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The bass of the music rumbles beneath his feet like a pulse. As if the night itself had a heartbeat—and it echos through the bar like a wave. It’s rhythm vibrating through his ribs. The dance floor was crowded, somewhat packed, but not to the point where shoulders were touching. Yet they move like one under the neon lights—in the center of it all—Hyungwon finds himself swaying side to side with Minhyuk in his arms.
The elder’s arms hang loosely around his neck, fingers occasionally playing with the hair at Hyungwon’s nape. His breath is warm against Hyungwon’s cheek, they’re leaned together close because that’s how they always end up.
Close.
“I like this one,” Minhyuk murmurs at he guides them around while they sway to the tempo of the music, “You move better to this kind of rhythm.” Hyungwon scoffs softly at Minhyuk’s comment, his hands pressed on the elder’s lower back.
“Is it the drums or the bass?”
Minhyuk pulls back just enough to grin at his boyfriend, feeling playful, probably the alcohol’s doing, “I don’t know, I just like this one.”
Hyungwon rolls his eyes, yet there was a smile tugging at the corner of his lip. Minhyuk only laughs, “Whatever you say.”
The elder always has this playful aura about him, there’s never a dull moment with him. Hyungwon knows that despite their personalities being polar opposites, they bounce off each other perfectly. Minhyuk doesn’t say anything else, just leans in until their temples touch.
Here. In the middle of a crowded dance floor. They had a get together with some friends who they haven’t seen in years. Had some drinks until one by one, they started leaving. Since then, they’ve lost track over how long it’s been since everyone left. Now they’re bathed in purple and pink lights, which Minhyuk looks so ethereal under in these lights—and in that moment. Hyungwon knew he wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.
His boyfriend’s fingers drag lightly down his nape—which sends a shiver down Hyungwon’s spine. In response, the younger pulls him closer. A hand tracing up Minhyuk back where it rests until it rests in the space between the shoulder blades. Hyungwon narrows the space between them, their lips lock. Soft and tender—Minhyuk’s lips are warm, Hyungwon could taste the liquor on their tongues. They part, barely, and Hyungwon’s eyes soften as they lazily open.
“I missed you this week,” Minhyuk says quietly, his lips brushed against Hyungwon’s lightly as he spoke.
The younger hums in response, readjusting his hands to settle on the small of Minhyuk’s back, “I missed you too.”
“Oh?” He pulls back to get a better look at Hyungwon, “Even with your long boring meetings and late nights?” His boyfriend asks this like it’s such a surprised Hyungwon even thought of him while working. Little does he know at work on Hyungwon’s office desk— the younger still has the snapshot they took on their trip to Japan because “ Babe, look there’s a photobooth! I want us to have cute couple pictures pleaseee can we take one? ” And Hyungwon caved because he is a whipped man.
“Why are you surprised?” Hyungwon leans in for a peck, “Even then, you were on my mind. Of course I missed you.” The younger complaints, how dare Minhyuk doubts his love for him.
This sends every cell in Minhyuk’s body soaring if he’s being honest. It’s funny to tease his boyfriend, he knows that man missed him just a much as he did. The elder just likes to have a little fun, “You’re so cheesy.”
“Don’t act like you don’t love it.”
“I do,” Minhyuk admits, his hands now sliding to Hyungwon’s shoulders, “and I love you.”
“I love you too.” The other smiles and Minhyuk mirrors it. They sway again, slow and easy without a care in the world. The bar continues around them, bartenders making drinks, customers chatting amongst themselves, lights flashing—someone yelling about tequila for whatever reason, but the couple never paid attention to it. Just listened to the music and focused on each other. It was like they were in their own little orbit, two men just slow dancing in the middle of chaos that is wrapped in small confessions and tender smiles.
Minhyuk adjusts his arms around Hyungwon’s neck and leans into his ear again, lips brushing against the skin, “Stay with me a little longer, I don’t want to leave yet.”
