Archive of Our Own

Living in closer quarters to another human can be quite tiresome, no matter who the person is. For so many years of his childhood, Mingyu had shared a room with his little sister. They slept on bunk beds, with him on the lower bunk until they both outgrew the bunk beds and the small room. They had fought, made up and spent many nights whispering in the dark to each other, forging a bond that continued into their adult lives. 

By the time Mingyu entered his teen years, their family went from living in a small, two bedroom flat to a bigger house where they both had their own rooms. Even so, his sister and him still shared a bathroom that opened into both their rooms.

Deep inside, Mingyu didn’t mind sharing anything with her. He loved her. From the moment he had seen her wrapped in a pink blanket at the hospital, with her tiny fingers and toes, Mingyu had known that he would always want to protect her. She would always have a soft spot in his heart. He didn’t really mind sharing space with her. She had always been the exception.

Mingyu reminded himself of all of this, when he stood in the empty flat, looking at the freshly painted walls and all the space in front of him. The flat was on the 17th floor of a high rise building in the middle of the city, but so high up, you could barely hear any of the city noise. He walked into the room he had decided would be his and dropped the first box of his things in the middle of the room. 

Finally, he had moved away from home. 

He had lived at home all his life, except for the few years at university. There, he had had to share a room with strangers every year, and it had never really felt like his own space. Then he graduated and moved back home on a temporary basis, which had turned into much longer than he wanted. 

Finally, he had a job where he was making decent money and had the means to move into a space that he could call his own. 

He took a deep breath and smiled, liking that he would now have complete peace. Just then, as if the universe were laughing at him, a loud crash snapped Mingyu out of his daydreaming. 

He rushed out, to see a spectacled man, standing in front of a box that clearly said ‘FRAGILE’, now on the previously clean floor. 

“Fuck!” the man said, dropping down to his knees and opening the box. He groaned as he saw nearly all the glasses inside the box had been broken. 

Mingyu watched as he shoved his hand into the box, without a thought and then yelped as a shard of glass poked his hand, drawing blood. The man pulled his hand back, wide eyed at the blood now dripping down his hand, and then looked up to see Mingyu standing there, looking at him with a tired expression. Some would call it endearment, the way Mingyu gazed fondly at the clumsy man in front of him, but from where Wonwoo knelt, he didn’t see that at all. 

“What did you do?” Mingyu said, with a groan and stepped forward to help Wonwoo up. He looked around the empty flat and sighed, knowing they had nothing yet to bandage Wonwoo’s bleeding hand. He pulled Wonwoo by the hand into their open kitchen and to the sink where he turned on the tap, letting the blood wash out of Wonwoo’s hand. 

Wonwoo hissed as the cold water hit his palm, but he was grateful for Mingyu’s quick thinking. The two of them stood in silence as Mingyu let the water clear out the wound.  

“I tripped.” Wonwoo said, softly, staring at the way Mingyu held his hand. 

“Over what?” Mingyu asked, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“My sock.” Wonwoo said, biting his lip. His cheeks went red and he looked embarrassed, but annoyingly cute, which Mingyu noted and then immediately told his brain he didn't have the time for that right now. 

“And you had to stick your hand in?” Mingyu shook his head and saw that Wonwoo’s hand had stopped bleeding. He leaned closer, inspecting the cut and saw that it was small, thankfully. He pressed his finger over the cut and pressed, hoping that the pressure would stop the blood. Wonwoo didn’t pull back, but he hissed again.

Wonwoo turned his head away and pressed his lips together, wincing at the pain in his hand, but also at the way Mingyu was holding his hand. Mingyu was leaning into his space and bending down, which meant his head was in sniffing proximity to Wonwoo’s nose. Nope, this was not the time to be thinking of that. 

“Okay.” Mingyu said, letting go of Wonwoo’s hand. “You keep pressing it now. I’ll go grab some bandages from the box in my car. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Mingyu ran out of the flat, slamming the door behind him and leaving Wonwoo standing there, looking at the bare kitchen, holding his own hand. For a second, he stood there, still feeling the ghost of Mingyu’s fingers on his hand. 

He stepped out of the kitchen and went to the living room, trying to look into the box he had dropped earlier. All the glasses were broken. 

Wonwoo’s mother would be pissed. She had given him all those glasses, so that they would have something in their new apartment to drink out of. They had all been old glasses in the Jeon house that no one used anymore. His mother had carefully packed it all, sending them all the way from Changwon, only for Wonwoo to break everything the moment he stepped into his new flat. 

Wonwoo stepped around the box and went near the french window balcony in their new living room. The view from their flat was a gorgeous cityscape; all the other high rise buildings in the area. On a clear day, you could even see the edge of the river hidden amidst all the other buildings. The sky reflected on the glass windows of the building opposite and far away, he noticed specks that were probably birds flying in the evening sky. The sun hadn’t set yet, and Wonwoo looked at the pink and blue sky that stretched over the city. 

He smiled, turning back to the empty flat with its bare walls, thinking about how he could turn this flat into his home. Finally, somewhere for him to belong in this city. 

“I got it!” Mingyu rasped out, opening the door and running into the flat. He had a bag in his hand and opened it on the kitchen top and beckoned Wonwoo over. By the time Wonwoo stepped close, Mingyu had pulled out some anti-septic cream and a bandage. He then meticulously cleaned Wonwoo’s cut and wrapped the bandage over it. He smoothened the bandage, rubbing his thumb over the spot, which only sent shivers down Wonwoo’s spine. 

“Thanks.” Wonwoo said, his voice coming out rougher than he expected. He cleared his throat. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“Good.” Mingyu said, smiling and pulling his hands away from Wonwoo. He looked at Wonwoo, his lips twitching with a smile. “Idiot.”

Wonwoo felt his face get hot, but he smiled sheepishly, before breaking into a grin. 

A day later, Wonwoo sat on their new sofa in the living room, with his hand still in the bandage and watched as Mingyu was sprawled on the floor arranging their new coffee table. There was a large instruction sheet spread out on the floor and Mingyu was squinting as he read the tiny words. He held the pieces in his hand, and looked deep in thought. Wonwoo sat on the couch, biting his lower lip and staring at the gorgeous man he now shared a flat with literally building furniture. 

It was a hot summer afternoon, and Mingyu was wearing a sleeveless tank top that hung low on his neck. With every breath, his chest moved slightly and Wonwoo stared as a drop of sweat dripped down Mingyu’s neck. 

He gulped and looked away, trying to focus on all the other things they had filled this flat with. Most of their furniture had come in the day before and Mingyu had shouted down Wonwoo to sit down while he alone set everything up. 

Mingyu had also taken care of the box of broken glass, finding only two glasses that had miraculously not broken. Those two glasses now sat in their kitchen cabinet. Within a day, Mingyu had solely unpacked most of their belongings and Wonwoo had mostly just sat there watching Mingyu do it all, helping by talking and keeping him entertained. 

“So what happened in the end?” Mingyu asked, screwing a nail onto one leg of the coffee table that was now beginning to look more like a table and less like wooden blocks.

“What?” Wonwoo asked, snapping out of his daze and looking at Mingyu. 

“You were telling me about the lady at work who lost her bag? What happened in the end?”

