Work Text:
Sound let out an agitated sigh upon spotting a flash of raven black hair that had unfortunately become familiar to him. In his entire year of working at the movie theater for extra cash, he’d never met anyone as infuriating as Win.
Every Monday and Wednesday, like clockwork, Win would saunter in with an annoying grin. Sound didn’t know why he chose the slowest days to come bother him. All he knew was that he desperately wanted to punch that stupid smirk off his face every time. But he didn’t want to lose his job, so he played nice.
“Seriously, how much free time do you have?”
Well, maybe he didn’t really play nice. But he only raised his tongue against Win, not his fists, and that was as far as his self-control extended.
The check-in area was deserted, a no-man’s land. Just him and this annoying asshole who seemed hellbent on making his life harder. For Win was already leaning his elbows against the counter, leveling Sound with a questioning expression. “Oh, are you interested in my life?”
Sound scoffed, gesturing in the vague direction of the bathroom. “Hardly. I was only asking because there’s a toilet scrubber position open. Clearly, you need a job, and I thought it would be a good fit.”
Win wasn’t deterred by Sound’s sarcasm. He never was, a fact that always had Sound’s hackles rising. “Aw, you want to see me at work every day?”
Sound rolled his eyes, turning to the screen he used to reserve people’s seats. He pushed a few buttons, pretending to do anything, when really all he was doing was resting his eyes from the annoying sight of Win.
“Forget it. What kind of loser goes to the movies alone, anyways?”
“It’s perfectly normal to watch movies alone, and I will not be shamed for it.”
“Can you go already? I’m sick of hearing your voice.”
Win offered a thoughtful hum, eyes trailing over to the large screen behind Sound, which listed everything for sale.
“Should I get the rewards membership?”
Sound turned his gaze back to Win, only to level him with a thoroughly unimpressed expression. “I don't fucking care what you do.”
Sadly, Win still wasn’t bothered by his foul mouth. Sound’s insults seemed to roll off him like water off a duck’s back, like he was fitted with a bulletproof outfit that Sound’s sharp tongue couldn’t tear through.
“Sign me up for that rewards program and give me a ticket to…” Win trailed off, looking at the list of movie showings over Sound’s other shoulder.
He seemed to pick at random, which was confusing, because who showed up to the theater without knowing what movie they wanted to watch? Only incompetent, lazy idiots who had nothing else to do with their time, surely.
Win finally settled on a film, some cheap action-thriller. Sound sighed again, out of disappointment this time. “You already saw that one. Do you even pay attention to the slop you watch?”
Win’s eyes widened slightly for a moment, just long enough for Sound to take notice, before his face returned to its usual annoying and arrogant expression. “Oh, you’ve been paying special attention to me?”
Sound averted his eyes, searching for any reasonable excuse as to why he would remember such an inconsequential detail. Sound printed out so many tickets every week and never gave a fuck about what movie people were watching.
Except when it came to Win, apparently. Because Sound knew for a fact that Win had already watched over half of the movies that were playing today, and he knew on which days he’d seen them.
He chose not to analyze why he’d filed away such useless information.
“You always rant to me about them afterwards, of course I’d remember which movies your annoying ass has yapped about.”
Win’s grin only grew, and he narrowed his eyes slightly, as if to say: I’m onto you, Sound Saran.
Which was ridiculous. Win wasn’t onto anything at all; he barely even had two brain cells to rub together on a good day, so there was no way he was coming to any sort of conclusion about Sound’s strange habit of mentally cataloguing all the films Win had seen.
Luckily, Win didn’t press the issue any further. “Recommend something I haven’t seen, then.”
Sound was shocked at his audacity to not only hold up the line (sure, there was nobody in line, but someone could walk in any minute now!) and to waste Sound’s time (not like he had anything else to do, but still.)
“Do I look like a recommendation service? I really don't give a fuck what movie you watch, Win.”
“Wow, you don’t care about anything, do you?”
“When it comes to you, no.”
Win made a big show of clutching at his heart, like he’d been mortally wounded by Sound’s grating honesty. “Ouch. You know, I’d be out of your face a lot faster if you just chose a movie for me to watch.”
