaying Beomgyu’s video, that’s no one’s business. 

The trip didn’t last too long, and when Yeonjun realized, Beomgyu was already on his way back and both of them were already agreeing to have dinner together. Beomgyu said he had something to give to Yeonjun and he wanted to do it privately, hence the fact they were going to eat at Yeonjun’s own apartment. 

Yeonjun didn’t want to get his hopes up top high, but something inside him twisted and cheered upon the prospect of receiving a gift from Beomgyu. 

It meant Beomgyu was thinking of him during the trip. He thought of him enough to buy him something. 

Yeonjun separated the ingredients to make Beomgyu’s favorite for dinner. He even bought his favorite ice cream so they could eat once he arrived. Ever since Yeonjun came up with terms with his feelings, he felt this buzzing energetic feeling by thinking of being around Beomgyu. He felt his heart skipping some beats, as cliche as it sounded, but Yeonjun couldn’t do anything about it. 

When Yeonjun noticed, he was pacing around his living room as he accompanied Beomgyu’s Uber route from the airport to his apartment. Yeonjun truly wanted to knock his head on the wall and come back to his senses. After ten minutes, Beomgyu was at the entrance of his building, coming up with his beloved pink suitcase full of silly stickers.

Yeonjun breathed deeply when he heard knocking on his door, smiling unconsciously as he walked towards it. As soon as he opened the door, he didn’t even get to see Beomgyu’s face for more than five seconds because, soon enough, Beomgyu was already in his arms, hugging him tight.

“It seems like someone missed me, huh?” Yeonjun chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Beomgyu’s body, his head tucked at his neck. Beomgyu smelled like a beach, like salt and sand, and it smelt like him. Like love. 

“Of course I did! I was alone, without someone to bother for too long,” Beomgyu laughed as he detached from Yeonjun, his hands still resting on Yeonjun's waist.

“You’re evil,” Yeonjun whined, pinching Beomgyu’s shoulder. “Did you enjoy the trip?” He asked as he pulled the suitcase inside his apartment and closed the door.

Beomgyu was tanner and his hair was disheveled, strands fluffy and parted in the middle due to the constante salty water on his scalp. Beomgyu was literally glowing, his blonde highlights outstanding on his hair. 

“It was nice! The last few days were good, I took the chance to grab more seashells at the beach and visit some restaurants my parents were missing. The food there was so good, I wanted to take it with me,” Beomgyu replied right away, laying his suitcase on the floor and opening it.

“If you need clothes, you can take mine, Gyu. No need to unpack for it,” Yeonjun quickly informed, pointing at his bedroom.

“I’m not getting clothes, silly. I’m grabbing something for you,” Beomgyu scoffed, his eyes searching through his belongings, missing the way Yeonjun flushed a bit.

Beomgyu grabbed a little white paper bag, Yeonjun’s name written on it with his flawless handwritten calligraphy. Yeonjun almost bounced on his feet from excitement, waiting for Beomgyu to hand him his gift.

“Here, I hope you like it, hyung,” Beomgyu gave him the package and Yeonjun smiled.

“Thanks, Beoms. I’m sure I’ll love it,” Yeonjun replied.

Carefully, Yeonjun pulled the string well put into a ribbon, opening it gently and seeing the content inside. He took the gift and then, he saw it was a bracelet made of seashells along with a necklace, holding a pendant of another one. Yeonjun gasped and held them close to his eyes, admiring the delicacy of the work. Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu, finding him smiling widely at him.

“Beomgyu-ah, this is so beautiful,” Yeonjun held it in front of his eyes, admiring every single detail of the bracelet. 

“Yeah? Did you like it?” Beomgyu asked timidly. 

“Of course I did!” Yeonjun agreed right away, looking at Beomgyu’s eyes. “It’s so pretty, oh my. Where did you buy it?” He asked while placing the bracelet on his palm. 

“Uhm… I didn’t, actually,” Beomgyu answered, looking away from Yeonjun, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. 

“Oh? Then, did you win it?” Yeonjun tilted his head in confusion. 

“No. I mean, I made it,” Beomgyu replied, his cheeks flushing after, not being able to look at him. 

“You made it?” Yeonjun gasped, looking with wide eyes at him.  

“Yes,” Beomgyu scratched his nape embarrassedly. “I made it.” 

“You gotta be kidding me,” Yeonjun breathed out, trying to find words to react properly. 

“Yah, why would I? I just wanted to do something nice,” Beomgyu complained with a pout, shoving Yeonjun’s arms. 

“Just—“ Yeonjun started to speak, but Beomgyu interrupted him. 

