Work Text:
Yeosang has been single for a while now and he doesn’t feel bad about it.
It’s not for a lack of trying, he’s given the dating apps a go on and off over the years but they just aren’t really his thing. He’s tried out a couple of new hobbies and gone to local social events to meet people the ‘old-fashioned’ way, went on those blind dates that were set-up through friends of friends and co-workers alike.
The majority of the ones he’s gone on usually follow the same script each time. They’ll start well, exchanging polite pleasantries and getting to learn a little bit about each other before it inevitably starts to dwindle into nothing more than two strangers sharing a space trying to make something out of nothing. If he’s lucky enough at the very least got to have a few good one night stands out of it, at best was when he kept up seeing someone for another few months after. They never made it so far as to declare it as a proper committed relationship before calling it quits.
Ryujin was nice, quick-witted with her humour, and not afraid to pull punches and call his bluff if needed, which Yeosang liked, but they both agreed it probably wouldn’t work very well in the long run.
They still see each other every so often if neither of them have anything going on at the time.
It’s after a few months have passed since what he can only deem as his worst first date yet, that his two best-friends spend weeks trying to convince him to join them for one of their nights out.
“C’mon” Mingi drawls from where he’s draped himself across the entirety of Yeosang’s couch “it doesn’t even have to lead to anything, lets just go out, hit the club, the three of us, just like old times, while we hang on to the last of our youth.” He’s sending Yeosang his best attempt at looking like a kicked puppy, “please.”
Yunho just huffs a laugh under his breath at his boyfriend’s antics. Yeosang doesn’t even bother looking in his direction as he deadpans “You know we’re only turning 26 this year, right?”
All it gets him is one of his decorative cushions thrown at his face.
He's really got no expectation of anything to come out of this, only agreed in the hopes that this might get them to back off and leave him alone again for a little while longer, plus Mingi did have a good point, it is nice to hang out with them altogether again like this. Yeosang knows that they mean well, he really does, but sometimes it’s just tiring when they’ve been living in their own little rose-tinted bubble for so long.
The three of them manage to snag a corner booth towards the back while it’s still early enough in the night and not starting to get over-crowded just yet. They spend their time catching up on all the mundane things they’ve forgotten to update each other about what’s happened in their lives recently, play a couple of drinking games, and otherwise just enjoy their time together.
Once the club starts getting busier and busier, and the amount of space to move freely becomes smaller and smaller, the music borders just on that side of being a little too loud, the three of them gather their belongings knowing they won’t be sitting back down, and move out onto the dancefloor.
They all stick together for an hour or so, occasionally lingering closer to the edge while one of them takes turns to get a fresh round of drinks before moving back towards the centre again. After another couple of songs Yeosang moves off on his own, giving the couple their own space while Yunho and Mingi get caught up in themselves. He loses track of the two after a little while, but knows where to find them if need be, confident that they’re tucked away in some quiet corner of making out if not getting more handsy with each other.
When it starts to get a little too warm for his liking he weaves his way out of the crowd of people and dips into the smoking area for the freshest bit of air that he can find before heading back towards the bar. He ends up hovering by the corner of the counter for the next while just nursing his drink. He can at least say that he did his share of mingling and talking to strangers if anyone bothers to ask.
Yeosang sips leisurely at his lukewarm beer, waiting out an appropriate amount of time before he can call it a night and head home to his apartment. Idly observing the other people that are out tonight Yeosang turns back to look out onto the dancefloor, and it’s then for the first time all evening that someone catches his eye.
The man is a bit further into the sea of people but from what Yeosang can see, he appears to be about the same age, maybe just slightly shorter in height, and the singular dangling earring he wears catches and reflects the overhead lights perfectly as he sways and moves in time with the beat.
