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The door chime sends a shiver up his spine, feeling incredibly vulnerable as he enters the bar alone.
Changbin honestly can’t remember the last time he went to a bar alone — hell, anywhere alone. Chan, Jisung, and himself have basically fused into one being at this point. The fact that he is being singled out makes him sulk. The others need hobbies just as bad (if not more) than he does.
He fights back his pout when he spots the crowd in the back of the bar, tapping his fingers against his thighs, his nervous energy itching to find a way out. He didn’t expect the bar to be empty per se — he just thought people would have other plans the day before Valentine’s Day.
Boy, was he wrong.
His feet lead him over to the bar, brain too fogged with nerves to handle this event sober. Changbin reads down the list of beers, face scrunched up at the seemingly nonsense names scribbled out in rainbow chalk. At least all the color makes the assortment more appealing than a normal, sticky bar menu would’ve.
“Excuse me?” His hand shoots up to get the attention of the bartender wiping down the opposite end of the bar top, clearly prepping for the nightly rush.
Changbin’s hand wavers as Fox-like eyes land on him, eventually dropping to scratch the back of his neck once the other male stands before him. Nervously, Changbin's eyes flick down to the name tag haphazardly pinned to the bartender's chest. “Hi Minho,” He trails off, tilting his head to scan the crooked tag once more to confirm he said the correct name.
“Uh, it’s my first time here… Any recommendations?” The bartender giggles before Changbin can even finish his sentence, causing anxiety to bubble up in his chest. Nerves quickly turn to magma as it creeps up his throat.
His revenge plot against his friends is already bubbling in his head, a mishmash of things Chan hates and ways to embarrass Jisung swirl around — he is going to be an absolute menace tomorrow.
The bartender glances down at his own name tag, blush coating his cheeks. “My name is actually Jeongin.” Jeongin wipes the bar separating the pair as his eyes crinkle, giggles still spilling from his lips. “I like sours,” he says as he twirls around, back facing Changbin as he points to the most expensive beer on the menu.
“I’ll take it!” The words leave him so quickly that Changbin checks over his shoulder, half expecting to find someone else ordering behind him.
Jeongin flashes him a warm, wide smile before asking, “Do you want to open a tab?” Sparkly eyes add to the fog in Changbin's brain as he nods, handing over his card and tuning out the screaming coming from his wallet.
The smallest glass is placed before Changbin, and the sound of muffled giggles continue to fill the air around them as he throws Jeongin a gentle nod, grabbing the glass and immediately taking a sip.
His face scrunches up, taste buds shivering as pomegranate coats his tongue, before a pleased hum radiates from his chest as the sour turns sweet. Stepping away from the bar, Changbin flashes a smile to Jeongin over his shoulder before stepping up to the check-in table. A petite blonde eagerly waves at him, eyes starry and voice bright as he speaks. “Hi! Are you here for today’s class?” The blonde only pauses long enough to let Changbin nod before continuing, “Name?”
“Seo Changbin.” He watches the way the blonde tracks his eyes down his body, shamelessly lingering on his biceps. “You must be Felix, right?” The boy nods, typing something into his laptop before glancing back up to Changbin and ushering him towards a full table. Felix had been the one to tell Chan about this event, so maybe he should be added to the revenge plan.
“Since this is a Valentine’s Day event,” Changbin freezes, his entire body tensing as realization sets in — what the absolute fuck did Chan sign him up for? His eyes nervously dart around, taking in the tables of eight, all filled to the brim with couples.
Oh god, he was about to 25th-wheel a painting event.
A small hand covered in paint waves in front of his face. Only then does he realize that Felix has been speaking to him the entire time. “I know it seems like it, but I promise not everyone here is coupled up.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder at the last of the four tables, where only 6 people are seated.
“We have a singles table for a reason!” His voice is cheerful as the rainbow spotted hand coming to rest on his shoulder, fingers squeezing ever so slightly. Changbin doubts the action is for his comfort as much as it's an excuse for Felix to feel him up.