“Did you not like it?” Beomgyu asked in a tiny voice, his tone faltering at the end. 

“I loved it!” Yeonjun blurted out, taking one of Beomgyu’s hands on his. “God, I’m even afraid of wearing them, I don’t want it to break,” Yeonjun mumbled, pouting as he stared at the bracelet. 

“But I want you to use it,” Beomgyu whined, pouting at Yeonjun before smiling brightly. “How else would we be matching?” Beomgyu lifted his wrist and showed Yeonjun his own bracelet. 

Yeonjun gasped and widened his eyes, grabbing Beomgyu’s wrists carefully as if he was afraid to break it. Beomgyu smiled wider and he stared at Yeonjun as the other examined his wrist. 

“Beomgyu, you literally don’t exist,” Yeonjun breathed out, eyes yeary and filled with tears of joy, happiness. 

Yeonjun pulled him into a tight hug, hiding his face in Beomgyu’s neck, inhaling deeply his musky sweet perfume. Beomgyu giggled as he wrapped his arms around Yeonjun’s torso. 

“Hehe, I love you too, hyung,” Beomgyu said, quietly to Yeonjun to hear him. They stayed in each other’s arms for a beat of second, reminiscing their feelings and feeling the warmth spread through their bodies. Beomgyu was the one to part ways and hold Yeonjun’s shoulders. “Now, let’s cook. I’m hungry.”

“As you wish, princess,” Yeonjun teased him, not missing the way Beomgyu’s cheeks flushed and burned crimson red. 

Yeonjun smiled smugly and headed to the kitchen, grabbing a cup in the cabinet and putting a glass of water for him to drink. 

“What do you want to eat, hyung?” Beomgyu asked as he sat on the chair. 

“I thought of making tteokbokki with rice and fried chicken, what do you think?” Yeonjun replied as he filled one pan with water and turned on the stove. 

“Hey, that’s my favorite one,” Beomgyu chirped happily as he looked at Yeonjun. 

“Exactly,” Yeonjun admitted, looking over his back to stare at Beomgyu. 

“Can I put some music on? I feel like getting in the mood,” He smiled widely, grabbing his phone and already opening his music app. 

“You know you can do whatever you want. Mi casa es su casa,” Yeonjun replied while focusing on seasoning the chicken by the sink table. 

“Still,” Beomgyu shrugged his shoulders, even though Yeonjun couldn’t see him. “My mama taught me to be polite,” He puffed his chest out proudly. 

“Of course you are, Beoms,” Yeonjun scoffed with a giggle and went back to cooking. 

Beomgyu didn’t waste any time and pressed a button in his old music playlist, whistling and cheering when the first accords of the music played out of his phone. Yeonjun turned and watched as Beomgyu got up from his chair and approached him. 

'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night

We're dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light

“C’mon, dance with me! You can’t resist good old eighties music and keep still,” Beomgyu grabbed Yeonjun’s freshly washed hands and pulled him away from the sink. 

“I’m at the stove! Can’t let our dinner burn,” Yeonjun argued and fought Beomgyu to not drag him. 

“Leave it and dance with me, we’ll eat later,” Beomgyu whined, pulling at his hand again to the empty area on the door next to the living room. 

Yeonjun rolled his eyes and turned off the stove, sighing defeatedly. “Fine,” He complied and let himself be pulled by Beomgyu. 

Yeonjun couldn’t remember the exact name of the song, but he could remember well it was one of Beomgyu’s favorites. He let himself be guided by Beomgyu, who was singing happily from the top of his lungs. He watched Beomgyu dance around with his eyes closed, screaming the lyrics of Dancing Queen, from Abba. 

Yeonjun could feel his heart squeezing inside his chest, the urge of getting close to Beomgyu, to kiss him and hold him more urgent than ever. Yeonjun emptied his head, letting himself dance around and follow Beomgyu along. 

It was funny to teforhink how quickly things changed for Yeonjun.

From how easy it was to fall in love with Beomgyu.

The music ended and that was only then that Yeonjun realized he had been watching Beomgyu all this time. It was easy to lose track of time when he was with Beomgyu. When the music ended, Beomgyu turned around and found Yeonjun looking at him fondly and without noticing, smiling back at him as the first few chords of Take My Breath Away, from Berlin, started to play.

Beomgyu walked slowly until he was facing Yeonjun, their bodies so close that Yeonjun could feel the warmth emanating from Beomgyu’s. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, Yeonjun’s eyes darting around his features and taking in every single detail of his face. Yeonjun felt the music hitting him so hard because Beomgyu indeed took his breath away.

