Work Text:
cleanse
Jaehyun wishes his phone would stop with the notifications. It keeps vibrating every few seconds, distracting him from his work, making him lose focus, giving him a headache.
He does not want to know about some new online sale, or that his membership is expiring, or that he needs to finish his spreadsheet and write a report by tonight for tomorrow morning's presentation. Especially the last one. That could've been a single email but no, his supervisor decides to tell him that in the form of ten text messages complete with stickers.
Jaehyun rubs his temples in frustration. All he wants is some peace and quiet.
Instead of peace and quiet, he gets a spam call and a dozen notifications from his social media accounts.
The urge to throw his phone at the wall, yank off the tie hanging like a noose around his neck, and take a bus ride to nowhere and disappear grapples him.
His eyes are red and ablaze and his head's throbbing and he can feel the itch of a cough clawing up his throat.
He needs a social media cleanse. Or a phone cleanse. Or a life cleanse.
Don't get him wrong; he’s fine with working in the marketing and sales department in this famous skincare company. They offer lots of benefits to all employees. Jaehyun hasn't had to spend a single dime on skincare products in years. But he misses the days where he worked on the ground, doing pop-up booths, and talking to people face-to-face. Now all he sees are sales data on a blue screen with his zombified face reflected back at him after a long day.
The sun was long gone and most, if not all of his co-workers had already left for home.
But he's still glued to his seat, evaluating data and doing whatever his supervisor's supposed to do but dumped onto his desk.
Another message pings and Jaehyun leaves his seat, stumbling into the lift, hands busy deleting every social media app he has on his phone.
He trudges past the stores, beelining straight to the nearest pharmacy for some eyedrops and maybe something for his headache.
Fortunately for him, the pharmacy's almost empty. Unfortunately for him, the only person that's there is a guy in a bear suit trying to promote gummy bear vitamins.
And he looks fluffy.
"Buy 2 get 1 free! Good for- Oof!"
"Sorry. I just- So cute. So fluffy," Jaehyun slurs, leaning into the poor soul stuck in the bear suit.
Instead of getting pushed away, a bear paw pats him on the back.
"You've worked hard today. You've done well. Go home and rest now darling."
And it short-circuits Jaehyun's brain so bad it makes him sniffle a little bit.
He lets go of the guy in the bear suit and wills himself not to cry in front of this kind stranger.
"Have you eaten dinner yet, handsome?"
Jaehyun shakes his head.
"I have- I have to go back. I still have work to do. I just came here for eyedrops and headache medication. Sorry for suddenly hugging you."
The guy in the bear suit stays silent for a moment, the bear head's eyes staring directly back at Jaehyun and it makes him squirm a little in his office shoes.
"Follow me."
And Jaehyun follows the bear into the pharmacy where it's all blue and blinding and Jaehyun nearly trips on his own feet.
"Sit here," the bear instructs, patting a staff chair next to the counter top and Jaehyun silently complies.
Why is he even obeying for? He has no idea.
But the music playing in the pharmacy is nice and the lights are too bright so Jaehyun just sits down and closes his eyes.
The telltale fever beep rings and Jaehyun blearily opens his eyes to see an infrared thermometer gun pointed at his forehead and a bowl of soup from the Japanese restaurant across the street on the table.
The guy in the bear suit's struggling to write something on paper, his paws not equipped to have opposable thumbs.
"The pharmacist's on this really long smoke break or pee break or something I don't know. I didn't actually pay attention but this should explain your situation well enough I think? Remember to take an off-day tomorrow and drink lots of fluids."
Jaehyun can't take an off-day but he nods anyway, mumbling a thank you as the guy in the bear suit scurries away, saying something about how he has to run off to get to his next job on time and yes, keep the bear ears headband on because it holds Jaehyun's hair back and he looks cute in it.
Jaehyun fiddles with the bear ears, feeling for the vitamin company brand name tagged on or embroidered on them, trying to decipher the letters with the pad of his fingertips.
The pharmacist walks in with an exasperated sigh and cigarette smoke clinging onto their clothes, glasses perched on their head. They frown trying to decipher the scribble on the paper, giving Jaehyun a glance over every now and then before crushing the paper in their hand and tossing it into a bin.
Jaehyun gets his temperature checked again and is prescribed medications and the eyedrops he asked for before promptly being booted out with the soup bowl in a bag to bring with him back to the office.
He grabs a cup of water on the way back to his seat and takes his medications, feeling a little better with a jacket on his shoulders and hot soup warming up his insides.