Felix’s hand remains, digits digging into his sore muscles as they walk. Changbin relaxes into the action, rolling his shoulders into the touch, not realizing what he was doing until he hears the petite boy giggling next to him. “Here is your spot!” His hand retreats shortly before he bows his head and steps away, leaving Changbin to stare at the empty station next to him.
Were all the spots filled? Would he have someone to embarrass himself in front of, or would this be yet another lonely day?
Changbin shakes his head, trying to dislodge the negative thoughts as if they were water from trapped in his ears after a day at the pool. He distracts himself with putting on the apron laid out on his chair, tying a cute bow in the back after he laces it around his waist.
Changbin wiggles the stool, unsure on if the chair will be steady enough for him — the last thing he needed was to get too tipsy and fall out of his chair. While being single. At a couples event. Probably covered in paint.
A shiver runs up his spine, his shoulders tense as he sits down, hands bracing the table. Does anyone else worry about this kind of thing? Are Ken and Barbie (the couple behind him who he can see in the mirror) death-gripping the table, or is he alone in this? Does this qualify as an irrational fear? How many people die from falling out of their chair every year? Surely more than people who die from shark attacks.
The squeak of a door breaks him out of his spiral, his head whipping around to the hallway as it's illuminated in warm lighting. Changbin’s world stops turning. The bar goes silent. Suddenly, he’s turned into a cartoon character, the kind where his heart beats out of his chest — shirt jumping with each pulse, his tongue rolling out like a red carpet that the man in front of him should be walking down.
His fingers come up to his chin, making sure his tongue hasn’t actually fallen from his lips. The last thing he needs is to be caught ogling someone’s partner — imagine how embarrassing it would be if he came home to Chan with a black eye and a rose painting. He would never live it down.
The beautiful blonde model of a man struts down the hallway (he walks like any normal person would but Changbin can’t help but picture the flash of cameras and an audience clapping with each step), stopping next to Changbin with a shy smile.
Oh my god, he has won the lottery, the model is talking to him… oh fuck he is talking to him and Changbin is just staring and smiling. He clears his throat, wracking his brain for what he could possibly say to the man in front of him.
“I’m sorry… what?” Great job, Changbin, way to spice up the mood.
“You’re, uh, blocking my seat.” Model man says as a hand covered in shiny silver rings comes up to point at the stool next to Changbin, the one that no person could possibly get to from the space Ken, Barbie, and Changbin have left in the walk way. Rose creeps up his chest, burning his neck and licking at his cheeks.
“Ah! I’m so sorry!” The model jumps at his volume, eyes crinkling as he smiles — clearly wanting this interaction to end as Changbin scoots forward. The drag of metal on concrete makes Changbin want to disappear with every inch he moves.
The man slips between the trio, shifting his stool to the left and causing a wave of disappointment to rush over Changbin — he’s trying to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. Rings clink against the table as long fingers grip the edge, not releasing until he’s settled into his seat and his legs cross over one another (Changbin didn't know it was possible to make being human look so elegant).
So he isn’t alone in the irrational fear of stools, he thinks as he watches the way the model releases a puff of air he has clearly been holding as he wiggles in his seat. Changbin eases at the action ever so slightly as he fiddles with the edge of the paper plate in front of him, curious why there are so many colors if they are just painting a couple flowers.
“Ever done this before?” Changbin blinks, staring blankly ahead at the colors in front of him — not thinking that anyone, let alone the model, could be speaking to him.
A hand comes up to his bicep. He can feel it hovering for just a second before a finger pokes him, “Oh, me?” He tilts his head like a dog confused about a command. The model immediately locks eyes with him and nods.
The way the brunette holds eye contact makes his core shake, fingers aching as he curls his hands into fists, willing himself to fully turn in his seat and praying it doesn’t sway beneath him.
“I didn’t even know things like this existed before a week ago.” His voice is soft, shy even — adjectives that he doesn’t think have ever been used to describe him.
“Boisterous,” Chan had called out
“Loud,” Jisung had added, and then the three of them had bickered about how lame the BuzzFeed quiz they had attempted to fill out was. Inevitably, it ended with Changbin himself whining about how he picked loyal for Chan and creative for Jisung, yet all he got was loud.