“Oh…yeah.” Wonwoo said, “Turns out someone else at work has the same bag and took hers by mistake. They realised when they went home and then had to bring it back the next day.”

“Oh…that’s good.” Mingyu said, raising his eyebrow and looking up at Wonwoo. “Why did you start telling me that story again?”

Wonwoo stared back at the brown eyes that were looking up at him and forgot every word he had ever known. He had no idea what the point of the story he had been telling was. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered, because Kim Mingyu was impossibly beautiful and Wonwoo was so fucked. 

Wonwoo had realised what a terrible idea it was to agree to move in with Mingyu, the day they got the keys. He knew he would have to deal with seeing that gorgeous face and those pretty eyes every single day. It was only the second day of them living together and Wonwoo could barely keep his mind working. 

“Wonwoo?” Mingyu asked. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah.” Wonwoo said, standing up. “I…I need water.”

He almost ran to the kitchen and grabbed one of the glasses in the cabinet and filled water from the water filter Mingyu had fixed earlier that day. He gulped down the entire glass and then another. 

Wonwoo had agreed to move in with one of his oldest friends, only because it had been convenient. Wonwoo had been living in a shitty apartment and wanted to move somewhere closer to work. Mingyu had been looking for an excuse to get away from his parent’s house. They had decided that living together near both their work places made the most sense. That had been months ago. They had firmly been only friends then. 

Mingyu had been just a friend for the longest time. They were in a large friend group from college and Wonwoo had always liked spending time with Mingyu. He was charming, kind and generous. He understood that Wonwoo wasn’t someone who always liked to be in the midst of the chaos, and often helped Wonwoo get his own little space when they all hung out together. Wonwoo had agreed to move in with Mingyu, because it was convenient, but it was also because he trusted Mingyu. 

Over the course of the last few months though, things had shifted. Wonwoo found himself looking forward to sharing a space with Mingyu. He wanted to be in Mingyu’s orbit at all times. He wanted to be the reason Mingyu smiled and he ached to have Mingyu’s eyes on him. They had looked at several flats before deciding on this one. Mingyu had taken care of all the calls they needed to make and left Wonwoo to sort out the paperwork. They had agreed on most things, and even when they disagreed, Wonwoo always felt like he was heard. They made a good team. 

“Can you get me a glass of water too?” Mingyu called out from the living room and Wonwoo pulled out the other glass and filled it. He filled his own glass again and went back out to the living room.

“Thank you, hyung.” Mingyu said with a smile, taking the glass and gulping down the entire glass in one go. 

Wonwoo watched as a drop of water slipped from the corner of Mingyu’s mouth and rolled down his chin and slowly creeped down his neck. There was sunlight on Mingyu’s skin, which looked tanned and warm. Wonwoo wanted to reach out and touch him, just to feel that he was real. 

He snapped himself out of it and went to sit down on the sofa again. He drank his glass of water and tried to focus on the instruction sheet in front of them. Over the next hour, the two of them discussed arranging the coffee table, until Mingyu finally built it all. 

Later that evening, the two of them sat on their floor, with their backs against the sofa, and their bowls of ramen on the coffee table in front of them. There was a movie playing on the TV in front of them; a romcom that both of them had seen before, but had decided to celebrate finally unpacking and setting their new flat up with an old classic. 

Mingyu leaned back a little, just so he could turn his head and see Wonwoo more clearly. His eyes were hooked onto the TV screen and his lips were curled in a small, sweet smile as he watched the scene where the male lead confessed how he felt to the female lead. 

Not for the first time, Mingyu wondered what was going on inside Jeon Wonwoo’s mind. He knew him to be an incredibly smart man, who had been top of his class all throughout school and college. Wonwoo was always sharp and precise at work, and was great at being clear about what he wanted. 

Yet, Mingyu could never tell whether Wonwoo was fazed by anything like he was. Mingyu felt so much and it showed so clearly on his face. He was the worst person to share a piece of gossip with, because how he felt would always show clearly in his expressions, whether he meant to or not. Some of Mingyu’s friends had already made comments about the way he looked at Wonwoo, but he hadn’t actually confirmed to any of them about how he felt. 

Finally, the two leads in the movie kissed each other and Mingyu watched as Wonwoo’s head tilted slightly to the side. Mingyu wanted to reach out and pull Wonwoo closer to him. 

Mingyu knew it had been a terrible idea to suggest living together with Wonwoo. Sure, it had seemed like the most convenient idea and it had all worked out well, but if Mingyu was being honest with himself, he had always been enamoured of Wonwoo in a way that was different from the rest of their friends. Mingyu had liked that Wonwoo listened carefully to every word he said, even when sometimes he felt like he lost the room. Sometimes, when Mingyu was spiraling in his own head, feeling like he was too much for the people around him, Wonwoo would quietly sit next to him, giving him just enough assurance that he was fine. Mingyu had always found Wonwoo’s company easy and comfortable, so it did make sense for them to live together. He had known his feelings would only get stronger when they would live together, yet he couldn’t help himself. It had seemed like the right move for the both of them, if not for how Mingyu felt. 

A week later, Mingyu knew he could no longer deny his feelings. He woke up every single morning to the sight of Wonwoo in their kitchen, with messy hair, making coffee for the both of them. Mingyu would then make breakfast for the both of them and then they would sit down at their little table near the window and enjoy their breakfast in silence. 

Mingyu loved their morning routine. He loved that they didn’t feel the need to fill every silence and he loved watching Wonwoo chomp down on his eggs and toast. After breakfast, they would both get ready for work and leave at the same time. 

Mingyu had been going to work all week, feeling lighter, all because he knew that at the end of the day, he would head home to Wonwoo. He told himself, it didn’t matter how he felt, because Wonwoo was a friend and this clearly worked for the both of them. 

He came home every night, and cooked dinner. Mingyu didn’t mind cooking every single night for Wonwoo. He asked Wonwoo about what he wanted as he wrapped up with work and then bought the ingredients he needed. Wonwoo always came home hungry and gobbled up everything Mingyu made. 

“You know, when I lived alone, I just ordered all my meals?” Wonwoo said, one day when Mingyu had made Wonwoo’s favourite dish; kimchi fried rice. Mingyu’s mother had given them a large container of home made kimchi and Mingyu had asked her to make it extra spicy, just the way Wonwoo liked it. 

“Every day?” Mingyu asked, shocked. “What did you eat for breakfast?”

“I didn’t eat breakfast.” Wonwoo said, with a sheepish smile. “I just had coffee and went to work. I would have lunch there and then I would just order something for dinner.”

“You never cooked? Not even ramen?”

“I made ramen sometimes…but that’s just adding hot water to the cup.”

“Wow.” Mingyu said, shaking his head. “It’s okay. I’ll cook for you from now on.”

Wonwoo blushed a little, but bent down quickly, hoping Mingyu wouldn’t notice. 

He didn’t tell Mingyu how he looked forward to coming home every night, just to eat whatever Mingyu made for him. He didn’t tell Mingyu how he spent all day at work, counting down the hours until he could leave and go home. 

It had only been a week, and Wonwoo found that he could no longer call it just a crush. He was falling for Kim Mingyu, harder than he ever had before. 