“Okay.” Hyungwon tightens his hold on Minhyuk—tilting his head just enough to kiss the side of the elder’s temple. Feeling some pride when he felt the way Minhyuk melts a little more against him, then Hyungwon murmurs, “I’m not going anywhere.
And he means it.
No matter if the night winds down, or when the morning comes. Hyungwon will still be there, following wherever Minhyuk is. When the lights change and the song shifts to a different one, they still stayed. It was another slow song, couples around them left the dance floor and some joined because they liked this song. Hyungwon used to not like being out like this, Minhyuk onced shared the same sentiment. However, Minhyuk is a social butterfly who loves to talk and has mamy friends so when it came to dating the elder man. Hyungwon had learned to adjust with social settings, because having Minhyuk next to him always made him feel better.
And being with Minhyuk in this present moment, with Hyungwon’s hands resting steadily on his boyfriend’s waist and the gentle weight of Minhyuk’s forehead now brushing against Hyungwon’s, nothing matters to the younger right now.
“You smell good,” Minhyuk comments lazily, just for the sake of saying something—because it isn’t Minhyuk being Minhyuk if he isn’t saying his thoughts out loud. His fingers smooth out back of the collar of Hyungwon’s shirt, “Like cedar and mouthwash—which oddly works somehow.”
Hyungwon’s shoulders start shaking that Minhyuk pulls back amused that his boyfriend is laughing, “What?”
“That’s what you smell?!”
Minhyuk gapes at his boyfriend, “I— I’m not saying it’s bad! I like it, I’m just saying you smell good, but that’s what I smell!”
The younger snorts, “Your standards are so low.”
Then Minhyuk starts laughing too, Hyungwon’s favorite sound in the world, “Nooo, I’m just in love.” He feels Hyungwon still for a beat, but then those long fingers squeezed gently at his hips.
“I know.” He simply says. “Me too.” And just like that, Minhyuk falls in love with him all over again. And Hyungwon melts at the sight of it, then tension that lived between his ribs from the past few busy days—all the missed calls and ‘ Sorry babe, I’m swamped ’ texts—fades away.
Then they sway again, the stillness takes over this time. Just listening to the music as they match the pace to its rhythm. It’s tempo is much slower, but it didn’t matter as long as the bar keeps playing love songs. They will dance to their hearts desires. Minhyuk didn’t say anything for a long time, probably enjoying the song choice so much—that he chose to listen. Even placed his chin on his arm that is wrapped around Hyungwon’s shoulders. His cheek brushes his, then Hyungwon’s lips graze the inside of Minhyuk’s earlobe and whispers, “You’re beautiful when you’re like this.”
Minhyuk scoffs lightly, pulling away again which earns him a groan from Hyungwon, “You mean when I’m not talking your ear off?”
“ Exactly .”
Minhyuk smacked his lips, pretending to be upset, as lifts a hand in the air like he’s going to hit Hyungwon, the younger grins and flinched. His boyfriend puts his arm back on Hyungwon’s neck, “Rude.”
Hyungwon smiles, the smile where the younger’s eyes squint just a tad that leaves Minhyuk forgetting everything around him. The kind of smile that starts from the corners of his mouth—up to his eyes. A smile the elder has seen many times, but it always hits him a little different when Hyungwon gives this smile towards Minhyuk.
The neon lights could go out, the music could cut off right at the bridge and Minhyuk wouldn’t notice any of it. Just the feeling of Hyungwon’s breath against his skin—it’s warm and light. Everytime their eyes lock from time to time, warmth pools in Minhyuk’s chest. Then Hyungwon looks deep into Minhyuk’s eyes, “I want to kiss you again.” He whispers.
“Then do it, don’t think it.” And their lips meet once again, it’s deeper this time. A softer intention behind it that’s long, slow, and achingly sincere. Translating love letters in silence with every press of their lips. Hyungwon felt like his heart had hands that are all tangled up with Minhyuk’s. It lingers on, letting everything that needs to be said into the kiss, their grasp tightens by an inch. When they part, Minhyuk kept his eyes shut—resting their foreheads together once more, “I wish we had more nights like these, just the two of us.”