He wanted to be seen like the others: soft, vulnerable, beautiful…
Beautiful, like the man in front of him — the man who is currently staring at him, eyebrows raised slightly, lips parted as if he’s just finished speaking… as if he’s waiting for a response…
“I’m so sorry, can you please repeat that?” Changbin shifts nervously, he has already apologized to the model more than he's ever apologized to a stranger. He relaxes his fist, wiggling his fingers in his lap before taking a sip of his beer, eyes squeezing shut as the sourness explodes in his mouth.
“I haven’t done this before either- oh my god, are you okay?” The model’s words jumble between a fit of giggles tumbling from his lips, clattering down their chairs, and puddling beneath their feet.
At the rate he’s laughing, Changbin will need a boat to the leave — not that he’d ever want to miss a moment of the symphony of laughter blessing his ears.
Changbin waves his hand around, beer sloshing in the glass as he tries his best to keep from giggling as well, a mouthful of liquid threatening to dribble out as the model squeals. “You’re gonna spill!”
It’s a hushed moment between the two, high pitched words flying in one ear and out the other the moment the model's hand wraps around his own. His hands are ice as they engulf the entirety of Changbin's, slowly wrapping around the glass until he has a firm hold. He brings it down to the table, leaving Changbin’s hand to float in the air for a few seconds before he catches on.
“I hope it’s okay, I just didn’t want to make a mess — imagine having to ask for towels before the painting even begins.” The heat from before finds its way back to Changbin’s face, mirroring the blush on the model’s face. Nevertheless, he never once breaks eye contact as he slowly retreats from his personal space. “I’m Hyunjin, by the way.”
Hyunjin, Hyunjin, what a pretty name, Hyunjin, Hyunjin. Changbin can’t bring himself to stop repeating it until the model- Hyunjin speaks again.
“Careful now, you wouldn’t want to wear it out already.” A gasp leaves Changbin, quickly turning into a cough as it fills his throat. He swivels in his seat, turning away from the brunette, eyes wide, cheeks burning a deep rouge. He must be losing his mind, how many times had he said it out loud without realizing it?
Hyunjin waits until his coughs die down, his foot bouncing against the leg of his stool, mildly impatient as he asks, “And you are?”
Oh god, what is his name? His brain completely blanks, Hyunjin’s name being the only thing rattling around in his head like a pinball machine that’s been rigged to never succeed, just dancing around all edges before falling back down.
“Uh- Hyunjin?” Changbin stammers, lurching forward to sip his beer again before turning back to Hyunjin, ears burning as he opens his mouth. His eyes land on the hand raised to cover his plush lips, silver glinting as he rocks slightly, giggles bubbling up again.
“So, Hyunjin, what brought you here?”
“My friend bullied me into coming.” He grumbles, setting down his glass onto the table. The clinking makes him grimace before he puts together that Hyunjin called him by his mistake, since he never gave his actual name.
“Changbin, that's my name, not uh Hyunjin — not that anything is wrong with Hyunjin, I just, yeah, Changbin." He points to himself before adding, "By the way.” He mentally facepalms at the ramble he let free.
Suddenly, a chant of his name fills the air. He blinks three times in a row — if Dorothy can click her heels and be transported home, why can’t he blink a couple times and get the fuck out of here, before he implodes from hearing Hyunjin speak his name?
Loud claps come from the from the front of the room, managing to tear Changbin's attention from the man in front of him, glinting silver still sparkling behind his lids as he blinks. He is a goner. "What do you say we get started?" Felix's deep voice is met with soft cheering, and a surprisingly loud woo is pulled from Hyunjin, causing Felix to cackle before calming the group down.
Reality dawns on Changbin like a bucket of ice water being dumped on his head and soaking his clothes until he shivers. Hyunjin is going to see him paint, he is going to know how bad he is. What if Hyunjin sees the smudges he calls flowers and decides he never wants to talk to him again?
He is certain he can no longer survive without the blonde's giggles.
Just as the existential crisis sets in, a rainbow hand comes into view as a canvas is set down in front of him. Ease flushes over his body when he sees the outline already drawn onto the canvas, making this project turn from art class to a giant, drunken paint-by-numbers. Maybe this won't be so bad.