As much as Sound didn’t want to humor Win and, god forbid, accidentally encourage him to keep up his ludicrous behavior, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to shoo him away.
An evil idea popped into his head as he checked over the movie listings on his screen. For once, he offered Win a genuine smile, born out of pure malice. It just so happened that they were showing a terrible, infuriatingly boring, pretentious black-and-white film that was probably the worst thing Sound ever had the displeasure of slogging through.
He only knew this because Gun had dragged him to see it last month, curious if it was really as bad as the reviews claimed. The reviewers were right, the film couldn't keep his attention for more than five minutes at a time and he almost fell asleep on countless occasions.
He wished he had fallen asleep, because even a feverish nap filled with vivid nightmares due to the loud noises of the theater would’ve been more valuable to him than the time he wasted watching that hot garbage.
“This one is my personal favorite. I just saw it the other day, I think you’d love it.” He did a bit of typing at his computer, navigating to the screen showing the available seats. As expected, the theater was deserted.
Win would be the only one in attendance. Sound struggled to hold in his laughter as he imagined Win, looking lost in the empty theater. He'd be questioning his entire existence and wondering why he'd decided to listen to Sound's advice, despite knowing Sound had it out for him. He could really only blame himself, because why did he bother to ask for Sound's recommendation in the first place?
“And you’re just in luck, a showing is about to start.” Sound really should win an award, for how he managed to keep his voice even to not betray his evil plan.
Win’s stupid grin had fallen off his face, replaced with an expression Sound couldn’t quite place. He seemed almost… surprised, and he briefly sucked his bottom lip into his mouth before responding.
Not that Sound was looking at his mouth or anything.
“Sure, yeah. I’ll… I’ll watch that one.”
That was when Sound realized he was still smiling and quickly wiped it away, returning to his usual resting bitch face. He didn't want Win to think he was happy to see him or anything. Quite the opposite, he was only filled with unbridled joy at the notion of bringing Win great misery.
Without another word, Sound held out his hand for Win’s payment.
“I didn't even order yet.”
He didn’t need to, Sound knew his usual order like the back of his hand. Hearing the same thing two days a week for months straight would do that to a person.
“Just give me the damn card.”
Win obeyed without further complaint, and Sound got started on his order. His one consolation as he scooped popcorn into a bucket was that Win would absolutely hate his movie recommendation. Serves him right, for being such a pain in his ass. He would never ask for Sound's opinion on a movie ever again. That’ll show him.
“Can you add extra salt? There wasn't enough last time.”
Win's grating voice cut through the brief, peaceful silence that had fallen between them as Sound relished in the ruined day Win was about to have by his hand. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance, he definitely didn't get paid enough to deal with such pretentious demands.
As he reached for the salt, he spoke through gritted teeth. “Sure, whatever you want.” He then proceeded to load the popcorn up with enough salt to take out an entire city.
Just another small way he could sabotage Win's day even further. Eating a mountain of salt while watching a terrible movie, Win would surely be so unsatisfied with the whole experience that he'd be put off from ever entering the theater again.
Okay, it was wishful thinking to assume he might disappear forever. He had nothing else to do with his life, so he'd probably be running back in a few weeks, but at least that would give Sound a break from looking at his stupid face and listening to his dumb voice.
He handed the container over, biting back a wicked smile as he imagined how Win's expression would twist in disgust when he tasted it. “Here's your popcorn, I hope you choke on it.”
Win's fingers brushed against his when he took the bucket, and it almost seemed intentional. Like Win was taking every possible opportunity to get on his nerves, even to the point of touching him.
“Is that any way to talk to a paying customer?”
Sound snatched his hands away as if they'd been burned, wiping them on his ugly, bright-red uniform shirt. Just to get Win's germs off him, that was all. It wasn't like his palms were sweating from the delicate brush of Win's fingertips, or anything ridiculous like that.
Sound swallowed around nothing, tucking his hands away into his pockets, for no particular reason. It wasn't to hide that they were shaking slightly, surely. They were just cold, because the air conditioner was working extra hard today, and he needed to warm them up in his pockets.
Sound wasn't the best at talking to people. Especially when the little nagging voice in his head started telling him how everyone was staring at him, judging his every move, berating him to keep up appearances.