A month later, Mingyu and Wonwoo had their first party at their place. They had wanted to have it earlier, but a week after they had moved in, Mingyu had a work trip to Japan. By the time he got back, Wonwoo had been busy with a new project at work. They met their friends outside for dinner, but finally, after a month, they were able to invite all their friends to their flat to celebrate their house warming. 

“So, it’s totally fine?” Seokmin asked Mingyu. They were both standing in the empty kitchen while the party in the living room roared on. Soonyoung and Seungkwan had pushed all the furniture to the sides and were now having a dance-off. The others sat around the living room, within their own little conversations. “You aren’t losing your mind living with your crush?”

“Okay, first of all, it’s not a crush.” Mingyu said. “It’s…well, okay, it’s sort of a crush. I clearly have feelings for him, but there’s nothing I can do about it, so it’s fine. I’ve accepted it, and that’s why it is totally fine.”

Seokmin looked at Mingyu with a frown. 

“Yeah…no.” he said, shaking his head. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?”

“The part where you said there’s nothing you can do about it. There is. In fact, there’s so much you can do about it. You could tell him…”

“I can’t tell him!”

“Why not?”

“Because…” Mingyu said, widening his eyes at Seokmin like it was obvious. “...He is my friend. And my roommate. I can’t…it’s not fair…I don’t want to ruin what we have.”

“But what if he does feel the same way?”

“He doesn’t…and also, even if he does, he clearly hasn’t said or done anything to make me think that. So…maybe it’s just not worth ruining everything for. It’s all good. We both needed to move out of our previous places and this works. We are good.”

“Okay…if you say so.” Seokmin said, still not convinced, but he could tell that Mingyu needed it. “I guess it is going well, so it’s fine.”

“Yes. It's going very well.” 

Across the living room, and outside in the balcony, Wonwoo stood, leaning against the railing and smoking a cigarette while looking out at the city. The city lights were bright, and Wonwoo could see the cars, which just looked like tiny moving lights neatly flowing in rows, like ants. 

“You could get used to this view, huh?” Wonwoo heard a voice behind him. He didn’t have to turn around to see who it was. He smirked, and took a drag from his cigarette as Jeonghan came closer and leaned against the railing with him. 

“Not a bad thing to get used to.” Wonwoo replied as Jeonghan pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. 

“I wasn’t talking about the city lights, idiot.” Jeonghan said with a laugh. “I was talking about the man you are currently sharing this flat with.”

“Oh.” 

“Oh? That’s all you’re going to say?”

“There’s nothing else to say.” Wonwoo took another drag and let the smoke out slowly. “Is Mingyu a handsome man? Yes, of course. That’s just a fact.”

“What about the fact that you are totally in love with him?” Jeonghan asked. 

“I am not…” Wonwoo’s voice faltered as he felt a lump in his throat. No, he couldn’t lie. “It…it is what it is.”

“Okay, but I’m serious, Wonwoo.” Jeonghan said, leaning closer until his shoulder bumped against Wonwoo’s. “Are you sure this is fine?”

“It is. It actually is. We work well as roommates. We aren’t in each other’s space all the time. But it’s also nice to have each other close by. He cooks for me…every day. He listens when I’ve had a bad day and want to rant. He’s been such a great friend to me, so…that’s what it is. I can’t ruin it all.”

“Yeah.” Jeonghan sighed. “That makes sense.”

“It is…distracting though. I’ve seen him shirtless like three times this week and it’s made my brain all fuzzy.”

“Oh yeah, I can imagine.” Jeonghan giggled. “I was like that too, when Cheol and I moved in together.”

“You guys were together for years before though.”

“True. Still…It’s something else when you live with them and see them in all degrees of comfort.”

“I wish he would wear his shirt…but also I don’t want him to.” Wonwoo said. “Ugh, I feel like a creep.”

“Aww. It’s okay.” Jeonghan said, leaning his head onto Wonwoo’s shoulder. After a few moments of silence though, Jeonghan lifted his head and spoke. “It may…get worse though. Like if Mingyu starts dating someone and brings them home. That’s going to suck.”

Wonwoo had considered that already. He had thought about the possibility of Mingyu going on dates with people and bringing them home. Wonwoo knew Mingyu had always been popular and had many admirers, but only a few that he gave his attention to. Would Wonwoo have to face seeing him with someone else? In such close quarters? God, he would hear things. He didn’t want to hear all that.

“Yeah…that’s going to suck. But maybe…it’ll help? I might need that to let this go and just focus on how great we are as friends.”

“Or you could go out and put yourself out there?” Jeonghan suggested. “I could set you up with someone. That might help?”

“No…I mean, thanks, but I don’t think I want that…” Wonwoo said. “Fuck, that’s pathetic, right? I don’t want to go out and meet anyone else. I want to just stay here and come home to Mingyu.”

“It’s not pathetic.” Jeonghan said sadly, and reached out to stroke Wonwoo’s arm. “It’ll get better though. Hopefully.”

“Yeah. Hopefully.” 

Six months in and somehow Mingyu and Wonwoo were feeling better and worse about their entire situation. 

Better, because in so many ways, it worked. They had their routines and if either of them needed some space, they understood easily. Otherwise, they spent all their time together. They cooked together; or Mingyu cooked and Wonwoo helped a little. They watched movies together. They played video games together; or Wonwoo played and Mingyu watched him play. They ended up sharing clothes with each other, and Mingyu sometimes came home to see Wonwoo wearing his shirt, taking a nap on the sofa. They ended up sharing other things too, and Wonwoo often found himself walking into Mingyu’s room to take back his charger or a book that Mingyu had borrowed. 

They spent a lot of time lying on opposite ends of their sofa, their legs touching, just talking about everything in their lives. They opened up to each other a lot, sharing things they had never said out loud to anyone else. 

That’s what made it worse as well. 

They could not help but fall in love with each other. The closer they got, the more they both realised just how much the other meant to them. 

It happened one night, when the world outside was freezing and they had the heating turned up inside their flat. They sat on the living room sofa, holding hot cups of hot chocolate in their hands. Their shoulders were very close to each other, and Mingyu felt the space diminishing and both of them moved closer slowly. 

“Jun, Jihoon, Soonyoung and I could never live together.” Wonwoo said. “I love those guys, but no. It would be too much chaos. Jun sleeps so early. Soonyoung is up all night being loud. Jihoon just wouldn’t lift a finger with anything and somehow I would end up being the one trying to bring peace.”

“Okay, but what about them individually?”

“Jun…maybe. Not the other two. No. I’m glad they live together and annoy each other.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I could live with Hao and Seokmin either.” Mingyu added, with a laugh. “The three of us went on that trip to Jeju years ago and had to share a room for two days and that was enough for me. I ended up being like a mother hen, chasing them both to get things done. It was too much.”

“I could maybe live with Chan?” Wonwoo said, with a raised eyebrow. “...Maybe. I don’t know.”

“I would never want to live with Seungkwan and Hansol. Those two are always cute in your face. It is nauseating.” 

“What about Seungcheol hyung and Jeonghan hyung?”

“Also nauseating. Ugh.”

“Seokmin seems happy though…living with Shua hyung now?”

