Chapter Text
Chapter 1 : Flamingo Pink, Sunrise Boulevard
Ahn Suho had arrived at the resort later than he was scheduled to, and Kang Wooyoung was seemingly refusing to pick up the phone. Suho stood awkwardly in the check-in area, the red windbreaker he had put on earlier was hanging loosely off of his broad frame. He dialed his best friend’s number one more time, the screen flashing immediately to voicemail yet again.
“Shit.” Suho cursed under his breath — he was going to kill Wooyoung.
He could feel the weight of his backpack digging into his shoulder, and Suho winced at the sharp pain that shot through his side at his attempt to shift the weight. His jet black hair was slightly messy due to the hours of travel, somehow framing his face in a way that made it so his jawline stood out. He was attractive in a way that screamed to be noticed, even after sleeping through the day.
Suho was surrounded by people hurriedly in passing, almost knocking a few small children over in his confusion. The air around him was thick with humidity, and the sun beading down on him was beginning to take effect. He could feel his discomfort growing the longer he waited.
Standing alone in the resort, he started to wonder if the whole vacation thing was a mistake, his mind already drafting some fake apology to send.
Absolutely not.
Ahn Suho was going to have fun with his best friend on vacation. The only issue is, where the hell is his best friend?
The timing seemed almost comedic as he felt a buzz in his pocket.
woo: sorry. phone wasn’t on me my parents said dinner in two hours though. im pretty sure at the italian place by the beach
Suho typed a quick response back; he decided against confrontation, though his annoyance from earlier was unwavering.
ur good. meet you there?
woo: cant wait
Suho let out a groan and clicked his phone off before shoving it deep in his pocket. He felt like he could fall asleep standing up, and quickly made a mental note to grab a drink before dinner. It’s not like he needed to be completely sober for whatever came next anyway.
Suho cleaned up fast after finding his room. He decided on a white, collared shirt along with slacks – he figured would be nice enough for the night. He fixed his previously messy hair into a more controlled chaos with hair gel, which he discovered to look good with the dress clothes he had on.
Remembering his earlier thoughts, he quickly found a bar not too far from his room. After scanning his options, he took a seat on the least populated side of the counter.
“Ill take a shot of tequila” Suho’s tone was nothing short of defeated. He was going to need this.
“Make that two” A voice comes from behind him, the owner of the voice sliding into the seat to his right before he can turn around.
After glancing over, Suho quickly learned that the man sitting besides him could only be described as ethereal. His short black hair was swept in light bangs that seemed to frame his face in a way that felt unfair, and his eyes - god, his eyes - were on a different level than anyone Suho had met entirely. The dark brown eyes that seemed like they had been analyzing him since before he sat down were now blinking directly at Suho. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold eye contact without the ache in his chest deepening.
Thankfully, the voice of the other man cut through the silence. “Rough day?’ He motioned to the shots that were now positioned in front of the two.
“You could call it that.” Suho’s hand went to the back of his neck. His composure seemed to have disappeared, his body betraying him as he fidgeted with his hands.
“Yeon Sieun.”
“Sieun.” Suho repeated,and the name felt sweet on his tongue. “Pretty name. Very fitting.”
Sieun seemed unfazed by his attempt at flirting, but Suho could see the slight tug upwards at the corners of his mouth.
After realizing he had not yet introduced himself, he continued “Ahn Suho.”
Sieun nodded. Once he seemed to have carefully thought through his options, he let out a breath. “Are you going to continue sulking or are you going to have a drink with me, Ahn Suho?”
“I’m not sulking.” Suho insisted, but Sieun's attention had already shifted to the glasses in front of them. He raised a glass in offering to Suho, who accepted it almost immediately. The two continued sitting in a balanced silence while they downed the shots.
“You’re a horrible liar.” Sieun responded, yet there was no real bite behind his voice when he spoke. Still, Suho searched for any indication of an insult and found nothing.
Suho let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. “Sorry. My dickhead best friend I'm supposed to be on this trip with can barely pick up his phone.”
Sieun let out a noise somewhere between a scoff and a laugh under his breath. He mumbled something close to “Rough.” before focusing his attention more on swirling around the drink he had previously been carrying.
“I guess I got lucky enough to come here and meet you.”
Sieun raised an eyebrow at that. He paused for a second as if considering something, and then spoke again. “Any dickhead boyfriend? Or just your friend?”
Suho flinched, as if taken aback by the question. “Nope. You?”
Sieun shook his head lightly. He took a breath before clicking his tongue. “That’s a shame.”
“Hm?” Suho’s tone was light, almost teasing.
“You heard me.” Sieun’s steady tone remained unwavering. His voice was flat, and his seemingly blank expression didn’t leave his face.
Suho began to shift in his seat, tugging lightly at the collar of his shirt. He was fucked already, and the knowing, dark eyes of the man next to him weren’t helping whatsoever. “Always talk like someone sucked the emotion out of you, or is it just around me?”
“Only around the ones I like.” He shot back quickly, as if he had been asked the question countless times – which was true.
“From what I'm hearing, that makes me special.” Suho was horrible at hiding when he was testing for a response.
Sieun's mouth curved up slightly, dangerously close to smiling but instead more of something in between a smirk and amusement. “Don’t push it.”
Suho’s face took on an innocent look, as if he was aware of the effect he had on the man next to him. “I wouldn't dream of it.”
“You’re relentless.”
“I prefer the term persistent.”
“Weird, because I would consider it insufferable.” The amusement on Sieun’s face continued to betray his words. The two had somehow migrated close enough that Suho could feel the steady breathing of the other man lightly on his collarbone. The air suddenly became charged with a tension both could sense, but it was clear neither of the two planned on acknowledging it. The silence was interrupted by a buzz in Suho’s pocket.
Suho swore under his breath – of course it was now that Woouyoung chose to use his phone.
“Dickhead best friend?" Sieun inquired, but he looked as if he already knew the answer.
Suho could do nothing but nod in agreement – he was seriously going to kill Wooyoung. “Sorry. I have this whole dinner with his family in a few.”
Checking his watch, Sieun silently acknowledged the apology. He mumbled something under his breath in agreement. As he got up, he slid something across the table.
Suho identified it as a spare room key. He raised one eyebrow in an expression consisting of both questioning and surprise, but the man had already walked away. He pushed it into his pocket – he would deal with that later. He just had to make it through this dinner first.
________
Suho’s steps were light as he walked into the restaurant.
“There he is! Suho!” Wooyoung yelled out, too loud for the quiet restaurant but Suho didn't mind. He sat down, “My parents cancelled. They’re busy unpacking in their room so we're just waiting on my brother.”
“That’s fine. Thanks for dinner.” He sat down, and the table fell into easy conversation between the two.
Suho was reassured at this moment, his previous anxiety over the trip seeming stupid.
That was until he arrived.
“Hey! Sieun!” Wooyoung yelled over. “Suho, this is my brother”
No.
Suho looked up and immediately choked on his water.
Standing across from him was a yet again expressionless Yeon Sieun, who had seemed to grasp the situation much easier than Suho.
“Nice to meet you.” Sieun’s voice contradicted the words that left his mouth, his tone dripping with amusement.
Suho wanted to die.
While stumbling over his words, he was sure his face must have been some unnatural shade of red. He managed a quick
“You too.”
The key card from earlier felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket.
The flustered expression remained on his face as Wooyoung shot him a confused look, and Sieun’s eyes remained on Suho.
After sliding into the spot on the booth next to him, Sieun’s breath felt hot on his ear when his voice dropped “So, dickhead best friend?”