“Dance with me, hyung,” Beomgyu whispered, circling his arms around Yeonjun’s neck and starting to sway their bodies slowly.

Yeonjun gulped as he wrapped his arms around Beomgyu’s waist and followed along. They had danced together before several times, but there was something different in dancing when you were holding the person you love close to you. Yeonjun felt suffocating in the room, the tension between them was thick and unbearable. He wondered if Beomgyu could feel it too.

When the chorus started, Beomgyu held Yeonjun’s neck and he arched his back down slowly, Yeonjun following his movements and holding him as he helped Beomgyu with it. Beomgyu dipped back in a circle motion. When he came back and stood in front of Yeonjun, they were closer than before, their faces almost pressed together. Yeonjun felt shiver crawling up his skin and he exhaled a puff of air nervously as he tried his best not to let his eyes fall to Beomgyu’s lips.

Beomgyu, though, did not hide anything.

His gaze fell to Yeonjun’s lips, mapping the plumpness, the shape, the lines and curves of it, committing it to his memory as best as he could. Yeonjun didn’t notice it, but he did notice how Beomgyu was out of breath when the music ended.

“I’m hungry, let’s finish dinner,” Beomgyu added into the silence of the living room.

Yeonjun merely nodded, still out in a daze, going back to the kitchen to cook.

If they slept cuddling that night, it was no one’s business.

It took them a week to see each other again after the episode in Yeonjun’s apartment. They were at their usual café spot, enjoying the last bits of vacation for them before they had to go back to studying.

Yeonjun was eating a piece of his blueberry muffin when he remembered something he meant to ask Beomgyu.

“Beoms, can I ask you something?” Yeonjun said after swallowing the bite.

“Sure, hyung! Shoot me,” Beomgyu replied and sipped on his coffee.

“When you sent me that video during your trip, you said you were making sure of something that involved me,” He started to speak carefully, making sure not to scare Beomgyu away. “Did you already make up your mind?”

Beomgyu stared at him for a second, only blinking his eyes as his brain engine started to work properly.

“Oh, about that, haha,” He chuckled, his tone a bit strangled, not expecting it to be their topic. “Yeah… I did.”

“And… would you tell me? Only if you want to, of course!” Yeonjun quickled added in a rush, almost stumbling on the words. “It’s because you said it involved me, so, yeah, I was just curious,” He scratched his neck and looked away from Beomgyu as he spoke, his gaze coming back to him only after finishing.

“I was planning to tell you at a better timing, but sure, I can tell you now,” Beomgyu replied and he took a deep breath as Yeonjun watched every tiny movement of him. “What I was trying to unscramble in my mind was why was I thinking about you during that trip. And I don’t mean it in a way like ‘hey i wish my friend was with me to make me company’, but in a way that all I could think about was you. I went to the restaurant on the first day and when a lady tripped near the counter, I thought ‘yeonjun hyung would laugh with me’. When I went to the beach it was so fucking annoying, because all I could think was ‘yeonjun hyung would be swimming with me’ or ‘it would be so funny to scare yeonjun hyung with a crab’,” Beomgyu laughed as he saw Yeonjun glaring at him despite all the things he previously said. “I also thought ‘wow this sunset is so beautiful, it’s like yeonjun hyung’. That was when everything came crashing to me.”

Yeonjun let his mouth fall open agape as he heard Beomgyu’s words. His hands were sweating, his heart rate had already fastened enough to make him think he had drunk five shots of espresso in a row. His mind was dizzy, trying to grasp and collect everything Beomgyu was saying.

“I didn’t know why I was feeling that way. I was physically missing you there, and I had never felt like that before. When I watched the sunset again on the second day and those thoughts hadn’t vanished away from my mind, I had to do something. You know I’m not that rational, so that’s why I recorded the video and sent it to you without even thinking that there could be consequences because I didn’t think for a moment that you could stop talking to me or make me feel bad. You always make me feel at ease, feel like I’m more than worth it,” Beomgyu spilled his heart out, his mind going a full run and not daring to miss Yeonjun’s reaction to all of it.

You are more than worth it , Yeonjun wanted to tell him back. But, it was Beomgyu’s moment and for that, Yeonjun only grabbed his hand resting on the table and intertwined their fingers, nodding his head for Beomgyu to keep going.

“When I finished singing at the beach, before sending it to you, I just knew. I knew then and there that I was in love with you,” Beomgyu confessed with all the words Yeonjun dreamed of hearing. His eyes filled with tears, but he just let Beomgyu continue. “The peace the beach brings me can’t ever compare to the peace you bring to me, to my heart, the way you make me feel is unique and I have never felt it before. And I know I’m just rambling at this point and I don’t even expect an answer or anything from you, hyung. I just hope this doesn’t affect us, and I thought you deserved to know it. I think you deserve to know how you make me feel and how you impact someone’s life positively,” Beomgyu finished with a small smile.