He takes off his contacts, puts in his eyedrops, and wears his glasses. He turns off his phone and dumps it into a random drawer and sighs.
He has a long night ahead of him.
exfoliate
Jaehyun knows how he looks. He does. His coworkers have all given him looks and he can hear them whispering behind his back.
His work tie long gone, hair still held back by the bear ear headband, shirt a crumpled mess and he's walking around in socked feet. No shoes. He even has the keyboard imprinted on his cheek. He doesn't care. He has his letter of resignation in his hand and a phone call of a local, small-brand skincare company requesting him to join them. Same benefits, smaller salary but he gets to do what he likes. He completely forgot he even applied for new jobs while drunk a week or so back after a department dinner.
But he's free.
He slams the letter on his supervisor's desk, grinning so wide his cheeks hurt.
He gets yelled at, told about how he's losing a good opportunity, how he'll be sorry if he goes through with this and the funniest of all - that his supervisor will fire him if he didn't go back to work.
"Fire me then."
And Jaehyun turns around and leaves, packing his belongings into a box.
He walks out with his head held high and his feet in fish-shaped flip flops and makes a stop at the pharmacy to say thank you to the guy in the bear suit if he was there.
The pharmacist is the same and they laugh at how ridiculous Jaehyun looks. There is someone in a bear suit, but it isn't him. But she says that she'll tell Sunwoo when she's on her lunch break.
Sunwoo. He finally has a name to call the guy in the bear suit by.
And so Jaehyun walks all the way back to his apartment, Sunwoo's name rolling around in his mouth and swirling in his mind.
"Hey handsome."
Jaehyun forgot he lives next to another pharmacy.
He turns around a bit too fast, head spinning a little from doing so.
"Sunwoo?"
"The one and only," He takes a dramatic bow in his bear suit and Jaehyun laughs.
"When's your lunch break? My treat."
"As a ‘thank you’ or as a date?"
Jaehyun blinks back at him, speechless. His shocked face makes Sunwoo chuckle.
"How about dinner instead? You look like you need a- Wait. Are you wearing the same clothes as last night. Oh wow you are. I thought I told you to go home and rest, take a day off and whatnot."
"I am! I'm going home, taking a long rest and not going back to work for a week. I quit but my supervisor wouldn't let me quit so he fired me instead."
Jaehyun can't see Sunwoo's facial expression under the bear suit but he assumes his jaw dropped.
"I got a new job that starts next month so I'm free whenever you want that dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast. Or whatever. Can I give you my number so you can let me know?"
Jaehyun thinks he's speaking in tongues. Zero control over the words coming out of his mouth.
"Or I could give you mine and you could text me. Also I just winked but then remembered that you can't see me do that so. Ha."
Jaehyun laughs and sets his box of stuff aside on the sidewalk to whip out his phone and key in Sunwoo's number.
"You look fucking adorable in that headband by the way," Sunwoo compliments and Jaehyun feels heat rush to his cheeks.
"Are you being this bold because you get to hide in that bear suit of yours?"
Sunwoo gasps dramatically, bear paw over his chest.
"How dare you suggest my confidence for flirting comes from being in a bear suit?"
Jaehyun quirks an eyebrow at him with a smirk and moves closer to Sunwoo until his back hits the pharmacy's glass walls.
"I- Well- Nevermind. Take these fucking gummies with you and take care of your health, alright? Now shoo. Go shower. Eat something. Get some sleep. I'll be here all day for your entertainment."
Sunwoo's bear foot taps quickly on the pavement, bear head off to the side and hands full of gummy vitamin bottles.
Jaehyun cackles and steps back, giving Sunwoo some space.
"I'll go pay for these. Help keep watch of my stuff will you?"
Jaehyun gets the "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" deal with the pharmacist giving him a glance over.
"Rough night huh Jaehyun-ah?"
"Hey Mrs Ahn. I quit, actually."
Mrs Ahn pauses momentarily, hand hovering over the cash register.
"I thought you liked that job?"
"Not anymore. But I have a new one next month so it's all good."
"And how do you know that kid outside in that bear costume?"
"Oh him? Met him last night," Jaehyun answers, pocketing the change.
"I see. Well, have a good rest Jaehyun-ah."
"Thanks Mrs Ahn!"
Jaehyun walks out to find Sunwoo pawing at his things inside his box, holding up CDs and concert memorabilia.