“Took them long enough.” Mingyu snorted. “I don’t know why they wasted so much time not living together. They were the same way years ago, about telling each other how they felt. Everyone knew they were in love with each other, but they took their sweet time about it. And now finally they’ve moved in, but it might be another century before they decide to get married. Idiots.”

“It’s good they took their time though. It can’t have been easy…going from being best friends to…more.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

The two of them sat in silence, both thinking the same thing. 

They had both seen the way Seokmin and Joshua had gone from being best friends, to realising they loved each other, to becoming one of the most solid couples they knew. They made each other better and it just clicked. 

Mingyu wondered how that felt; falling in love with your best friend and having it work out so well. That had to be rare. He took a sip of his hot chocolate and felt Wonwoo move next to him, until their shoulders touched. Mingyu took in a deep breath, unsure of whether it was him or Wonwoo who initiated it, but either way, both of them found themselves leaning into the touch. 

“You know…” Wonwoo started, his voice filling the air around them softly. “I do love those guys. All of them, but…you’re my best friend.”

Mingyu turned his head, and saw Wonwoo looking at him. There were soft shadows of their flat reflected on Wonwoo’s glasses, but even through them, Mingyu could feel Wonwoo’s intense stare. His lips were curled at the corners, in a peaceful smile, so Mingyu knew Wonwoo was being genuine. He meant it. 

“You’re my best friend too.” Mingyu replied, nodding. His expression was soft, but there was a forcefulness in his voice when he spoke. He wanted to show Wonwoo he was genuine too, and ignored the lump in his throat. 

For a second, Wonwoo just blinked, staring into Mingyu’s eyes. Then his smile got bigger and the two of them looked away, staring ahead at their blank TV screen, just to see their reflection. They were sitting very close to one another, their bodies fused into one shadowy blob in the reflection. 

The moment passed, but whatever had just happened between them lingered and fused itself into the walls around them. 

A year had gone by, and Mingyu and Wonwoo were adjusting to the changing seasons. Winter passed them and they went through all the holiday festivities. Spring came around as well and they moved through it. The city brought summer around again, making them throw open their french windows to let the heat out of the flat. 

A year had gone by and while they had settled into living together really well, neither of them had admitted their feelings to the other. They tiptoed around it, focusing on their friendship, accepting that perhaps, things were better like this. Feelings be damned, they were each other’s best friends and the ones they came home to, so why risk it all?

Mingyu went on a few dates, but never brought anyone home. Wonwoo forced himself to go meet people, but nothing lasted more than one day. They never spoke about it to each other, because secretly, they both just wanted to drop everything and rush home to their safe space. 

So, when Chan came to stay with them for a week while his flat was being fumigated, he saw firsthand how painfully obvious it was to everyone in the world that Mingyu and Wonwoo loved each other. 

Chan was sleeping on the sofa and when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Wonwoo wearing Mingyu’s shirt and making coffee for them all. Mingyu then walked out of his room, mumbled a sleepy good morning to Chan, before smiling brightly at Wonwoo and then started making breakfast. They worked around each other in the kitchen, anticipating the other’s movements instinctively. Chan saw a moment where Mingyu had opened the fridge to get milk and was walking around the kitchen to get everything else, when Wonwoo went around him and closed the fridge door.

Chan sat at the breakfast table, his eyes darting between the two of them, and seeing all the small ways they looked married as fuck. 

Mingyu buttered the toast for Wonwoo. Wonwoo moved the coffee mug when Mingyu was talking, so that his hand wouldn’t hit it by accident. Without any words, Chan saw how they looked after each other. 

Then it got worse. It was the weekend, so they had some chores to do, which they both shouted down Chan from helping. They said he was their guest and could sit and relax. So Chan sat on the sofa, and watched them go about doing their chores. Mingyu did the laundry and then they both sat together and folded the clothes. Wonwoo vacuumed the flat and sorted out all of Mingyu’s books. All throughout, they kept smiling at each other and making easy conversation, like they were somehow having fun doing just chores. 

Chan knew they were both smart men, but watching them now, he realised just how stupid they were not to see the way the other looked at them. How did Mingyu not see that Wonwoo’s eyes sparkled when he spoke to him? How was he so unaware that Wonwoo was practically salivating, watching Mingyu cook in the kitchen?

Was Wonwoo actually blind? How did he not see the way Mingyu watched him with yearning in his eyes? How did he not realise that Mingyu did everything he possibly could according to Wonwoo’s liking around the flat?

Chan had to stop himself from rolling his eyes all weekend. On Wednesday, after work, he decided he would give them both a break and went to Seungcheol and Jeonghan’s flat for dinner. 

They were just as bad, but at least they were openly disgusting about their love. 

Chan stood in their kitchen, cutting vegetables and helping Seungcheol cook, when Jeonghan walked in from behind them and wrapped his arms around Seungcheol’s waist. 

“Ooh, it smells so good.” Jeonghan said. 

“I’m making your favourite.” Seungcheol said, leaning back into Jeonghan’s embrace. 

“That’s not what I meant.” Jeonghan said, with a giggle and snuggled his face into Seungcheol’s back. 

“Gross.” Chan mumbled, but of course the other two heard it. 

“What’s your problem?” Jeonghan asked, turning his face to Chan, but not moving from where he stood. 

“You guys are annoying. I came here to get some peace and quiet and you’re rubbing it in my face.”

“You didn’t have peace and quiet at Mingyu and Wonwoo’s?” Seungcheol asked, with a raised eyebrow. “What do those two even do?”

“They’re everywhere! Yesterday, I saw them giggling together while folding laundry. Like that’s the most boring household chore to do and somehow they were acting like they were on a romantic date.”

“Folding laundry can be fun…”

“No, not you too. Please. I cannot deal with all this….”

“Chan-ah.” Jeonghan said, moving away from Seungcheol and putting an arm around Chan. “We love having you here. If you want, you can come stay here for the week, you know?”

“I know…but Wonwoo hyung offered first and I didn’t want to say no.” Chan said. “I didn’t realise I was basically walking into some newlywed honeymoon household. They are disgustingly cute about it all.”

“Hmph. They’re not as cute as us, right?” Seungcheol scoffed, and then winked at Jeonghan. 

“Ughhh.” Chan groaned and went back to chopping the vegetables. “Okay, I will say you guys are cute, but at least you have been together forever. Those two act married, but they haven’t even admitted to themselves about their feelings.”

“They have.” Jeonghan said, moving to lean against the counter on the other side of the kitchen. 

“THEY HAVE?!” Chan and Seungcheol whipped around to face Jeonghan. 

“Well, I’ve spoken to Wonwoo about it and Seokmin has spoken to Mingyu about it. They both realise that this isn’t just some…crush, even though that’s what they want to call it. They both realise they are each other’s best friends, but they don’t…well, I don’t think they are ready to do anything about it.”

Seungcheol nodded, like there was something wiser he understood and went back to stirring the stew on the stove. Chan stayed frozen, staring back at Jeonghan. 

“No, that’s fucking stupid.” he said, shaking his head. “If they know how they feel…then, they just don’t see how the other one looks at them?”

“Maybe they do, but it’s not really set in…or perhaps they aren’t ready to change anything about their relationship. They’ve been friends for so long and they clearly love living together, so anything else…it could complicate things.”