Luckily, talking to Win was always easy. He never felt like he had to fake niceties, plaster on a customer service smile and pitch his voice higher to make it sound more pleasant. He just said whatever was on his mind, in a tone that came naturally to him.
“Oh, sorry, should I roll out the red carpet and kiss the ground you walk on for spending way too much money at this run-down place? As if I give a fuck.”
If he was talking to anyone else like that, they'd surely get offended. They'd bristle, clutch their pearls, demand to speak to the manager. But Win was special. He always took Sound's insults with a grin, even firing back ones of his own.
“That would be a good start, at least.”
“Keep dreaming.” Sound rolled his eyes, and slid over the drink he'd just made. Instead of picking it up, Win just stood there stupidly, eyes roaming the room. It was almost like he was searching for something else to talk about.
Bizarrely, Sound's first instinct upon being faced with Win's loitering wasn't to shoo him away. Instead, he started up another conversation. He just didn't want the silence to become awkward, that was all. There were few things more uncomfortable than an awkward silence.
“Why don't you watch movies on streaming services, like everyone else?”
Win snorted, but he couldn't hide the way his eyes lit up when Sound spoke to him. That was strange. Sound must be imagining things, the dingy theater lights must've just hit Win's eyes at an odd angle that made them appear extra shiny.
“Then you'd be out of a job. You should be thanking me, actually.”
Sound almost forgot to listen, he was preoccupied with staring into Win's eyes, trying to figure out if they'd always been so… twinkly, with a bunch of tiny lights reflecting off them.
Win's quirked eyebrow was enough to pull him out of his thoughts, and he had to clear his throat to speak again. Luckily, Win didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Sound was sure he could pelt Win with a dozen beach balls and he wouldn't even notice, he was always so oblivious to his surroundings.
“Thank you so much for keeping this crappy place in business. What would I do without you, the annoying idiot who won't leave me alone?”
“You're welcome.” Win dutifully ignored the latter half of his statement. It was with a triumphant grin that he grabbed a handful of popcorn, shoving it in his mouth like a child. His expression quickly fell, mouth twisting to the side and eyebrows drawing together as he spat the popcorn back out into the bucket.
“This is terrible, it’s so salty. If I eat this, I’ll get clogged arteries!”
Sound couldn't hold back his laughter any longer, Win's repulsed face was too hilarious. He wished he'd gotten a picture of it, that way he could revisit this memory whenever he felt down. Win's ugly expression would surely cheer him up, serving as a gleeful reminder of when he'd successfully wiped that smug look off Win's face without resorting to violence.
“You asked for it, take it and shut the fuck up, or throw it away. I don't care.”
Win looked down at the container with a thoughtful expression. “I can't throw it away, not when you made it specifically for me. Maybe I should keep it as a memento.”
Sound could feel his nose scrunching up in confusion and revulsion, all traces of laughter gone. Win was acting even stranger than usual and he didn't know how to go about it. “You're seriously weird. Just throw it out, unless you're too broke to waste the money.”
“Then give me something else to remember you by.”
Sound didn't like whatever game Win was playing. Mostly because he could feel heat rising to his cheeks and Sound Saran doesn't get flustered. Not by anyone, and certainly not by Win.
That was what he reminded himself anyway, as his thoughts were going haywire because Win was standing there looking at him with those sparkly eyes and he had to be losing it, to think that Win looked kind of… pretty, in that moment.
“Are you stupid or dumb? You see me twice a week. If you can't remember me without a memento, then you have memory loss.”
The words tumbled out of his mouth without him having to think and well, maybe Sound's response to being flustered was different than most people's.
But he wasn't flustered, he reminded himself. He was simply feeling a little too hot because the air conditioner in this place sucked, which was making him sweat and causing his face to erupt into flames. No more, no less.
Oh, but he'd just used the excuse of the room being cold for why he had to hide his hands in his pockets. Crap, he couldn't keep up with his mental list of excuses anymore. Win was shaking all the thoughts in his head around, turning them into mush.
As always, Win didn't let his harsh words bog him down. He simply shrugged, before hugging the popcorn container to his chest, as if it was something precious. “Then, I guess I'll have to keep this popcorn to signify our time together.”