He lied — this sucks.
He had turned to see if Hyunjin was going to be doing the same template, only to catch Hyunjin and Felix basically nose to nose giggling about something. Jealousy builds in his stomach, wishing he was the only one who could make this stranger giggle. He rips his eyes from the pair, realizing that he won't be getting the attention he's seeking as long as they're together.
As he turns back to his canvas, he catches sight of the other's blank canvas, curious as to why he didn't have the outline. Was Felix too busy flirting to realize he gave him the wrong one? Maybe he should say something — it was only fair to Hyunjin that they all start the same way… wasn't it?
His lips part to say something, but before he can, Felix is crossing the tables to hand out canvases to Barbie and Ken behind them. "Hey, uh Hyunjin?" He waits for the amber eyes to come back to him, already an addict from the eye contact earlier — he needs it like he needs air.
Desperate.
"Hmm?" Hyunjin adjusts his brushes, not turning to face him as he situates his station.
"Your canvas is blank." Changbin's voice is timid, like a child that's nervous he will be scolded if his presence takes up too much space.
The change in attitude is enough to pull Hyunjin back into his orbit, eyes raising, brows furrowed in slight concern. "I paint in my free time, Felix knew I wanted to freehand this one." Shiny silver raises from the brushes, dragging over to Changbin's canvas and tracing the lines on the rough fabric. "I drew these."
"Is there anything you're bad at?!" Changbin blurts the question before scrunching his face — if he can't see Hyunjin, then Hyunjin can't see him. Right?
Hyunjin cackles next to him, pushing at his shoulder until he cracks an eye open, gauging the situation before fully unscrunching his face. Hyunjin is relaxed in front of him, eyes like crescents from smiling so wide and still attempting to calm down his laughter. Too caught up to even notice Changbin's silly habit. He deserves to always be happy, always be laughing.
Dear god. When did he get this cheesy? It's not long before he's whipping out the pick up lines Chan uses on Felix whenever he sees the blonde. Is this really what his life is coming to?
"Cooking. Bowling. Eye Shadow." Hyunjin taps his chin, eyes pointed at the ceiling. His head tilts back to reveal his slender neck, causing Changbin to nearly go cross eyed.
"I could teach you." His words are mumbled, eyes tracing Hyunjin's Adam's apple as he swallows, face leveling back out with a smile.
"Teach me all three? Lucky me to have sat next to the master of all the things." Humor coats his words, teeth tugging on his bottom lip as soon as he finishes speaking. Honestly, Changbin's fuzzy brain neglected to mention that he also sucked at cooking and eye shadow, but he could learn — he would do anything for the stranger staring back at him. The stranger he has known for all of 20 minutes.
Felix clears his throat, back at the front of the tables, this time with a step stool under his feet so he can see to the back. Changbin almost giggles, until he realizes that Felix is taller than him so he would need an even taller stool.
Just like that, his stream of attention has run dry, lips immediately chapped from the lack of it. He has to prevent himself from grumbling as Felix teaches them how to mix the first color they are going to be using, Hyunjin listening intently even though the colors on his plate don't match the rest of the group.
So really, he has no need to even listen to Felix.
Changbin however, should have been paying better attention. By the time he turns back to Felix, he has begun painting soft strokes on the bottom flower as he says something about the best way to make sure the colors all blend together. Changbin is a bumbling mess as he grabs the correct brush and begins painting.
Each time he looks back up, Felix is at least three steps ahead of him, causing him to grumble, "I thought this was a beginner's class," under his breath. Hyunjin giggles next to him, apparently with the ears like a hawk, considering Changbin barely spoke.
"I can help, if you need it."
Changbin stops for a moment — is this a test? Does Hyunjin think he is some hyper masculine man who can't ask for help? Because he will drop down and grovel at his feet in front of everyone if he asked him to. "Please."
Hyunjin shivers momentarily before he scoots his stool closer to Changbin, their knees brushing under the table as Hyunjin adjusts his setup. "Is this okay?" He doesn't trust his tongue, so he nods, suddenly drowning in Hyunjin's stream of attention.