“COWARDS!” Chan exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “Idiots.”

Seungcheol and Jeonghan both laughed at Chan and how young he still was. They had seen him grow over the years, but sometimes, it was good for them to remember that he was still the youngest of their group. 

Jeonghan walked over to Chan and ruffled his hair, before going back to hug Seungcheol from behind. Chan finished cutting the vegetables and passed them over to Seungcheol to add to the stew. The three of them stood there, while Seungcheol cooked, making casual conversation in their happy little bubble. 

Across the city, at Mingyu and Wonwoo’s flat, the two of them sat across from each other at their dinner table, eating the food that Mingyu had cooked. They both felt Chan’s absence even though he had only been with them for a few days, but they were also slightly relieved to have their space back to themselves. 

Later that night, Chan let himself back into their flat after having dinner at Seungcheol and Jeonghan’s place, to find Mingyu and Wonwoo, leaning against each other’s shoulders, fast asleep on the couch. One of them, Mingyu probably, had paused the movie playing on the TV at some point but hadn’t bothered to move or wake Wonwoo up. 

Chan stood there, in the dimly lit living room, and looked at how perfectly those two fit each other. Wonwoo’s head was on Mingyu’s shoulder and Mingyu’s head rested softly on Wonwoo’s head. Mingyu’s arm was on the sofa, behind Wonwoo’s back, a breath away from actually holding Wonwoo. They weren’t exactly locked in an embrace, but there was something intimate about the way their bodies knew where to go for something familiar. The two of them had their eyes closed and were breathing in synchronicity, that it made something in Chan’s heart ache. 

Chan had seen love around him all his life. He knew what it looked like when some people just fit. He knew very well what it looked like when people didn’t either and it angered him that these two fools felt the same things and fit so perfectly, but still stayed one step away from being truly happy. 

He decided he would do something about it. 

Mingyu realised that it had been one year, two months and five days since he had moved in with Wonwoo. However, he couldn’t remember a time when Wonwoo didn’t take up so much space in his life. His life, from the outside, looked perfectly normal. He lived with his best friend and was in a pretty good place in his career. He was charming, handsome and had everything going for him. 

That was when Chan decided to ruin everything for him. 

When Mingyu walked into the pub, he had his usual smile on his face. He was friendly and waved to the locals at the pub as well as some of the staff, as he looked around for his friends.

He saw Hansol and Chan leaning against the crowded bar area and walked over to them. When he got to them, his eyes darted to the other side of the bar, and he saw Wonwoo leaning against the bar, smiling in a way that made his whole face light up, so close to another man. 

The smile vanished off Mingyu’s face. He felt his heart drop and his knees barely held him up. He leaned closer to Hansol and Chan and shouted to the both of them, over all the noise. 

“Who is that guy?” Mingyu knew his voice came out more like a growl, but he didn’t care. He narrowed his eyes as he watched this other guy lean closer to Wonwoo and tilt his head with a smile. Wonwoo didn’t move away. Not even a little and it broke something inside of Mingyu. 

“Oh…that’s Changkyun.” Chan said, nonchalantly. Hansol, on the other hand, seemed a little nervous as he watched Mingyu watch Wonwoo and Changkyun from across the bar. 

“Who the fuck is this Changkyun?” Mingyu spat out. The moment the words left his mouth, he realised and straightened his expressions. “I mean…who…why is he…did you bring him?”

“I did.” Hansol said, with a nervous smile. His eyes darted towards Chan and he mentally made a note to never trust Chan’s stupid plans again. “He works with me and he and Wonwoo both like the same video games. I’ve mentioned Wonwoo to him and he wanted to meet him, so I brought him along.”

“Oh…okay…”

“I think he likes Wonwoo hyung.” Chan said, with a practiced, easy smile. “Don’t you think they would look so good together?”

Mingyu stared at Chan for a second, before blinking and turned back to Wonwoo and Changkyun. Wonwoo hadn’t looked at his side and didn’t seem to even notice that Mingyu had arrived. He was busy listening to whatever Changkyun was telling him. 

Mingyu felt his heartbeat pulse through his neck and balled his fists. Just then, he saw Changkyun move even closer to Wonwoo and whisper something into his ear. Wonwoo’s face reddened a little, until his lips curled into a small smile. 

Mingyu felt a gasp leave his mouth, and something sharp twisted in his stomach. 

He hated this. He hated seeing someone else flirt with Wonwoo like this and make him smile. He hated that Wonwoo wasn’t looking at him. He hated that, unfortunately, they did look really good together, just like Chan had said. 

They probably had loads in common. From where he stood, Mingyu couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but Wonwoo was clearly interested in whatever Chankyun had to say and he didn’t seem to mind at all that this man was inches away from his face. 

Mingyu rubbed his eyes and stood up. 

“I’m…I’m going to go to the washroom.” he said, to no one in particular and ran away from the bar. 

Hansol stared at Mingyu’s back with a fearful expression before turning to face Chan. 

“Is this what you wanted to happen?” he asked. 

“Yup.” 

“Mingyu hyung is furious. He’s heartbroken. He looks so sad.”

“Good. He should.”

“What is wrong with you?”

Chan sighed and then leaned closer to Hansol. 

“Look, out of the two of them, Wonwoo hyung isn’t going to do shit. Mingyu hyung needs to see that someone else could swoop in and only then he’s going to act on it.”

“Why did you pick Changkyun though? You know he’s just flirting for the fun of it. He’s not serious.”

“That’s exactly why I picked him! He’ll back off the moment he sees Mingyu do anything. Wonwoo will also see it and then those two will finally be honest with each other about it.”

“That’s…a little risky, Chan.”

“No, it’s foolproof.”

Hansol shook his head and sighed, “I am so terrified, but also so entertained.”

Chan just grinned back. 

Mingyu hated Chan. 

Not really. He loved that idiot too much, but ever since Chan had introduced Wonwoo to Changkyun, Mingyu felt like his world had been turned upside down and he had lost absolutely everything he had known was stable. 

That night at the pub, it was supposed to be Wonwoo and Mingyu getting a drink with Hansol and Chan, but stupid, idiot Chan had made Hansol bring his annoyingly attractive colleague who had spent the whole night glued to Wonwoo’s side flirting with him. Even from across the table, Mingyu could see that Wonwoo’s cheeks were red each time Changkyun leaned in closer to say something in his ear. Although they had all hung out together that night, Mingyu had barely had a moment alone with Wonwoo. The two of them did end up leaving together to go home, but it had been quiet and slightly awkward. 

After that night, Wonwoo and Changkyun had gotten each other’s numbers and were messaging each other constantly. It had only been a few days, but Wonwoo and Changkyun had already ended up grabbing drinks after work a few days of the week. They were constantly messaging each other and one night when Mingyu woke up to get some water, he could hear Wonwoo playing video games from his room, but clearly laughing with someone. 

Mingyu was miserable. He told himself he should just get over it, because it seemed like Wonwoo had made a new friend. It didn’t matter that Wonwoo hadn’t been home for dinner several times that week. It shouldn’t matter. Wonwoo had gone out for dinner with some friends before. It’s not like he was always home with Mingyu. 