It looks like he came here on his own but doesn’t seem to mind it. If anything he looks completely in his element, like this is where he’s meant to be, and he knows it too. Yeosang just observes for a while, he’s sure the stranger won’t mind, it’s almost as if he seeks the attention, basks in it. People move around him and he dances with each and every one of them before they all move on. He’s giving them enough attention to stay but not enough that shows them that he’s interested in anything more than that.
Eventually he must feel Yeosang’s prolonged lingering gaze on him as he turns and locks eyes with him dead-on. Even at a distance Yeosang can tell he’s giving him a once over, but as he figured the stranger doesn’t seem to mind, just simply tilts his head to the side as if to initiate conversation. Yeosang raises his glass in return as acknowledgement and it earns him a smirk.
The lights are low but even then it doesn’t look condescending, rather that he’s amused, like they’ve engaged in some sort of secret inside joke just between the two of them.
And so Yeosang, deciding he has nothing to lose, downs the rest of his drink and heads straight into the mass of people. He stalks forward with purpose and a confidence he didn’t know he possessed, and when he reaches the other he decides to be bold, Yeosang leans in and tucks a loose strand of hair behind the other man's ear and introduces himself "I’m Yeosang", when he pulls back he can see the mirth shining in the other’s eyes before the other leans lays a hand on his waist and leans in much closer to Yeosang’s space, "Wooyoung, what do you say we get out of here?" and holds out his hand — it's an open invitation or rejection, whatever Yeosang wants to do.
Yeosang grasps it tight and Wooyoung leads them out into the cool night breeze.
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
He’s not sure at first what it is that wakes him.
Maybe it’s the soft strip of early morning light that pools in between where the blinds haven’t been fully shut, the low sounds of joggers footsteps passing on the street below, moreover he reckons it’s most likely from the consistent buzzing of his phone on the nightstand with way too many new notifications from his group chat with Yunho and Mingi.
It’s only after he shoots them a text to let them know he’s still alive and closes his eyes again that he realises there’s a soft vibration coming from just above his head as well. He tilts back gently peering out of one eye to look up and perched just above his head at the top of the pillow is a cat.
Yeosang stretches his arm up somewhat lazily in an attempt to give the cat a little scratch behind its ear, and turns his head at the same time and squinting to find Wooyoung sprawled face-first into the bed snoring lightly. Yeosang snorts at the sight of him, and decides to settle back into the duvet himself to doze for a couple more hours. He gets the feeling that Wooyoung won’t mind if he’s still there when he wakes up.
As he begins to doze off he faintly registers the cat stretching itself out and crawling down to lie down in the small gap between the two of them. “Cute” he thinks, and falls back asleep as the rising sun casts a warm glow across his face.
It’s a quiet rustling and shifting of bedsheets that wakes him for the second time that morning.
He hears Wooyoung stretch with a groan and yawn lightly before the mattress begins to dip lightly towards him as the other turns to face the centre of the bed.
“Oh hi, baby, didn’t ever think you'd be in here so early.”
The cat chirps in response.
Yeosang thinks it’s a strange thing to say. “Isn’t that something cats generally do?” he questions, not even bothering to open his eyes “Have a tendency to annoy people first thing in the morning because they want attention for something?” Wooyoung hums thoughtfully, scratching under the cat’s chin and taking a second before answering “While he is a friendly cat, and likes to meet new people, well, let’s just say when someone comes over for the night he doesn’t really tend to ever want to come say ‘hi’ to them in those circumstances if you get what I mean.”
“I see.” Yeosang supposes that’s only fair, he’d probably be the same in most social interactions himself.
Now knowing Yeosang is awake again and more alert than earlier that morning, the cat gets up and plonks himself right onto the middle of his chest. Wooyoung barks out a laugh, “Yeah yeah yeah okay I see you’ve got a new favourite for today”, and they let the silence settle between them. That is until Wooyoung suddenly bolts upright with a panic. “Oh god you’re not allergic to cats are you? Please tell me you’re not allergic to cats!” he almost begs.