Hyungwon sighs, “I know, I wish work didn’t drag us away all the time.” They still dance, well if that’s what it could be called. It’s more of a slow-motion embrace that gently rocks them with a crowd around them like surges of waves. Someone bumped into them and muttered an apology, but neither of them registered it. Hyungwon is too busy looking at Minhyuk, committing to engrave every detail of his boyfriend’s face as if he hasn’t already done that.
Eventually, Hyungwon fully hugs Minhyuk and the elder chuckles. His body automatically leaning into the embrace, roaming his hands across Hyungwon’s back. His cheek brushed the shoulder, never once letting go of each other, “You’re muscles are more prominent now.”
“…. Do you like it?”
Hyungwon doesn’t reply immediately, he trails a string of idle kisses against the slope of Minhyuk’s neck, “I do like it, just as much as I like you even when you didn’t have any prominent muscles. As long as you’re doing this for you and not because you feel like change is needed, you feel good. That’s all that matters to me, but as long as you’re happy. I’m happy. I still love you for you, if that’s what’s worrying you.”
Minhyuk can’t deny that he has been putting more effort into his body, but it’s not for change—but for his health. It’s the same reason Hyungwon started his journey, and he’s happy with it. So it’s the same for Minhyuk. Honestly, he was afraid maybe Hyungwon would question the change. He knows his boyfriend wouldn’t just him for it—probably worried that Minhyuk was doing this change because of the criticism he has received, but that isn’t the case, “I am happy.” And in the warmth of their conversation, Minhyuk speaks up after a beat. Remembering something, “Do you remember that fight we had months ago?”
Hyungwon stills, pulling back to meet Minhyuk’s eyes. The lavender lights wash over the elder’s face for a second, Hyungwon’s brows knit together gently, “Which one?” He asks, carefully. He didn’t ask in a defensive way or became hostile. There had been a few fights that still left some tender bruises inside his chest. It’s been resolved but thinking about them still leaves a sting.
His boyfriend’s eyes lift to meet his, “The one where we both just… stopped talking to each other, for days.”
Ah .
That one.
Hyungwon swallows the lump in this throat, his jaw tightens. But not from anger or anything of that sort—but of guilt. It’s an ugly memory that follows with the hollow ache of that silence between them during that time. The unread messages and missed calls, nothing like the ones when they’re both tired from work. The distance neither of them wanted, yet both had chosen because of their pride.
But Minhyuk doesn’t sound angry, just… melancholy.
It’s funny really, to have the topic brought up while enjoying this dance with Minhyuk. Hyungwon is sure his boyfriend isn’t going to relive it just to ruin this moment between them. Whatever it is, Minhyuk possibly wants to say something important to him, “When we both went radio silent, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Sure, you tried calling and sent my phone on blast with so many messages, but… despite how pissed I was and telling myself I didn’t want to hear from you. When you suddenly stopped, I began looking at my phone all the time. Hoping you would blow up my phone again even if I was ignoring you.”
Hyungwon chest tightens, “I think whenever you shut me out, and never heard a peep from you. I gave up and just let you have your space, I was mad of course. Yet, I couldn’t get myself to bother you anymore because I thought ‘ Why am I the blame? ’, I think I even got a headache from how upset I was—I honestly thought it was going to be the end of our relationship. We didn’t speak for at least a week and a half.”
And yet they’re still together, kicking life on the ass because like a moth mesmerized by the flame. They eventually talked, communicated the problem and sorted everything out. Hyungwon knew that he couldn’t live and move on without Minhyuk, he loved him too much to break what they have built over the years.
Minhyuk smiles faintly and a pause lingers between them, a comfortable pause, “I thought so too… but I’m glad that never happened and that we’re still together.” Then he lets out a small laugh, “You know what song I listened to during that time?”
The younger raises a brow, “What?”