Except, this time it felt different. Mingyu knew it. 

He sat across from Wonwoo at their breakfast table, on that Sunday morning, just like they always spent their Sundays, but he didn’t have Wonwoo’s attention anymore. Instead, Wonwoo was on his phone, smiling at something else. The two of them still physically lived together, but Mingyu felt like Wonwoo was somewhere far away. 

“So Changkyun…” Mingyu said, breaking the silence. He had to say something, or else his chest would burst. “He seems nice.”

Wonwoo finally looked up at Mingyu. 

“Yeah? I mean, he is nice.” he said, nodding, but confused. “What made you say that randomly?”

“Oh…nothing. I just thought you were messaging him. Weren’t you?”

“I was…He was telling me about this game he found and thinks I might like it too.”

“Oh…okay.”

“He’s really flirty though.”

“Oh…” Mingyu blinked several times, not knowing what else to say. 

“Like the day we met, he kept telling me that I have really nice shoulders.” Wonwoo said, trying and failing to hide his smile. 

“You do have nice shoulders…” Mingyu said, but let his words falter. Wonwoo either didn’t notice or ignored it. 

“He’s really blunt about things.” Wonwoo said, instead. “Like he straight up said he found me attractive and asked if I was seeing someone.”

“Oh…” Mingyu felt his collar get hot, even though it was actually a pleasant morning. 

“He seems like a nice guy…" Wonwoo said, “I just don’t know if he’s just being a flirt or if he’s serious.”

“What do you mean?”

“Chan said he likes to have fun. That’s why he introduced us to each other. He said I could do with some fun.”

“Chan said that?” Mingyu wanted to hit that kid. 

“I know right?” Wonwoo said, shocked as well. “I have fun! I’m always fun!”

“So you want to have…fun with Changkyun?” Mingyu asked, his throat suddenly feeling dry. He grabbed his glass of water and gulped it down quickly, waiting for Wonwoo to answer. 

“I think so…like he’s a nice guy and we do have a lot in common. I don’t know if I’m…into him though.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why aren’t you into him? He’s good looking, he’s charming. You think he’s nice. He likes the same video games as you. You have a lot in common. Chan thinks he’s fun…” Mingyu didn’t even know what he was about to say next. “Would you…do you like him? Would you like to go out with him? Like as…something more than a friend?”

Wonwoo didn’t reply for a whole minute and just stared back at Mingyu. 

“I guess…so,” he said, finally. 

Mingyu let out a sharp breath and nodded. He felt like his heart was breaking, but he also knew he was first and foremost a good friend. So he did what any good friend would do. He forced a smile on his face, trying to look like he was actually happy for Wonwoo. 

“You should ask him out then.” Mingyu said, pointing at Wonwoo’s phone in his hand. 

“I should?” Wonwoo asked, perplexed. 

“I’m sure he’ll say yes.” Mingyu said, smiling now, despite how he felt inside. “You should do it.”

“Oh.” Wonwoo blinked back, not looking away from Mingyu. “Okay…I’ll do it.”

“Good.” Mingyu sat back and forced his smile to be bigger. He could encourage Wonwoo to do this. He could let him go. He could ignore how his heart was making him feel like it was the end of the world. He could see Wonwoo go out with someone else. It might be for the best. 

“So, Wonwoo hyung is on a date?” Chan asked, standing in the kitchen with Mingyu. He was biting his lip and his eyebrows were furrowed with worry. “With Changkyun?”

Hansol and Seungkwan both stood next to him and were glaring at him. Seokmin and Joshua stood at the kitchen door, leaning against the doorway and were watching Mingyu with concern. 

“Yeah. He seemed really excited about it.” Mingyu said, forcing a smile on his face as he made drinks for his friends. 

“He did?” Hansol asked.

“Yeah, he was nervous, I think, but I helped him choose an outfit and he seemed happy just before he left.”

Mingyu had done all that. That morning, he had been the one to tell Wonwoo to ask Changkyun out. So, of course, Wonwoo had done that immediately, only for Changkyun to accept and then make plans for the very same day. Who even did that?

Someone who clearly liked Wonwoo, that’s who. Mingyu told himself that this was all good. This was actually a nice guy, who liked his best friend and Wonwoo deserved something good. Wonwoo deserved something great. 

“And you’re okay with this?” Seokmin asked. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Mingyu said, with a beaming smile. 

None of his friends were fooled by that. They all stared back at him with straight faces. Except Chan, who looked a little red in the face. 

“Guys, I’m serious. I’m totally fine. You didn’t all have to come over.” Mingyu said, handing each of them their drinks and taking the rest to the living room, where Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Soonyoung, Jihoon, Jun and Minghao were already sitting. 

“Of course we did.” Joshua said, helping Mingyu bring the remaining drinks. They all sat around the living room, either huddled up on the sofa or propped up on cushions on the floor. 

“Hyung, I…” Chan started, but he didn’t know what to say. Seungkwan, who was next to him, poked him in the ribs with his elbow and saved him. 

“Okay, so what movie are we watching?” Seungkwan said, looking at the blank TV. 

Mingyu looked around and smiled. He hadn’t invited any of them. He had just told Seokmin that Wonwoo had a date that night and that he was planning to stay home and watch a movie. Next thing he knew, Seokmin had invited himself and Joshua and slowly everyone else had followed. 

Mingyu had planned to watch some sad, romantic movie on his own and maybe have a good cry, but then, his friends had crashed and ruined his plans. 

It didn’t matter. Mingyu was glad they had shown up, because he was still not ready to actually be alone and overthink about how right then, across the city, Wonwoo was on a date with a perfectly nice, handsome, charming man. 

Wonwoo asked Changkyun out on a date. He had made the first move, for the first time in his life. 

He only did it, because Mingyu had told him to. 

As he sat across from Changkyun in the fancy restaurant with the candle lights and the view of the river, Wonwoo felt nervous. Changkyun was really nice. He was handsome and had a twinkle in his eye that did make Wonwoo feel something. When he flirted, openly and honestly, it made Wonwoo feel nice. 

Wonwoo hadn’t done anything though. He just sat there and replied to all the questions Changkyun asked. The date was going perfectly well. 

Except, Wonwoo had no idea what he was doing. 

They made easy conversation, talking about things they had in common as they ordered their food. They sipped their drinks and joked about work and their friends. Changkyun was a great storyteller and he regaled Wonwoo with funny stories about his life. Wonwoo laughed along, but wasn’t sharing as much. 

Even when Changkyun asked Wonwoo about his childhood, he found himself giving short, perfunctory answers. 

“So you moved to Seoul when you were seventeen?”

“Eighteen. I came here for college.”

“Oh, that’s nice. Did you ever think about going back home after graduation?”

“Not really.”

“What about your parents? Do they visit a lot?”

“Sometimes.”

Wonwoo knew Changkyun was trying and he didn’t look like he was upset at all, but Wonwoo also knew he was being a terrible date. 

By the time they ordered dessert, Wonwoo was wondering how the hell Changkyun had managed so long to not seem bothered by how terrible Wonwoo was behaving. 

Wonwoo tried to think about something, literally anything, to ask Changkyun. He was racking his brains, when Changkyun interrupted his thoughts. 