He gently lifted his other hand, not being held by Yeonjun, to wipe a single tear that escaped from his eyes. Yeonjun was at a loss of words and he was afraid of opening his mouth and choking on his own sobs. They were still in public so Yeonjun couldn’t cry freely while clutching at Beomgyu’s body. He took a deep breath, exhaling shakily as Beomgyu giggled, drawing circles at the back of his hand with his thumb.

“B-Beomgyu, you had no rights to do that,” Yeonjun choked out, trying to tease him, but failing miserably. Beomgyu just laughed more at him. “Can- Can you let me process all of this first? Then, I get back to you to properly answer,” Yeonjun mumbled out, wiping his face with a napkin as Beomgyu finished his coffee.

“Hyung, take your time, okay? No rush or anything. As I said, I don’t expect an answer and if you do have one, I’ll wait five years, if necessary,” Beomgyu replied while smiling softly at him.

Yeonjun felt like crying again for being treated with so much love and tender care. He finished the last bite of his muffin and Beomgyu offered to walk him home instead, a change of plans for a bigger reason. Yeonjun agreed and they started their way towards his apartment, their hands clutching tight together despite the wetness from how they both had sweat from nervousness.

The day was chilly, the sun wasn’t burning on their skin, instead kissing them with a pleasant warmth they could only find within each other. There were only a few people on the streets, nothing like the hectic, packed pace it usually was. They reached Yeonjun’s apartment in no time, barely ten minutes walking.

Yeonjun turned to face Beomgyu, looking at him for a second before holding his face gently. Yeonjun caressed his cheekbone with his thumb and he leaned in. He heard Beomgyu gasping silently and he placed a gentle peck on his cheek, lips pressing firmly on his skin. 

“Thanks. For everything,” Yeonjun whispered as he leaned back, his face still close to Beomgyu’s.

“You have nothing to thank me,” Beomgyu replied back in a whisper. “I’ll wait for you, okay?” 

“Okay,” Was Yeonjun’s short reply.

“Take care, hyung,” Beomgyu said, bringing Yeonjun’s hands towards his lips and leaving a butterfly kiss against the back of it.

Yeonjun felt himself blushing at the tiniest display of affection, suddenly hyper aware of everything Beomgyu did and said. They parted ways and Yeonjun got to his apartment dumbly, still in a trance and replaying Beomgyu’s words over and over again. He laid on his couch as soon as he passed through the door, exhaling loudly and staring at the ceiling with a lovefool smile. 

He lost track of time, all thinking about Beomgyu and him, of all the things yet to come after his confession. When Yeonjun noticed, the sun had already set and he couldn’t think of anything but Beomgyu. He couldn’t wait, he wouldn’t sleep without telling Beomgyu he loved him. 

yeonjun: beoms

yeonjun: where are u

Yeonjun stared anxiously at his phone, waiting for Beomgyu’s reply. 

beomgyu: im at my apartment hyung

beomgyu: why

Yeonjun harshly grabbed his keys and put on a hoodie he found placed on his couch. While he was in the elevator, he answered. 

yeonjun: im coming in 5

Yeonjun truly wanted to run towards Beomgyu’s building, but he knew it wasn’t necessary as they lived close. The entire way towards it Yeonjun’s heart kept thumping hard and he felt his stomach churning in anticipation. Nothing would go wrong, Beomgyu already confessed, but yet Yeonjun felt the tingling feeling of anxiety at the tip of his belly. 

He got to the elevator and without noticing his legs moving, Yeonjun was at his front door. He took a deep breath before knocking on it, as if he was a stranger. 

When Beomgyu opened it, wearing a set of a big shirt and his favorite sweatpants, Yeonjun tackled him with a hug. Yeonjun breathed in deeply to feel the scent of Beomgyu’s perfume filling his nostrils and he held onto him tighter, almost feeling his knuckles turning white because of it. 

Beomgyu quickly welcomed him into his arms, giggling as they fell on his couch holding each other. Beomgyu just hugged him as he was being hugged, strong and tight and with all of him being based around in Yeonjun’s presence. 

Yeonjun was the one to part ways and close the door while Beomgyu waited for him, sitting on the couch with a wide smile. 

And it smells like me

You can't get rid of it

'Cause you remember it all too well

“You’re wearing my hoodie,” Beomgyu pointed out once Yeonjun turned around to walk towards the couch. 