Yeosang can tell he’s genuinely worried.
“It would be a bit too late if I was, wouldn’t it?” he deadpans “but no, lucky for you I’m not.” Wooyoung exhales a sigh of relief, and it even feels like the cat snorts in laughter at him for getting so worked up. “Oh shut up you, don’t act like you didn’t think about it either before waltzing on in here.” The cat only gives Wooyoung almost a side-eye glance but otherwise doesn’t seem to care. ‘Odd’ Yeosang thinks, then again he’s not really interacted with many cat owners before and supposes they must all speak to their pets this way.
The three of them lay there for another while longer. Something about it feels oddly domestic about the whole scenario, but he won’t question it, he just lets the feeling of warmth and security wash over him while he can take it. It feels safe.
They eventually roll out of bed with the promise of breakfast, Wooyoung’s cat weaving between their legs as they traipse down the hallway toward the kitchen. Wooyoung walks with a bit of a limp in his step and Yeosang can’t help but smirk in satisfaction at the sight.
They make small talk while they eat, exchanging minute details like last names, what they do for work, birthdays. It turns out Yeosang is only a few months older and comments that maybe Wooyoung should call him ‘hyung’, all he gets is a glower in response but the light tint of pink rising on his cheeks suggests something otherwise.
“How about the cat then?” Yeosang voices, pointing his fork towards it where they lay lazily in a sunbeam that streaks through the apartment window. “What’s the story there?”
“Oh that guy? Followed me home a couple years ago and couldn’t get rid of him.”
The cat hisses in detest at that, Wooyoung retaliates by sticking his tongue out at him, Yeosang raises his eyebrow just watching the whole thing unfold.
“Well does he at least have a name?”
Wooyoung freezes momentarily like he’s never been asked that question before. “Lets see, any pet name is fine honestly, ‘baby’, ‘sweetheart’, ‘my cutest little pookie wookie bear’.” Wooyoung grins devilishly at the cat, “You know, all that fun stuff.” The cat hisses again. “Alright, maybe not that last one then, but anything else is honestly good.”
“So you mean to tell me that you’ve had him for how many years now and never given him an official name?”
Wooyoung just shrugs.
“Ehhhh couldn’t be bothered really.”
“Right.”
Wooyoung swiftly changes the topic to something different and Yeosang lets it go. They go back and forth for another while until they’re both finished eating. Yeosang gets up and does the dishes despite much protest but he insists that it’s only fair. After all, Wooyoung did all the cooking for the two of them, plus he’s stayed over much longer than is probably deemed as normal for these kinds of arrangements. Though it feels mutual that neither want to pop the little bubble that they’ve been living in.
He continues tidying up, Wooyoung occasionally directing him as to what cupboards various bowls and utensils belong in, when he comes across something while he’s rummaging through one of the kitchen drawers that gives him an idea.
He feels eyes watching him and turns to look over his shoulder, catching the cat sitting on the table next to Wooyoung, both of them evidently staring directly at his ass. He swats at it himself playfully, “You two like what you see?” Wooyoung shamelessly doesn’t even bother to meet his eyes as he hums in approval, “Definitely wouldn’t mind getting my hands on that again.”
“Maybe next time if you’re lucky.”
“Maybe.”
There’s a stillness that overtakes the kitchen and lingers in the air, holding an underlying tension between them.
It’s broken by the buzzing of Yeosang’s phone on the kitchen counter. Mingi’s name flashes across the screen. Yeosang sighs and answers the call. “Hell-”
“ARE YOU CRAZY? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? ARE YOU DEAD!?” Yeosang has to pull the phone away from his ear from how loud Mingi is screaming at him, he’s pretty sure the entire apartment block can hear him, he knows Wooyoung definitely has by the way he’s giggling into his fist. Yeosang immediately relents and puts the phone on speaker as he rests back against the marble countertop.
“No, Mingi, I’m not dead.”