Minhyuk raised a hand, brushing Hyungwon’s fringe back. Fingers raking through the soft thick locks away from his boyfriend’s face, watching him with a gentle expression that is filled with affection, “ Out of Touch , Daryl Hall and John Oates.”
A wave of recognition blooms on Hyungwon’s face with a blink, “ Wait — you mean the song that was playing at the record store?”
Minhyuk nods, eyes gleam in excitement that Hyungwon remembered, “Yeah, where we first met.” He says.
He huffs a laugh, breathy and soft as his hands squeeze subtly at Minhyuk’s waist, “Out of everything—you remember that?”
“What?! Of course I remember,” Minhyuk laughs, his face melting into a fond gaze, “I remember you stood in the middle of the jazz aisle lost in your thoughts. Thinking a little too hard with two records in your hands, and a pout that look like the world had betrayed you.”
“It was a difficult decision, I was trying to decide between Chet Baker and Miles Davis .”
Minhyuk snorts, “Babe, you looked like you were about to have an existential crisis.”
“Yeah, then you showed up out of nowhere and told me to just take both of them.”
“It was practically a call for help! Yet you rolled your eyes and said,” Then Minhyuk makes a face the same one Hyungwon made, like he was recreating the their first encounter. Almost offended with a hint of annoyance, and Hyungwon starts laughing when Minhyuk hadn’t even said anything yet, “‘ Yah, Do you work here? ’ I thought to myself wow , what a way to be friendly.” Hyungwon was still laughing, leaving the elder to throw him a light glare. There’s no spite to it, but the younger still mutters a I’m sorry and comforts his boyfriend with a kiss on the cheek. Knowing that Minhyuk loves his affection. He chuckled lightly, “I didn’t, obviously, yet you still let me pick the third record for you.”
“Yeah well, I think I caved in too easily.” Hyungwon sighs, looking around for a moment before looking back Minhyuk, “Also, Out of Touch is a good song.”
The elder hums, “I didn’t like the song at first, but after that day. When we started seeing each other and I started hearing it everywhere we go, eventually it got stuck in my head and you laughed at me when I started humming it.”
“It was cute!” Hyungwon snickers.
The song playing in the bar feels so far away, some house remix of a ballad. However, that didn’t matter because in Hyungwon’s head—the chorus that Hall and Oates sing, plays in his head like ghost from the past.
You’re out of touch, I’m out of time…
“Did you really listen to it while we were apart?” The younger asks.
“I couldn’t help it, it reminded me of you,” Minhyuk runs his thumb along Hyungwon’s jaw, slow. “Kind of helped fill that silence, to remind me of the time when we were just strangers falling in love, the version where we weren’t tangled in arguments and going M.I.A. To me, it’s pretty much our song. Yet, it became my comfort song.”
Hyungwon exhales, securing his arms around Minhyuk a little more—like he’s afraid his boyfriend would slip away again if he didn’t, mindless rocking them slowly. Minhyuk looks away, feeling flustered by the way Hyungwon is looking at him, “Ironic, isn’t is?”
“A little, yeah,” Hyungwon leans in close, “But let’s focus on the present, yeah?”
Minhyuk smiles again, fondly at Hyungwon as he whispers a ‘okay’. Then he closed the space between then, pressing his lips to Hyungwon’s plumped ones. Almost carefully, just a quiet peck, continuing on dancing until the song fades into a different genre. Now ready to leave, and go home.
The night greets them with the distant hush of traffic, it’s a little humid tonight. The petrichor lingering in the air, it had been so hot these days it feels like a miracle for it to have rained. For once, it didn’t feel like walking into an oven. Hyungwon clutches Minhyuk’s hand like a lifeline. He’s a little buzzed—Minhyuk as well, but maybe a bit more than him. They’re flushed from dancing, even riding the high of possibly having said too much. Not like they regret it, definitely not. When Minhyuk squeeze his hand, the younger looks over at him who is already staring back. They smile at each other, Hyungwon can sense the drowsiness in Minhyuk. He could feel it himself, drinking has that good feeling, but like a battery you eventually power out.