“Why did you ask me out?” Changkyun asked, with a mischievous smile. 

“Huh?” Wonwoo was stunned. “You said yes immediately. You didn’t want to…”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Changkyun said, waving his hand. “I mean…why did you ask me out? You don’t seem like the type to…no offense…make the first move. I was planning to ask you out anyway, so I’m really glad you did. Was there something that made you do it though?”

“Oh right.” Wonwoo relaxed a bit. “Well, Chan and Hansol thought we would get along really well and Chan specifically said you were a lot of fun.”

“So you asked me out because you wanted to have a bit of fun?”

“Maybe.” Wonwoo bit back a smile. 

“Just fun?” Changkyun smirked. 

“Uh…”

“Hey, I’m not going to judge. I love to have fun as well. I just need to know if we’re on the same page. Did you ask me out, just because you wanted to have some fun and Chan suggested it?”

“Also, my friend…you know Mingyu, well, he suggested I ask you out.”

“Wait, Mingyu told you to ask me out?” Changkyun stopped smiling and raised his eyebrows. “Wow.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t think Mingyu liked me very much.” Changkyun said, with a laugh. “He kept looking at me weird that night we met.”

“He did?” Wonwoo asked, shocked. He hadn’t noticed at all. “Mingyu is usually so friendly with everyone. He’s like a golden retriever. He makes friends everywhere he goes.”

“Yeah, I did not get that vibe at all. He looked more like a guard dog.”

“He’s a puppy. He’s harmless.”

“So, there’s nothing between the two of you, huh?” Changkyun asked, narrowing his eyes, but there was still a playful smile on his lips. 

“We’re best friends. And roommates.” Wonwoo replied, stating the facts. 

“Right. I just got the vibe there was something more…”

“No.” Wonwoo said, immediately. “He’s Mingyu. He’s my best friend and we live together. He’s important, sure. He’s closer to me than my own family. We’ve known each other for years. We’re important to each other…but nothing more.” 

Wonwoo paused, hearing the words he had just said out loud. They were all true, and maybe if he forced himself to accept it, it would help for him to let go. 

Here he was, sitting across a man, who was clearly into him. He could let it go. 

“Besides…” Wonwoo went on, saying the words, more for himself, than anyone else. “He wouldn’t have suggested that I ask you out, if he actually felt something.”

Wonwoo hated the taste of the words as soon as it left his lips. They felt bitter. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before looking up at Changkyun, ready to put on a smile and move on to talking about something else. Instead, Changkyun was staring at him with wide eyes. 

“Ohhhhhh.” Changkyun said, leaning back in his chair and covering his mouth with both hands, looking like he had finally put puzzle pieces together. “Fuck, Wonwoo.”

“What?”

“Shit, what are we doing here?”

“What do you mean?”

“You love him!”

“No…what? I just told you we are…”

“I know, but you love him!” Changkyun said, breaking into a smile. “Oh god, you can’t deny it, can you?”

Wonwoo was aghast. He had just given all the reasons as to how Mingyu clearly didn’t feel the same way, but he hadn’t actually said he didn’t have feelings. 

“Dude! What the fuck?” Chankgyun said, leaning forward and placing his hands on the table. “Why are you here on this date with me?” 

“I…well, Mingyu said I should…”

“But you love him! You should be on a date with him! Not me!”

“He doesn’t…no, Mingyu doesn’t see me like that.”

“Of course he does!” Changkyun almost shouted. He didn’t look upset at all. In fact, he seemed a little amused. “He was giving me daggers that whole night, because I was flirting with you. I didn’t really get it, so yeah that’s on me. I should have backed off then, but you’re really cute and…anyway, not the point. Mingyu clearly has feelings for you too. He’s just as much in love with you as you are with him. Trust me.”

Wonwoo didn’t say anything and just stared back for a minute. 

“He has never said anything.”

“Have you?”

“No.”

“Well, there you go. Neither of you have been courageous enough to do something about it. I bet you, if you just went home right now, you would see him being miserable at the fact that you’re here on this date with me. You should just grab him, kiss him and tell him how you feel. You’ll rock his world.”

“Wha…No…I can’t…wait, Chankgyun, what…you and I, we’re on this date, right?”

“Wonwoo.” Changkyun said, leaning closer and holding one of Wonwoo’s hands. “You are insanely cute and I would love to continue on this date, but we cannot. Not when you are so stupidly in love with your best friend and roommate.”

“I…”

“Dude.” Changkyun said, with a laugh and let go of Wonwoo’s hand. “Go. Go right now.”

“We ordered dessert.”

“I’ll cancel it. Fuck, I’ll eat it myself. I’ll ask them to pack it and have it at home. That’s not important! Just go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! Now go!”

Wonwoo stood up, feeling the blood rush to his head. He was about to step away from the table, when he stopped and looked at Changkyun, who was staring at him with an amused expression and a laugh frozen on his face. 

“Changkyun…I hope…well, I hope you and I can still be friends. I really do like you.”

“Fuck, Wonwoo. Of course! Now get the hell out of here and go tell that man you love him.”

Wonwoo didn’t wait anymore. He ran out of the restaurant, opening his phone and booking a cab at the same time. He had to go home. 

All the way home, Wonwoo thought about what an idiot he had been. If what Changkyun had said was true, then he had just sat there at breakfast that morning and asked someone else, right in front of Mingyu. If what Changkyun had said was true, then all these years, the two of them had just been circling around it, both of them being too scared to do anything about it. 

Fuck. 

He ran out of his taxi and rushed to the lift to get up to their floor. He tapped his foot impatiently, watching the numbers on the lift screen change slowly. 

Fuck, why did it take so long for this lift to go up?

What if Changkyun was wrong? What if he was wrong? 

All the reasons on why Wonwoo hadn’t done anything all these months, fuck, all these years, came rushing to his mind. 

Mingyu had been his friend since college. They had always found each other easy to be around and that’s exactly why they worked so well as roommates. They had always chosen each other as best friends. 

Wonwoo closed his eyes and leaned back against the lift. The lift was still humming and climbing up one floor at a time. 

What would he even say once he walked in? Mingyu would surely ask him how the date was. What was he supposed to say? What if he said the wrong thing and ruined their friendship?

Just as he was about to give up, a memory creeped up in Wonwoo’s mind. 

A memory of just a random day. 

Wonwoo had come home from work, after having a truly shitty day. His body was dead tired and his head hurt. He had pushed himself to get home, somehow, just so he could finally relax. 

Then, he opened the door and saw Mingyu. 

Smiling Mingyu with his cute little fangs, wearing an apron and cooking dinner for the both of them. Their apartment had smelt amazing and the lighting was soft. Mingyu had made the whole place cosy, for the two of them. 

All the stress and worry from Wonwoo’s day had disappeared in an instant. He had never felt more at ease as he had then. No one else had ever taken care of Wonwoo like that. Without even knowing about Wonwoo’s day, Mingyu had still managed to make things better. 

Just by being him. 

That day, just like many countless others, Wonwoo had known how deeply in love with Mingyu he was. He had just been so scared to do anything about it. 

For the first time, Wonwoo realised that Mingyu had always shown up for Wonwoo in ways he hadn’t for anyone else. More than a best friend would have. 