Sound was seriously starting to get embarrassed. Not for himself, but for Win, who not only was an idiot who loved wasting his time, but had also resorted to speaking nonsense to fill the silence.
He probably wanted to delay the pitiful act of watching a movie all by himself for as long as possible. Because apparently, not only did Win have all the time in the world, but also no friends to spend it with. Maybe if he stopped being so annoying, he'd find someone who wanted to spend more than five minutes at a time with him.
“Hang it up, frame it, whatever. I don't give a fuck, just go already. You're going to miss the movie.”
Now, he really did shoo Win away. But Win simply grinned, finally grabbing his drink. He'd taken so long to pick it up that a wet ring had formed on the counter, adding to Sound's workload.
“See you in a bit. Don't miss me too much.” Then he was off, before Sound could come up with a smartass response.
And he actually took the terrible, salty popcorn with him. Sound knew, because he watched Win as he walked down the hall, until he turned the corner to head to the appropriate theater.
Not that he was watching him for any specific reason.
With Win gone, it was time to get back to wasting more time. His first order of business was to wipe away the ring of water Win had left behind. With that cleaned up, it was like Win had never been there in the first place.
Except for the lingering heat in Sound's cheeks and the residual tingling in his fingers from where they'd brushed against Win's.
The entire time Win was in the theater, Sound was plotting on his downfall, rubbing his hands together like a cartoonish villain. He imagined every bored and agitated expression Win would be making in the theater. The way his eyebrow would twitch, his teeth would clench, his mouth twisting to the side when he realized he’d been fooled into wasting two hours. Not that Win had much else to do with his time, anyway.
He'd stomp out of the theater in a rage and head right for Sound, ready to tear him a new one for his cruel prank.
Except, two and a half hours had passed and there was no sign of Win. That was odd, usually Win would run out as soon as the film ended, to talk his ear off until Sound managed to chase him away.
The only explanation for Win's absence was that he must've left from a side entrance. Which wasn't typically allowed. But those side doors were technically unlocked, so if he really wanted to leave without seeing Sound's face, he could.
He didn’t know why he felt a little disappointed that Win had abandoned ship without speaking to him.
He busied himself with wiping down the counter, which he’d already done about ten times since Win had disappeared, even though there was never anything there to clean up. He was just going stir-crazy, looking for anything to do with his hands to keep his mind busy.
As much as he’d never admit it, Win served as a break in the monotony of the slowest workdays, something for Sound to latch onto and carry around with him for the rest of the day. It was harder to be bored when his mind was lingering on Win’s nasally voice, his stupid grin and those big, dumb eyes.
Plus, he was really excited to see the disgusted look on his face as he ranted and raved about how terrible the movie was, with Sound’s evil laughter serving as the perfect backing track. That was it, he was looking forward to watching as Win’s expression twisted with irritation as he complained about Sound’s horrible movie recommendation.
There was no other reason he’d ever want to see Win’s stupid face.
Just when he’d lost hope of seeing Win, that same patch of dark hair flashed in his peripheral vision. He pretended not to notice Win's late arrival, looking down at the counter and rubbing circles against it with the washcloth.
He chose not to analyze why a single glance of hair was enough for him to recognize Win.
“Sound, I think the counter is clean already.”
Win's voice was slightly deeper than usual, almost gravely. That was perhaps how he'd sound first thing in the morning, when his skin was warm with sleep and he was still blinking his hazy dreams away.
Not that Sound had imagined that very scenario before.
“What do you know about cleaning counters?,” he huffed, then chanced a glance up.
Win was standing there, still clutching that stupid popcorn. It seemed like he'd even eaten some of it, for there was less than before. Unless he wasted it by tossing it at the movie screen in hostility because of how bad the film was. Which would be understandable in theory, but rude in practice, only leaving more mess for the workers to clean up.
His eyes moved further up, only to find Win's lips curled into a warm smile.
Not a grin, not a smirk, a fucking smile.
Sound didn't know why his heart was suddenly pumping faster, sending blood racing to every part of his body, namely his face. Win must've put some curse on him after finishing the movie, that was why he looked so happy. Any minute now, Sound would keel over from a heart attack and Win would be laughing at his misfortune, twirling his non-existent villain mustache.