They walks down the block, calling a cab. When it arrives they pile up into the backseat. Minhyuk tells the cab driver the location to his apartment. Hyungwon doesn’t want to go home yet, he has work in the morning—but he also wants to stay with Minhyuk. If he asks him to stay, maybe he will. The elder immediately leans his head on Hyungwon’s shoulder, exhaling slowly as the tiredness finally settles into his bones. And the younger doesn’t say anything, he lets Minhyuk relax against as he slid his arm around him.
Then Hyungwon’s murmurs, “You okay?” His voice hoarse and drowsy.
“Yeah, just tired… and full.”
The younger frowns, he doesn’t recall eating at the bar, “From what?”
“Full of you.” Hyungwon scoffs at Minhyuk. His body shaking against his, with a smile definitely too wide that his face could split in two.
“I’m blaming the liquor in your system for that—and you said I’m cheesy.” The younger’s smile betrays his words, Minhyuk’s laugh makes it hard to keep a straight face. He tilts his head and pressed his lips on the top of Minhyuk’s head.
The elder peels his cheek off Hyungwon’s shoulder to look at his boyfriend, “You’re lucky I like you, I don’t give anyone else this treatment.”
“You better not, or I’ll put cucumbers in your salad.”
Minhyuk gapes at him, “You wouldn’t dare!”
After a little more back and forth, the two eventually fall into a comfortable silence. The streetlights move like shadows across their faces as the cab drive down the glowing streets. Minhyuk’s had closed his eyes, the sleepiness betraying him. Even more with Hyungwon’s hand soothing him by drawing slow circles on his hip.
When they reach Minhyuk’s apartment, the elder clings towards Hyungwon’s sside half-asleep. Hyungwon carried his weight through the building, the elevator, and then finally the front door. Minhyuk tugs Hyungwon inside the apartment, because he didn’t want Hyungwon to leave, “Stay, I still have your work clothes from last time.” And a pair of arms wrap around Hyungwon’s waist to prevent him from leaving.
He helds his boyfriend before commenting, “You smell like the bar.” Hyungwon mumbled, burying his face into the crook of Minhyuk’s neck.
“You smell…like sweat and mouthwash.”
“That’s disgusting.”
Minhyuk laughs before whining and walks backwards getting impatient for Hyungwon to get the memo.
So the younger listens, they don’t bother turning on the lights. The only source of light is the bedside lamp coming from Minhyuk’s bedroom. The slip off their shoes and headed straight to the bedroom. The couple changed into something comfortable, drank some water before brushing their teeth and collapsing into bed. Minhyuk on his stomach and Hyungwon on his back. He shut his eyes for a moment when he felt kisses on the underside of Hyungwon’s jaw. The minute those soft lips leave his skin, Hyungwon turns his head to look at Minhyuk. Took his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, then kisses his knuckles too. Minhyuk returns the gesture with a tired smile, “What are you thinking?”
Hyungwon hums, “The conversation we had at the bar, got me thinking.”
“Yeah?” Minhyuk gets closer, curls up beside Hyungwon, throwing a leg over his boyfriend’s. Carelessly tangling himself with the sheets, nuzzling his nose against Hyungwon’s cheek and brings their intertwined hands to the younger’s chest, “About?”
Hyungwon runs his thumb soothingly on the side of Minhyuk’s pinky in small but slow motions, “During that fight, I should have been more expressive with my feelings when you asked if something was wrong. Why I’ve been acting strange, yet I couldn’t getting myself to be honest. Then I think about your hurt expression, standing in the middle of my living room. Your eyes were so glassy and your voice cracked as you argued with me.” Minhyuk stayed quiet, listening to the younger and the beat of his heart that rest right about Hyungwon’s sternum. Hyungwon wet his lips, exhaling shakingly as he continues, “I could never forgive myself for making you feel that way, feel like loving you out loud was embarrassing. I wasn’t , I need you to know that. I was never ashamed of you. At that time, I just didn’t believe showing public of affection in front of strangers. Yet, that wasn’t what you were trying to say, that wasn’t the point.”