Hyunjin dips Changbin's clean brush into the pink, dragging some of the paint to an empty side of the plate before repeating the steps with the white, mixing the two colors to create a beautiful soft pink — something Changbin is certain he will never be able to recreate.
Hazy eyes flick up from the plate to Hyunjin who is already staring back at him, paint brush extended out to him. His chest burns, he doesn't think he has breathed since their knees touched. A shaky breath leaves him as he wraps his fingers around the handle, dragging lightly against Hyunjin's retreating ones.
Electric.
Changbin physically turns his entire body back to the canvas, gasping as their legs brush once more. He totally didn't mean to do that. "Now you want to create soft circles." Hyunjin leans into his space, long fingers drawing circles along the template on his canvas.
He's frozen the warmth of the other man surrounding him, his eyes flutter shut, trying to reset his brain but all the action does is bring the sweet, citrus perfume wafting off of Hyunjin to the forefront of his mind.
"Changbin?" The words are soft and warm, like sheets fresh out of the dryer, his breath tickling the side of his face from how close they are. Changbin opens his eyes, tilting his head to look at the other, their faces mere centimeters apart.
Hyunjin's eyes flick down to his lips before drifting back up to his eyes, holding his gaze — almost challenging him to do something. Really, he would just need to lean in and-
A paint brush clatters to the ground, pastel pink splattering on the tile and Changbin's shoes. He pulls back, quickly transported back to reality as the rest of the class turns around to locate the noise. Changbin's ears heat up, darker than any of the pink flowers surrounding him.
He makes no move. Maybe if he doesn't move, they won't be able to see him — Hyunjin included, the same Hyunjin who is already off his stool, wiping up the paint from his shoes. A shuddered gasp leaves Changbin once he realizes what the other man is doing.
He leans down, fingers wrapping around his wrist to stop Hyunjin. "It's okay, they look better like this." Truth is, if Changbin had to watch Hyunjin down on this knees in front of him any longer, he might quite literally explode.
Hyunjin grasps the brush from the floor on his way up, head bowing towards Felix, who sends him an intrigued look before clearing his throat and pulling the class's attention back to him. They have moved to the second flower. Changbin hasn't even added his second color yet.
"You okay?" Hyunjin asks, setting down the brush on the table, paint smearing on the paper set down to keep it clean. Changbin feels like the brush, making a mess anywhere he goes. If he is the brush, then Hyunjin is the paint — a stranger that he can't help but bring around with him, threaded deep into his bristles from the moment they are introduced. Pretty pink against his darkness. He even makes a mistake look beautiful.
He breathes out a 'yes,' eager to move on from his embarrassment, turning back to face Felix. Maybe if he starts focusing now, he will be able to still finish with the rest of the class. Changbin can see the frown on Hyunjin's face from the corner of his eye, his cold shoulder freezing the both of them.
Hyunjin nods to himself before returning to his painting. If Changbin sneaks a glance at him every time he turns back to his canvas, that is between him and the universe… and Felix, who keeps peeking over at the pair.
"Sorry…" Changbin's voice must startle Hyunjin, who jumps a little in his seat, a soft squeak leaving his plush lips. Changbin is convinced that his life will never be the same now that he has met Hyunjin. It will be split into two chapters, before Hyunjin and after.
Hyunjin starts giggling as his cheeks become rosy. "Don't be. I didn't expect you to be so shy, it's cute." He freezes — did he hear him correctly? Hyunjin thinks he's cute? More importantly, he has finally been called something that isn't loud. This is a day for the history books.
He pushes Hyunjin's shoulder without thinking before gasping, panicking as he watches a purple streak get added to Hyunjin's painting. "Oh my god, Hyunjin, I'm so sorry." Hyunjin puts the brush down, grasping Changbin's hand before he can retreat back into himself. "It's okay, it looks better like this."
Changbin blinks at him, his own words from 20 minutes ago floating around his head — the dry paint scattered along his shoes. "Now I will think of you every time I look at this painting." The crescents are back, Hyunjin's eyes smiling back at him as he gives his hand a squeeze.