Yeonjun looked down and flushed, not knowing he was wearing Beomgyu’s piece of clothing despite knowing his perfume well by now. 

“I-I forgot to give you back, sorry,” Yeonjun quickly said as he sat down beside Beomgyu. 

“No, you can keep it. You look beautiful in my clothes,” Beomgyu replied truthfully, not failing to make Yeonjun blush. 

They stayed in silence for a moment, Beomgyu not daring to ask why Yeonjun was there because they both knew why. He just let Yeonjun take his time and start talking when he was ready. 

“I’m sorry for appearing like this, I didn’t mean to barge in but,” Yeonjun started after a moment, eyes at his hands on his lap. “I just couldn’t go to sleep without letting you know how I love you with my entire being,” He breathed out as he lifted his gaze to look at Beomgyu.

Beomgyu widened his eyes and his mouth fell open, genuinely surprised by Yeonjun’s words.

“I know it might sound exaggerated and all, but I do not feel ashamed of feeling what I feel. If ever, I wish anyone could feel this kind of love, at least, once in a lifetime. It’s the most beautiful feeling ever, especially when it’s loving you,” Yeonjun added, words coming from his mouth without any filter from his brain.

“Beomgyu-ah, I like everything about you. From your being to all of the little details and quirks I’ve come across and got to learn throughout the last year. You showed me how to live and how to love. I know you will be permanent in my soul, even if we’re apart,” Yeonjun held one of Beomgyu’s hands in hos, feeling him tremble like he was as well. “That day you sent me the video, I had just come to terms with my own feelings and I don’t know, it seemed like it was a sign from the universe, but I didn’t want to get my hopes high. I replayed that video over and over again, listening to your voice and wishing to hold you close, to kiss you senseless and never let you go,” Yeonjun confessed, smiling broadly as he saw Beomgyu blushing and smiling with his lips pressed tight in almost a pout.

Yeonjun let go of his hand and held Beomgyu’s face as if he was holding a porcelain doll.

“Choi Beomgyu, I'm in love with you and I hope you know you make me feel like the most special person in the world to have you,” Yeonjun said, staring deep into his eyes and smiling widely, until his eyes turned into crescents.

Beomgyu tried to speak, to form any coherent phrase, but just like Yeonjun earlier, he couldn’t come up with anything.

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” He replied after a few moments, making Yeonjun laugh along with him. “I love you so much,” Beomgyu whispered as he closed his eyes, leaning into the soft touch of Yeonjun’s thumb running through his cheekbone.

Yeonjun didn’t reply back with words. Instead, he leaned in and pressed his lips against Beomgyu’s. Beomgyu let out a surprised shriek, but quickly pressed back Yeonjun. It was nothing, but a gentle peck, the soft feelings of their mouths pressed against each other as a free sample of what was yet to come.

Yeonjun leaned back, but Beomgyu dived right in, kissing him square on the mouth as he wrapped his arms around Yeonjun’s neck. Beomgyu started to move his lips in sync with Yeonjun, their lips molding against each other in a foreign motion they got to know without struggling. Beomgyu sighed on Yeonjun’s mouth as he felt the other nibbling and sucking his bottom lip. 

One of Yeonjun’s hands fell from his face to hold his waist and pull him even closer to his body. Beomgyu let himself be guided by Yeonjun’s lips, opening his mouth as soon as Yeonjun licked the seam of it. Beomgyu surrendered, he was in Yeonjun's hands for him to do whatever he wanted. To kiss him and to love him as much as he wished for.

Their tongues met halfway through and Yeonjun groaned as he felt the warmth of Beomgyu’s. They licked at each other’s mouth, mapping around their caves as they commited everything to their memory. Every touch, every sound, every reaction.

When their lungs burned for air, Yeonjun parted ways to leave tiny pecks around Beomgyu’s face, who panted and smiled as he let himself be pampered and spoiled.

Yeonjun spoke with his mouth and his actions. I love you too, I love you so much.

 Nights when you made me your own

“Stay the night,” Beomgyu whispered in Yeonjun’s mouth as they went back to kiss again.

“I’ll stay as long as you want me to,” Yeonjun replied, tone low and only for Beomgyu to hear.

He’d only love Beomgyu from now on.

As they fell against each other’s hold, they were in ecstasy. Yeonjun held Beomgyu close and claimed him as his, prayers and whispers of more spilling from Beomgyu’s lips. The way Yeonjun held him, kissed and marked him, was out of the world. As Beomgyu let himself be taken away from himself, Yeonjun and him were bonded as one, their bodies and souls tangling along within each other.

Yeonjun fell first, but Beomgyu fell harder.