It’s different now, they both know this. If it wasn’t for Minhyuk, Hyungwon wouldn’t have known how not to care about what others think. It was an insecurity of his that affected this relationship. Hyungwon vividly remembers getting frustrated at Minhyuk as they argued.
“You act like it’s embarrassing to love me in public.”
The younger got stiff and defensive, “No, I just don’t want to perform it in front of people we don’t know.”
Minhyuk looks at him in disbelief and hurt, “That’s not what I’m doing, Hyungwon!”
Then they didn’t speak for days, and the silence in Hyungwon’s apartment after failing to get Minhyuk to respond to him. Made him realize how much he misses his loud, talkative boyfriend. His best friend. His other half. The person who always knew what to say when he gets into his head. His shoulder to cry on when he gets overwhelmed, holding him until Hyungwon calms down. It was so overwhelming for him after their argument and it was all because he never explained himself—that’s why the fight broke out.
Hyungwon could feel his tears welling up, his lower lip quivering slightly. And Minhyuk lets go of Hyungwon’s hand, cupping his cheek—encouraging the younger to look at him. While he pulls back slightly so he could get a better look at him, “I found myself scrolling through your old instagram posts,” Hyungwon says, his voice now small, “ones where you looked so happy and carefree, then ones you shared when we started seeing each other. Then I saw the last photo we took together, the most recent one who had. You captioned something short and sweet and I thought how did we went from that to silence?”
Minhyuk gently shook his head, leans in for a kiss before leaning their temples together, “We don’t need to think about it anymore, like you said back at the bar. Let’s focus on the present, we’re okay now, baby. We’re not supposed to be perfect, relationships aren’t perfect. I’m just happy we never gave up on each other, okay?”
That was all it took for Hyungwon kiss Minhyuk again, his body instinctively pressing closer. As if nothing came in between them. Even then as their lips press together slow and easy, Hyungwon remembers how beautiful Minhyuk looked under the pink and purple strobe lights. That smile that can light up any room. How even exhausted and up close to Hyungwon he is when they pull apart, the younger doesn’t always believe he deserves Minhyuk’s kindness.
All he could think was God, I almost lost this. And for what?
Minhyuk could tell what’s going through Hyungwon’s mind. He always knew when his boyfriend needed someone to pull him away from such thoughts, with his index finger he smoothes Hyungwon’s cheekbone to get his attention, “Don’t get in your head too much, you’ll wear yourself out.” Minhyuk pressed his lips on Hyungwon’s temple, “Let’s sleep now, you have work in the morning.”
”Do you work?”
”No, thankfully I don’t.”
Hyungwon whispers to the elder ‘lucky’. Minhyuk smiles and whispers ‘lucky guy’. They both chuckled, Minhyuk wipes away the tear threatening to fall from the corner of Hyungwon’s eye. They untangle themselves from each other to properly get in under the covers. Hyungwon’s turns of the nightstand lamp, before Minhyuk falls asleep. He whispers, “You know what song we should dance to next time?”
Hyungwon’s voice is muffled against the pillows, “What?”
” You Make Loving Fun, Fleetwood Mac. ”
The younger chuckles, “Do I really make loving fun?”
Minhyuk smiles in the dark, but Hyungwon could sense it, “Yeah, you do. Our ups and downs is what makes it work, our communication has gotten better too. So I do believe you make loving fun.” The elder whispers, “You make me happy.”
“You make me happy too.” With sleep finally catching up to Hyungwon, his chest blooms from warmth by Minhyuk’s words. He opens his arms and whispers come here .
Minhyuk whines a little, “It’s gonna be hot.”
Hyungwon snorts, “This is the only way I can get you to not steal the covers.”
Despite Minhyuk protesting, he is already pressed against him. Molding into each other like missing puzzle pieces. They fall into a comfortable silence, whispering I love you’s to one another as sleep took over.