The lift finally stopped at the 17th floor, and Wonwoo stepped out. He took careful steps towards their front door, realising that whatever came next would change his life completely. 

Wonwoo grabbed his keys and pushed them through the lock and rushed into their flat. 

The whole place was dark, but Wonwoo could hear the TV. 

“Mingyu?” Wonwoo called out, searching everywhere, in the dark. He took off his shoes and made it halfway into the small hallway, before the TV was paused and Mingyu’s tall, shadowy figure walked towards him.

“Wonwoo? Are you okay? What happened? Why are you back so early?” Mingyu said, stepping forward. 

Wonwoo didn’t wait. He didn’t want to wait anymore. 

He ran towards Mingyu and grabbed him by the face. He pulled him closer and planted his lips on his, feeling a sudden jolt in his heart, his stomach and in his bones. 

Wonwoo kissed Mingyu, like he had never kissed anyone before. He pressed his lips onto Mingyu’s and pulled him closer. He ran his fingers over Mingyu’s cheeks, feeling the warmth and finding a surge of confidence within him. 

He pulled back slowly and then said what he had been struggling to say forever; except it finally felt so easy. 

“I love you.” 

Mingyu stared back at Wonwoo with wide eyes like someone had slapped him. His mouth fell open slightly and his body swayed forward, until he caught himself. 

“Shit.” Wonwoo said, pulling his hands away from Mingyu. “Fuck. Fuck.”

Then, before Wonwoo’s brain could trick him and make him spiral, Mingyu moved forward with purpose and grabbed Wonwoo by the waist and pulled him, crashing into his chest. 

This time, Mingyu kissed Wonwoo. 

Mingyu kissed Wonwoo like he was pouring every single essence of his being into it. Mingyu kissed Wonwoo in a way that made Wonwoo’s heart beat faster, until his knees started to give up. It was just that simple. Mingyu kissed Wonwoo back, like he had been waiting his whole life for it, which technically wasn’t an exaggeration. 

Wonwoo kissed back, fighting for his breath against Mingyu’s lips, letting out gasps and moans as they grabbed each other. Their tiny height difference made things feel like they just fit. Wonwoo moaned into the kiss as Mingyu’s tongue slipped into his mouth. 

He couldn’t believe they had wasted so much time, not doing this before. 

Finally, the two of them pulled back to breathe, and Mingyu cupped Wonwoo’s face in his hands and looked at him. Even in the darkness, Wonwoo could see Mingyu’s eyes stare at him with so much longing. 

“Wow.” Mingyu breathed out, resting his forehead on Wonwoo’s. “That was…”

“So fucking hot!” a voice shouted behind them and both Mingyu and Wonwoo gasped and let go of each other. 

Wonwoo then saw all their friends, sprawled out on their living room, craning their necks and toppling over each other. They had seen everything!

Chan looked like a kid on his birthday. He was grinning and bouncing on his feet. 

“I told you guys! I knew it!” he screamed, beaming and pointing at everyone. 

“What the…why is everyone here?” Wonwoo asked, turning to Mingyu, who was red in the face. 

“Uh…they all came over to watch a movie with me.”

“We came over to keep him company so he wasn’t miserable because you went out on a date.” Seungcheol said, rolling his eyes but was grinning. 

“Okay, that’s not…”

“He was planning to sit here and cry alone.” Seungkwan nodded with a smirk.  

“If we hadn’t shown up, he probably would have eaten a whole tub of ice cream.” Minghao giggled. 

“Guys…come on…”

“Wait. You were upset?” Wonwoo asked, softly, reaching out to touch Mingyu’s arm. Every muscle in his body yearned to touch Mingyu again. He didn’t care that all their friends were staring at them. “You were the one who said I should ask Changkyun out.”

“I hated it!” Mingyu said, scratching the back of his neck. “I just…I didn’t know what to say…I didn’t want you to…”

“Ughhh!” Chan groaned. “He’s been in love with you the whole time!”

“What?”

“Just like you’ve been in love with him as well!”

“Chan…” Jeonghan said, with a warning in his voice, but he was barely biting back a laugh. 

“We all know it!” Chan said, still screaming. “You guys have just been so oblivious.”

“Okay, he’s right though. We all knew.” Seungcheol said. 

“I knew first.” Seokmin said. 

“No, I knew first. I even asked Mingyu.” Jeonghan said. 

“I’m pretty sure I guessed it before any of you did.” Hansol said. 

“No way! I knew before you did.” Seungkwan said. 

“No you didn’t!” Hansol said. 

“Yes, I did! I told Jeonghan…” Seungkwan said, shaking his head. 

“Okay, I definitely knew before Jeonghan.” Jun said, joining in the chaos. 

“Guys, wait. I think I knew it before as well.” Soonyoung said. 

“Oh, you didn’t. I told you…” Jihoon said. 

“No, I told him.” Minghao said. 

Wonwoo stared at all his friends arguing about something that had apparently been evident to them all, way before even Wonwoo and Mingyu had realised. In the midst of it all, Wonwoo turned to Mingyu and smiled. 

“So, you love me too?” Wonwoo asked, knowing none of the others were listening to them now. 

“Fuck, Wonwoo. Yes!” Mingyu said, pulling Wonwoo by the hand and into their kitchen. They were still visible to the others, but it gave them a little privacy. Mingyu reached out to touch Wonwoo’s face and stroked his cheek softly. “I love you so much, Jeon Wonwoo. I…fuck, it sounds so stupid now, but I was terrified that you didn’t feel the same way about me.”

“I thought the same!”

“I thought you actually liked Changkyun and were halfway into falling in love with him. I thought you were going to marry him and leave me all alone.”

“Never.” Wonwoo leaned closer, until their foreheads were touching. 

Every part of Wonwoo wanted to feel Mingyu’s lips on his again, but he hesitated. 

“Changkyun and I…it would have been fine, but no one…no one has ever made me feel the way you do. I love you. Fuck, I love you, Mingyu. I only want you.”

Mingyu diminished the space between them and kissed Wonwoo’s lips softly. 

“I only want you too.”

The two of them stood there, smiling and feeling the weight of their words. Their lives would never be the same again. They had probably ruined their friendship, but oh what a delicious way to ruin it. 

“We’re continuing with the movie without you!” Chan’s voice came from the living room, but they just smiled and leaned into another kiss. 

One year and six months later, Mingyu and Wonwoo were sitting on their sofa together, watching a movie. Wonwoo’s head was on Mingyu’s lap and Mingyu played with the soft strands on his head. 

Their flat looked the same, with just a few new touches. They still had the same coffee table that Mingyu had built. Except, there was now a vase with flowers that Wonwoo had bought Mingyu on their date a few days ago. On the wall, behind them, were a few photographs of the two of them, as well as group photos with all their friends. 

They still had their own rooms, mostly because they were both too lazy to move everything and they liked having their own space sometimes, but every night, the two of them went to sleep in Mingyu’s bed. They cuddled up and woke up to each other every morning. 

They still had the same routine, but it was peppered with kisses throughout the day. They still had breakfast together, before heading out for work. They still had the same two unbroken glasses in their kitchen cabinet. They still came home to each other at the end of the day, knowing that home wasn’t just a place; it was a person too.