"I see you like music. Wanna see me play this weekend. My band's playing at a small pub. Tiny crowd. But we could celebrate your unemployment and re-employment with drinks after."
"What kind of music do you play?" Jaehyun asks as he picks up his box from the ground.
"Come find out and hear it for yourself. I'll text you the address later."
And Sunwoo does. And they keep talking through text messages. Jaehyun laughs till there's tears in his eyes at videos Sunwoo sends of himself dancing in the bear suit.
Jaehyun likes getting notifications from Sunwoo on his phone.
And Jaehyun visits everyday, bringing Sunwoo a snack or a drink.
When the weekend rolls around, excitement and curiosity bubbles up in Jaehyun's gut. He finally gets to see Sunwoo underneath the bear suit. He's grabbing his motorbike keys when he gets a panicked call from Sunwoo.
"Hyung! Are you still at home? Please tell me you're still home. I need your help. I'm so serious right now," Sunwoo practically raps on the phone.
"Yeah. What do you need?"
"I need help getting out of this fucking bear suit. What floor do you live at? Also I'm going to be late for my own gig. Please tell me you have a car."
"5th floor. I've got a bike."
"PERFECT."
And the line cuts off.
Jaehyun sticks his head out of his apartment door and sees Sunwoo running out of the lift, backpack in tow.
"Help. Help. Help. Stupid zip."
"Okay calm down. We'll make it there in time," Jaehyun reassures him while opening the door wide enough for Sunwoo to hurtle through.
Jaehyun tugs hard on the zip and it takes a few tries before the suit unzips to reveal Sunwoo's ebony hair and back clad in a tank top.
"Fucking finally," Sunwoo groans as he rips off the suit from his body, nearly tripping over the bear feet.
"God. That felt like I just shed a hundred layers of dead skin."
Sunwoo turns around and Jaehyun's breath gets lodged in his throat.
Sunwoo's fucking gorgeous.
"Alright, let's go!"
Sunwoo pushes Jaehyun out of his own apartment and into the lift.
"So," Jaehyun starts.
"Hi. hello." Sunwoo greets. "This is me."
"You're hot," the words slip out of Jaehyun's mouth.
Sunwoo blushes, gnawing on his plush bottom lip, mumbling out a 'thanks'.
"So the confidence does come from the bear suit," Jaehyun grins, leaning back on the back wall of the lift.
"Please shut up."
Needless to say, Jaehyun does shut up and drive them to the venue. The warmth of Sunwoo's arms around his waist the entire ride still lingers when he gets off, cursing at his helmet hair.
"Looks the same to me," Jaehyun jokes as he helps Sunwoo.
"That was bear suit hair. This is helmet hair. Both bad."
Sunwoo checks himself one last time in the mirror.
"Okay see you in there. Wish me luck!" Sunwoo says, kissing Jaehyun's cheek before running into the pub.
Sunwoo has once again, successfully rendered Jaehyun speechless.
He couldn't get any word out the entire night. How could he when the kind stranger he met became a funny friend who turned out to be hot and cute at the same time who just pecked his cheek who also happened to be the best singer he's ever heard? Only after the performance does Jaehyun regain his ability to speak.
They don't go out for drinks after. They grab sushi and eat at Jaehyun's place and talk through the night instead.
tone
Sunwoo did not mean to stare. He really didn’t. But what was he supposed to do with his eyeballs when Jaehyun’s standing there in front of him with all those toned muscles glistening with sweat all up in his face?
He just popped into Jaehyun’s apartment for fun. Maybe hang out with his crush for a while. Tease him a little. Somehow trick him into ordering fried chicken for Sunwoo.
Sunwoo slammed the apartment door back in Jaehyun’s face so hard his hand on the knob’s still vibrating from the repercussions.
“Dude, you alright? Your face looked really red.”
“Yeah, I just. Whew. Put on a shirt, will you?”
He can hear Jaehyun wheezing behind the door. It takes a minute before the door opens again to show Jaehyun in a shirt but this time, with a cheeky grin and no sweatpants.
He's insufferable, Sunwoo thinks. But he loves him.
One day he will kiss that smile off Jaehyun’s face, Sunwoo internally swears to himself.
treat
Sunwoo finally keeps to his word and they go out for barbeque and drinks, Jaehyun’s treat.
It would’ve been nice if the universe had warned him that his friends would also be in the same restaurant and that Jaehyun would be wearing those damn glasses with his curls held back with a headband, shirt cut so low he could see Jaehyun’s chest.