But as Win continued to look at him, his eyes softened around the corners. His smile lines were out in full force, drawing attention to his freckled cheeks, tiny constellations that Sound had already memorized the placements of.
Not that Sound spent a lot of time staring at Win's face on purpose. Win was just constantly showing up in front of him, there was no way he wouldn't have his freckles mapped out in his mind by now.
“The movie was great.”
That was enough to drag Sound back down to Earth, and he was sure his eyes were as wide as the moon as he gaped at Win. “Are you serious? There's no way you liked that garbage.”
Win blinked stupidly, but at least he finally put that annoying bucket of popcorn down. Unfortunately, he placed it back on the counter, instead of in the trash can where it belonged.
“What? I thought it was your favorite movie?”
Sound scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “I was fucking with you. I hated every second of it.”
Win let out a relieved sigh, and all of the tension drained out of him. “Oh, thank god, it was so bad that I fell asleep. The cleaning guy had to wake me up.”
Win's expression wasn't as disgusted or annoyed as Sound had hoped. He didn't seem all that bothered really, which kind of made this entire plan useless. He also hadn't accounted for how irritating it would be to listen to Win ramble about his misgivings, which may have been a miscalculation on his part. So maybe it was for the best that Win didn't have much to say on the matter, since he'd fallen asleep.
Oh well, at least he was safe in the knowledge that he made Win so miserable and bored that he fell asleep in an empty theater like a loser.
“So, that's why you were late. Took your broke ass long enough.”
The words slipped out of his mouth without much thought put into them. He usually considered his words carefully, but that all crumbled to dust when it came to Win. It was admittedly nice to allow his mouth to run off without filtering himself or trying to spare someone's feelings.
“Oh, you noticed how long I was gone? I told you not to miss me too much, I guess you just couldn't help it.”
Sound had to fight the embarrassment that was creeping into his senses, threatening to tint his cheeks red. The way Win was speaking to him today was just too much. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Win was flirting with him.
Except, he did know better. He knew that Win was a mega loser with no friends who enjoyed spending his time messing with the one person who was forced to listen to his droning on and on. Sound wasn't allowed to leave his post, which made him an easy target for Win's entertainment.
All he could do was grit his teeth and try not to think too much of it.
“Don't be ridiculous, I know when the showtimes end.” That wasn't true, Sound didn't care enough to memorize when all of the showings ended. But Win didn't need to know that.
Win didn't appear entirely convinced, but he graciously dropped it. “Right. Anyways, I was starting to wonder if you had the worst movie taste in the world.”
Win's insults, he was used to. He could take them any day. Win's pitiful attempts at shaking him up with fake-flirting, not so much. He never thought he'd be grateful for Win to badmouth him.
“As if. You're the one with the bad movie taste. But why did you act like it was good at first? Terrible acting skills, by the way.”
Sound said that, as if Win's pretty smile hadn't turned his entire world upside down with just one glance. Win had fooled him alright, and he'd stolen a little piece of Sound with that smile. He had a feeling he wouldn't be getting it back.
Win’s gaze dropped to the ground, and for once he seemed at a loss for words. He was always quick to combat Sound’s insults with snarky remarks of his own. But this time, he struggled to come up with a response, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, you said it was your favorite. I didn’t want to offend you, or whatever.”
A flush was spreading across his cheeks, and Sound must’ve been losing his mind because the first thing that came to his mind was that Win looked kind of cute when he was embarrassed.
“Why would I give a fuck about your opinion? Even if you really did hate my favorite movie, I’d just tell you to fuck off because you have no taste.”
“Harsh. You really think so little of me, huh?” That was what Win said, but he was smiling again, like he’d come to expect that kind of response.
Sound hated that he felt something tug at his heartstrings from the joyful tilt to Win’s mouth. For just a second, Sound could pretend that it meant something more. That Win actually cared about him past the mild intellectual stimulation he provided twice a week.
Win had regained the courage to meet Sound’s gaze, although his cheeks were still bizarrely dusted pink. And Sound didn’t know what to do with that information. He especially didn't know what to do when he felt his face responding in turn, coloring reddish to match.