“ARE YOU SURE? BLINK TWICE IF YOU NEED HELP!”
“Last time I checked I was certainly still breathing, and you do know that this is a phone call that we’re having, right?”
“WELL COULD YOU CHECK AGAIN BECAUSE THIS ONE TIME I READ ONLINE THAT-” Whatever it is he’s about to say next is abruptly cut off by a scuffle on the other end of the line before Yunho’s softer voice filters through, “Hey, Yeosang, what’s up?”
“Oh nothing much, how about you guys?”
“We’ve just kinda just been chilling to be honest.”
They can hear Mingi still screeching somewhere in the background.
“Same here.”
“And where would be ‘here’ exactly?”
“Oh you know, just around, don’t worry about it.”
Yunho snorts “Alright, well, we’re about to head out to grab something for lunch, you game?”
“Is this a legitimate question?”
“Not really, no, but thought it would be nice to at least give you the illusion of free choice anyways.”
“How kind of you. Usual place?”
“Usual place.”
“Alright, see you there.”
“Bye, Yeosang. Bye mystery man who has been listening to this entire conversation.”
“Bye person on the phone I don’t know the name of either” Wooyoung cheekily responds. Yunho cackles on the other end before hanging up much to Mingi’s ongoing protests in the background.
“Alright I guess I should probably start heading on out then” Yeosang says as he pushes himself up from where he’s been leaning on the counter. Wooyoung rises from his chair along with him, “Yeah, I guess so then.” The cat bolts suddenly and takes off down the hallway. Must not be a big fan of goodbyes then.
Wooyoung gestures with his hand and guides Yeosang to the front door, the former leaning his shoulder against the corner wall of the short hallway as Yeosang squats down to zip up his boots. Trying to stall for as much time as he can Yeosang rises slowly, not quite ready to bid his farewells but the longer this drags on the less he’ll want to leave. Yet he doesn’t get a chance to because just as they both open their mouths to say something they get interrupted by a dull thud further into the apartment, before a scraping sound edges closer and closer to them.
Wooyoung rolls his eyes and peers over his shoulder chastising with a “I swear to God, what are you doing?” It’s at that very moment the cat reappears and rounds the corner dragging along the floor Wooyoung’s phone lodged between his teeth before dropping it unceremoniously face down onto the hardwood floor with a clatter. “You motherfucker, if that screen is broken again so help me, Choi S-” The cat yowls loudly and swats the phone along the floor hitting Wooyoung directly in the heel “Ow, dude, what is your problem?” The cat ignores him in favour of stalking forward to slap a paw onto the phone. Yeosang isn’t entirely sure if this is a regular occurrence between the two of them, but by the way Wooyoung stares like he also cannot believe what he is seeing right now either makes him consider otherwise.
None of them move.
Clearly fed up of waiting, the cat huffs and headbutts Wooyoung in the shin, turns around and darts forward to do the same thing to Yeosang, before proceeding to trot back to where the phone still lays on the floor. He glances back and forth between the two of them again, before settling on Wooyoung and locking eyes with him, and slaps his phone again harder with more purpose.
Yeosang snorts at the theatrics.
“Is your cat playing wingman for you?”
“Evidently so.”
Wooyoung squats down points a finger accusatorily, “Are you sure? Like, 100% sure?”
The cat lets out one long drawn-out meow in response.
“Alright, alright, I get it.” He picks up his phone and cat off the floor, “Now please stop trying to break my phone, you know I only just got it fixed two weeks ago.” He cradles the cat gently into his chest giving him a quick peck on the forehead before aimlessly scooching him down the hall in the direction of the bedroom.
He unlocks his phone and doesn’t even seem too phased that it’s already open and set to add a new contact, just smiles like there’s some funny inside joke. He looks back to Yeosang as he holds out his hand “What do you say?” Yeosang snickers to himself. He ghosts his hand on Wooyoung’s waist to lean down the hall and shouts “Already ahead of you, baby” and as he pulls back he gives Wooyoung a quick peck on the cheek. “You let me know” and with that he’s out the door.