And Jaehyun’s so cute and kind and nice and it pisses Sunwoo off on how it’s been weeks since they’ve known each other, flirting and dancing between the lines of ‘friend’ and ‘lover’ but this damn beautiful man that gave him a hug when he felt like shit about a gig getting cancelled won’t take the hint to ask Sunwoo out.
And no, he never told Jaehyun that he needed that hug as much as Jaehyun did the night they met.
And his friends keep teasing from the next table and Jaehyun’s somehow becoming friends with them as well and this is all super embarrassing for Sunwoo so he takes shot after shot until everything glows and Jaehyun has a perplexed look on his face.
“Do y’all know where he lives?” Jaehyun asks Sunwoo’s friends. One gives his address scrawled on the back of a receipt.
Jaehyun drags him out of the restaurant and asks him if he wants a piggyback ride.
Of course Sunwoo wants a piggyback ride.
He clings onto Jaehyun’s back like a koala, burying his head into the crook of Jaehyun’s neck, sniffing his perfume.
“Why did you get this drunk if you knew you can’t handle your soju?” Jaehyun asks.
“Because…”
“Because?”
“Warm.”
“Huh?”
Sunwoo hums a new song in response. He’s been working on it based on the elder carrying him to his apartment.
“Ugh, you’re too heavy for me today. I need to work out more,” Jaehyun grumbles and Sunwoo whines in his ear, lips dragging into a pout against Jaehyun’s cheek.
“Stop wriggling around like a worm. I might accidentally drop you.”
Worm.
“Would you love me even if I was a worm?”
“I liked you when you were in a bear suit so what makes you think I wouldn’t love you even if you were a worm?”
Sunwoo’s satisfied with that answer so he kisses the top of Jaehyun's head.
He can feel Jaehyun’s laughter reverberate down his back.
“Alright, my favourite worm. You have reached your destination. What’s the passcode?”
Sunwoo knows this like how he knows the lines to all of his favourite songs.
“Bip Beep Bap Boop,” Sunwoo answers, prodding Jaehyun’s head like it’s a keypad with his fringer for emphasis.
“What on earth does that mean?”
Jaehyun sighs.
“Alright, Sunwoo. Please get off my back.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I’ll give you a kiss if you do.”
Sunwoo immediately crawls off Jaehyun’s back and purses his lips expectantly, only for the elder to gently peck his forehead which makes Sunwoo lips form a frowning pout.
“You’re so damn cute when you’re drunk,” Jaehyun coos, squishing Sunwoo’s rosy cheeks together with the palm of his hands.
“Okay cutiepie, what’s the passcode?”
“I already told you,” Sunwoo responds with his arms crossed, still annoyed with Jaehyun for not kissing him on the lips.
“Hyung doesn’t figure out what ‘Bip Beep Bap Boop’ means. You need to help me out here.”
Sunwoo nudges Jaehyun out of the way to key in his passcode.
“See? Bip Beep Bap Boop!”
1309.
moisturise
Jaehyun can’t stay focused at all. The budget for a pop-up booth at a university campus is staring him in the face but all he can think about is the passcode to Sunwoo’s apartment.
Jaehyun’s birthday.
Which should feel like a shocker but it doesn’t considering how he changed his apartment door passcode to Sunwoo’s birthday.
He knows he likes Sunwoo, in a romantic sense. And clearly so does Sunwoo.
So why on earth aren’t they confessing? Why are they staying within their boundaries when they’re not afraid to take the next step? What exactly were they waiting for?
They could’ve been kissing weeks ago.
Jaehyun slams his head on his desk, startling his coworkers.
“Do you need an early lunch break sir?”
Jaehyun’s phone vibrates on the table.
After 3 days, Sunwoo finally replies to meet up across the street for lunch.
“Yes. Sorry. Be back soon,” Jaehyun says and rushes out of the building, not hearing his assistant yelling at him to take an umbrella with him because the weather forecast said it would rain soon.
Jaehyun could wait for the traffic light to turn green again.
Or he could dash across the street with 5 seconds left on the clock.
And so he runs, and the rain follows.
“Lee Jaehyun! Are you insane? Where’s your-Mmh.”
Jaehyun crashes his lips against Sunwoo’s and he feels the younger smile.
Sunwoo’s umbrella falls out of his hand and gets drenched in the rain with Jaehyun. He’s been waiting so long for this. And he finally has it.
“Go out with me?” Jaehyun asks, raindrops clinging to his curls and the tip of his nose.
And Sunwoo kisses him back in response.