“Sound, shouldn't I get a reward for being such a loyal customer?”
“Why should I care about that? I get paid the same whether you're here or not.”
“I didn't mean for the money I've spent here, I meant for the time I've spent with you.”
Sound could hardly pay attention to his words. He was too busy searching Win's eyes for… something, he didn't know what. He was bewitched by the tiny flecks of light he saw reflected in those bottomless pupils, the artful swatches of gold swirling around his irises, enchanting him.
It almost seemed like Win was knowingly making eyes at him, showing off his long eyelashes with every calculated blink. His freckles were even more noticeable when his cheeks were flushed. They stood out beautifully against the backdrop of pinkened skin.
Sound swallowed, breaking the eye contact. If this was a staring contest, he'd just have to lose, because that was worlds better than being swallowed up by the intensity of Win's gaze.
“Your reward is not having my fist in your face every time I see you, lucky you. Unfortunate for me, though.”
Win stepped closer, propping his elbows on the counter right in front of Sound, and he was almost sure that Win was purposefully looking at him through his eyelashes now. Sound was helpless to resist, Win was so close that he couldn't look away anymore. It was even worse when Win's tongue darted out to wet his lips, and Sound's eyes automatically followed the movement, transfixed.
“Sound, I'm not a movie buff. Actually, I prefer listening to music to pass the time.”
A beat of silence passed, where Sound just kept staring at Win's mouth, until he remembered he was expected to respond. “Am I supposed to care?”
Win's expression faltered for a moment, a split-second of self-consciousness slipping past his defenses. But it was gone as quickly as it came, and Win dared to lean even closer, boldly invading Sound's personal space.
“The only reason I keep showing up here is because I want to see you.”
Sound's brain was so overwhelmed and confused that his first thought was that Win's life must be super boring if his idea of fun was bickering with an underpaid theater employee.
It wasn't until he caught sight of Win's lower lip disappearing into his mouth as he chewed on it, a nervous quirk of sorts, that the weight behind his words registered.
Win didn't come here to pick fights. He didn't come to watch nonsensical movies with lackluster plots and chow down on disgusting, salty popcorn. He came here to… talk to Sound. Because he had a crush on him??
That didn't feel right, but the flush darkened across Win's face the longer they stood there, locked in some odd standoff. It even reached his ears, tinting them red. And he was still leaning against the counter expectantly, like a puppy waiting for a treat. Except the treat in this case was Sound, which was laughable. Being in his presence was no walk in the park, no bed of roses. It was more like a bed of nails.
But Win knew that. He'd received the brunt of Sound's bad attitude and filthy mouth, dodging his insults like he was born to do so. And yet, Win still liked him.
He was flattered, really. Beyond confused and profusely flustered, but still flattered. It just didn't make sense for Win to like him, when all Sound had done was snap at him and turn him away.
In true Sound Saran fashion, when he finally mustered up the courage to speak, it wasn't with nice pleasantries. “Really? You saw me in this atrocious red shirt and said that's the one?”
Win seemed relieved that he'd said anything at all, finally removing himself from the counter. He wasn't bothered that Sound's shyness showed itself in odd ways, just as he never became discouraged when Sound called him names. He really was a strange guy. “Anyone who can make that ugly shirt work must be special.”
Sound really hated how warm that stupid statement made his chest feel. He was already wanting to melt into the ground to avoid this embarrassing encounter when Win spoke up again, nervously rambling. “I know I’m probably just some annoying guy to you, but if you’d just give me a chance, I think we'd be good together.”
Win was speaking so fast that it was overwhelming him. This whole thing was overwhelming, actually, from the overhead lights beaming down on them to the way his throat was suddenly dry and his palms were sweaty, and Win looked so pretty all of a sudden. With his soft hair and his big, pleading eyes, that wide nose and those freckles that were tempting Sound to reach out and touch, to dip his fingers into the starry night sky that sat just within reach.
“Slow down, you didn't even give me a chance to respond yet.”
Win offered an anxious laugh, scratching at the back of his head, and Sound hated that he found the action charming, in a loser sort of way.
“So, do you want to see a movie with me when you’re off?”