Wooyoung takes a moment to recover before yanking the door open and sticking his head out in the direction of the elevator “Hey!” Yeosang turns to look from where he stands waiting. “What does that even mean?” The elevator dings signalling its arrival. “Listen, I know I make for a great view, but maybe you should be more observant of your surroundings. I’m sure you can figure it out.” He steps into the elevator and the door slides gently across before whirring to life as it begins its descent.
Wooyoung leans back in and shuts the door. Arms encircle his waist not even a second later “I like him!” Wooyoung scoffs “Yeah, San, no shit you do.” Wooyoung can’t see him from this angle but he can tell the other is pouting. Eventually, still wrapped up in each other, they waddle themselves back toward the kitchen area. San detaches himself and heads toward the fridge while Wooyoung throws himself down on one of the chairs again and leans his head back to stare at the ceiling still trying to decipher what Yeosang could have possibly meant.
The fridge door clicks shut and he faintly hears one of the magnets move “Oh, he’s funny, I really like him.” Wooyoung stays where he is as he addresses his boyfriend “Yes, honey, I get that, but what exactly is the plan here gonna be? Are you, YOU, of all people going to play online detective and try find his social media accounts? Do you have any idea how many Kang Yeosang’s might exist in this world?”
“Okay, I’m electing to ignore that jab, and no, that I don’t have an answer that’s much too specific, but what I do know is that what I am is a much better detective than you are right now.” San is being downright smug for no good reason and Wooyoung does not appreciate it at this moment. “Oh, San, please, as if, the day that you can play detective better than me, or you know what better yet, the day you can do it faster than Seonghwa hyung, is the day that I-” He never gets to finish his train of thought as San leans over him brandishing a small piece of paper between his fingertips. Wooyoung frowns. “What the hell is that?” It looks oddly like it comes from one of those spare pads of sticky notes they keep in one of the drawers that they haven’t had the need to use in a while.
“This little thing?” San asks with faux innocence, “Oh I just so happened to find this on our fridge. Now what was it you were just saying about me?” he grins.
“That you’re one of the most handsome men I’ve ever met in the entire world” Wooyoung bats his eyelashes much too fast to be anything but sarcastic. He shoots his hand out to try to rip the thing out of San’s hand but his reflexes are too fast. “C’mon give it to me, what is it?”
“Just ‘one of’?” He grins back “Not ‘ the ’ most beautiful man to ever roam the earth?”
“Alright first off calm down there a second, Romeo, I said handsome not beautiful that's entirely different” Wooyoung snips back “and second gimme that.” San leans in stone-faced and raises an eyebrow at him though the slight twitch of his lips betrays how he really feels about his boyfriend's antics. Wooyoung catches it quickly and softens his features “Pretty please” he pouts and kisses San softly on the lips, putting on the most innocent look he can muster as he relaxes back into the kitchen chair again.
San smiles back just as sweetly faux, “Well, seeing as you asked so nicely” and sticks the note to Wooyoung’s forehead before turning to walk away.
Wooyoung peels the thing off himself and thumbs at it for a few moments before flipping it over and reading what’s there. He grins in amusement at what he finds.
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
Suffering a good thirty minute lecture from Mingi about the importance of stranger danger, Yeosang leans back in the booth at the caffe, sipping lightly at his latte. Yunho and Mingi prattle on about something that happened to a friend of a friend at work earlier that week and Yeosang tunes them out. He lets the gentle background buzz of all the other patrons wash over him. It’s busy for a Sunday but not overwhelmingly so that he can still hear his friends without having to strain to listen.
Where it sits on the table, the screen of his phone lights up from an incoming text.
‘You free to come over for dinner this Wednesday?’
Yeosang smiles to himself as he types out his reply.