"Do you wanna get married?" Hyunjin chokes from Changbin's sudden question but he doesn't pull back his hand — that has to be a good sign, right?
"Don't you think you should take me on a date first? What if I'm a serial killer?" He giggles. Yep, Changbin is a goner. He doesn't think it would matter if Hyunjin was a killer, he would hide the bodies if it meant seeing him smile.
"Hyunjin, will you do me the greatest honor-"
Hyunjin clamps his free hand over the other's mouth, cutting him off, "Changbin, if you're seriously proposing right now-"
Changbin continues, words muffled by Hyunjin's palm, "and go on a date with me?"
Hyunjin retracts his hand, wiping it on Changbin's jeans before nodding. "It took you long enough."
"Alright class!" Felix's voice swirls around the room as he walks between tables, taking in all the paintings. "Now is the time to add any final touches before we get our group photo!"
Panic sets in as Changbin turns to face his nearly blank canvas, half of a flower poorly painted at the bottom. He puffs up his chest, trying to create a wall between the painting and Felix, hoping he won't scold him for not paying attention. (He seems to have forgotten that Felix gets paid no matter how much his class accomplishes)
"Changbin…" He tilts his head, taking his bottom lip between his teeth as he stares at Felix. "Seems like someone was a bit… distracted, hmm?"
Hyunjin gasps, smacking Felix's chest as he walks away giggling. "Don't mind him. Can I?" Hyunjin grasps Changbin's hand, slipping the paint brush between his fingers. He clamps down, letting Hyunjin completely control his arm like a puppet master. Hyunjin moves their hands together, swirling pinks on the canvas faster than he knew was possible — his wrist even aches from the quick motion.
Changbin barely blinks and there are now three Flowers on the canvas, a peek of green leaves, and Hyunjin's retreating hand. "You did a great job." He whispers as he stands, grabbing his own canvas and following the rest of the class to the front of the bar.
Changbin stays planted in his seat, the ghost of Hyunjin's touch lingering on his skin as he stares at the painting they created together. The brush and paint, the perfect pair.
"Changbinnie!" Hyunjin. He turns his head, catching Hyunjin still standing next to him. "Let's go before they take the picture without us." Just like that, his spell is broken and he is standing up, grasping his canvas and Hyunjin's hand, walking to the front of the bar.
Hyunjin's smile goes all the way up to his eyes as he holds his canvas up with one hand, not letting go of Changbin's. In fact, he doesn't let go of his hand, not as Changbin closes out his tab, or as they put their brushes and paint away. He only lets go when it's time to take of their aprons.
"Can you untie me?" Hyunjin is turning around, the apron double knotted around his petite waist. Changbin's hands shake as he undoes the first knot. Hyunjin must've forgotten that he knotted it twice, because he begins to turn around until strong hands grab his waist, stopping him.
"'M not done." Changbin whispers as he gives his waist a squeeze, returning to his task at hand. Hyunjin radiates heat as he turns back around.
"Your turn," he mumbles before turning Changbin around, fingers slipping down his back, taking his time undoing the bow before sliding back up to his shoulders and turning him back around.
He gives his number to Hyunjin, who immediately calls him, "Had to make sure you didn't give me a fake." Changbin looks like a fish out of water as he gapes at him. He makes a grabby hand at his phone and Changbin hands it over with no question, still caught in a daze that the model of a man in front of him can't tell how gone he is for him.
"I saved my number," Hyunjin says as he hands the phone back. Changbin stares down at the contact, rose coating his cheeks as 'Fiancé' stares back at him. He can't help but laugh as he grabs Hyunjin's hand, leading him out the bar. Maybe Chan was right. He can't wait till he sees him at work tomorrow and tells him that he managed to get engaged before him and Felix.
“Ah!” The footsteps next to him pause as the walk to the parking lot. Changbin gets pulled back with an eyebrow raised.
“Forget something?”
Hyunjin nods, grasping Changbin’s face, he bends down slightly, giggling at their height difference as his lips hover. “Yeah, this,” he mumbles. Warm, plush lips collide with his, gone before he can even react.
"Is it too soon to say I love you?"