Win was a nervous wreck. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot, glancing at Sound only to flit his gaze away seconds later, and he was nibbling on his bottom lip again.
Sound was taking notice of every little movement, just to tease Win about it later. Certainly not to file it away in the special mental folder he had for fond memories of Win. Such a catalogue didn't exist.
Okay, maybe it did. But Sound was never letting him know that.
“Fuck no.”
Win deflated like a popped balloon, head drooping like a sad puppy. Oddly, instead of relishing in his disappointment, Sound wanted to wipe that discouraged expression off his face as soon as possible. He didn't take pleasure in his teasing, this time.
“I'm sick and tired of this place. Let's go somewhere else.”
Win looked up with wide eyes, like he couldn’t believe his ears, and something in Sound shattered at the tiny, hopeful smile on his face. “Really?”
Sound's heart was squeezing in his chest, and he found his lips curling up the corners without his permission. As gross and mushy as it was, he was somehow happy to be the cause of Win's smile.
“Yeah, unless you're too broke to go anywhere else.”
And just like that, Win perked up, regaining his usual tenacity. All it took was a well-aimed insult to his bank account to restore their familiar banter. “Hey, you're talking to a rewards member. I’ve got money to burn, baby.”
Win was so ridiculous.
Sound cringed in disgust and embarrassment, even as his cheeks heated up further, until they were seconds away from catching on fire. “Never call me that again, unless you want to be cleaning up vomit from your shoes. And if you're so rich, then you’d better be paying for dinner.”
Win did an exaggerated bow, like a lowly peasant taking orders from a prince. “Not a problem, Prince Sound.”
“Gross, stand up. And don't call me that either.”
“Then, what should I call you?”
Sound's gut reaction was to snap at him to call him by his name or shut the hell up. But something in Sound compelled him to push away his instincts, to garner a different reaction out of Win. One that he'd never seen before.
Win deserved a taste of his own medicine. And by that, he meant Win should suffer the same secondhand embarrassment that came along with being poorly flirted with.
“Just call me yours.”
Even forcing the words out was difficult, they attempted to cut Sound's throat on the way out. They sounded sickly-sweet, so unlike something he'd usually say, that he regretted it instantly.
But Win didn't laugh, or crinkle his nose, or even give Sound an odd look. Instead, his smile turned shy, and he ducked his head to hide his flush from Sound's watchful gaze.
“Ahh, I've wanted to hear that for so long.”
Sound, for all his talk of being annoyed by Win's terrible flirtations, found himself just as shy when he was the one doing the terrible flirting. It seemed there was just no winning when it came to Win. Sound was doomed to be embarrassed, feelings brimming over in his chest, heat rising to his cheeks and threatening to burn him into a crisp.
But the way Win was looking at him, with those big, shiny eyes, somehow made it worth it. Even moreso when he held his hand out towards Sound, pushing past his obvious shyness to command his attention. “Your shift is over, right? Let's go.”
He didn't think to ask how Win knew when his shift ended. He must've been paying extra special attention to Sound, just as Sound had always done for him.
He stepped out from behind the counter, tearing his work shirt off. He always wore a normal shirt under it, so he didn't have to walk home looking like a stoplight.
He hesitated for a moment, unsure if this was really a good idea. After all, he was Sound Saran, the boy with a bad attitude who didn't hesitate to start a fight. He didn't know if he was capable of going on a date with someone, of having a relationship.
But Win looked so sweet and tempting, holding his hand out with all the patience in the world. Win always had patience with him, he realized. Sound felt undeniably safe and comfortable when Win spoke to him, because he never forced Sound to sugarcoat his words, or got upset with him for being mouthy.
Win liked him for who he was.
And Sound liked him, too. He had for a while now, though he tried his best to ignore it, to stamp out the fire Win lit underneath him. There was really no other reason why his hands would sometimes tremble in Win's presence, why he had to clear his throat at times before he was able to speak. The heart wanted what it wanted, and Sound was powerless to stop its yearning.
He placed his hand in Win's awaiting palm, and he was almost blinded by the smile he earned in return. All he knew in that moment was the warmth of Win's grip, the beauty of his freckles and the fluttering of his heart in his chest.
“Let's go, idiot. Take me on a date before I change my mind.”