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Geum Seongje loved Go Hyuntak.
Really. With the deepest parts of his heart. Even though neither of them, nor their friends, nor their families could fully comprehend how this was possible, it was a fact. And both of them were now living for this fact. It didn't have to make sense; their love existed and was alive. And it would continue to live. That was the only thing that mattered to them.
He loved Hyuntak's quick temper, the sound of his laughter, his “fuck off” that tasted like “I love you,” his eyes that curved into two half-moons when he smiled, the reason of the cigarette burn on his right hand, his very existence, his pure soul...He was even addicted to them. Every movement, every particle.
Even though there was no extreme difference in their physiques, just seeing Hyuntak innocently walking around in Seonge's jackets that were visibly too big for him made him feel like he was going to lose his mind, for example. He didn't want anyone else to see his one and only love. He wanted to gouge out all the eyes that looked at him. When he looked at him, it was as if he became blind to everything else around him. No matter what Hyuntak said to him, even if he insulted him for hours, the only thing on his mind was his ridiculously plump lips. Frankly, it was hard to concentrate when he was around. Just like right now.
Seongje tried. He really tried.
But his boyfriend was at Seongje's house, on his kitchen counter, wearing his T-shirt and those damn short shorts, smelling of menthol wafting from his freshly showered skin, staring into Seongje's eyes and talking nonsense —complaining about everything that had happened to him— he wasn't really helping him at all.
Seongje was just a man, after all.
“Are you even listening to me?”
Seongje suddenly snapped back to reality with the soft voice coming from in front of him, and the smell of roasted kimchi reaching his nose. He widened his eyes slightly and looked sheepishly at the little one's face. It was very clear he hadn't been listening. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Somehow, though, he managed to gather his thoughts.
"I-I'm listening, I'm listening. The last thing you said was, um... I'm sure even he doesn't know the answers, blah blah... you know...boring stuff."
"Yeah, right. None of the things he asked were on the exam. None of them! Even I could have prepared a better exam. And that fucking idiot sitting across from me only talks to me for notes during the final week. Why would I? Does it say ‘idiot’ uppercase on my forehead? See, he actually did get those notes from god-knows-who. Did it help? No, it didn't. Of course it didn't. With that brain of his, studying psychology for two years must've been..."
As Hyuntak continued talking at full speed, the corner of Seongje's lips turned up slightly. His boy was much cuter than he should have been when he was angry.
If you look at it his exaggerated gestures and facial expressions, Hyuntak noticeably had gotten a little too carried away with the conversation. If you could even call it a conversation. While he was spewing out all his thoughts unfiltered into the void, Seongje was right there preparing food for the two of them. He hadn't offered to help because he was certain that if he touched anything, he would ruin it twice over. His manual dexterity was practically non-existent, and to be honest, watching his boyfriend prepare food for him while half-naked was a delicious sight for Hyuntak. Seongje's arm muscles bulging from the pressure he applied to the knife with each vegetable he chopped, his eyes still and focused on the task behind his glasses, his furrowed brow...
Hyuntak was completely gone.
But of course, he wouldn't let Seongje know about this and satisfy his huge ego. He continued to talk innocently, as if he hadn't been staring at his boyfriend like a pervert for about half an hour. But he must have been tired because he finally sighed deeply. He stretched his arms forward slightly.
"Well, it's over now. Just a few more days left, I'll endure it, and this torment will end. Then we'll meet again as much as you want," he said in a relieved tone.
“That doesn't seem very likely,” muttered the taller one.
There was a few seconds of silence. Hyuntak blinked.
“What do you mean by that?” asked Hyuntak, raising one eyebrow.
“So, you see...” Seongje spoke as he sprinkled green onions over the kimchi stew in the pot, adding the final touches. “The professor thought an unnecessarily detailed project assignment was appropriate for this semester's final. And unfortunately, it's up to me to do it.”
He turned off the stove and walked over to the rice cooker. Hyuntak kept a thoughtful and confused expression on his face while keeping his eyes on Seongje.
“Which part of the ‘unnecessary detail’ you mentioned is keeping you so busy that it prevents us from meeting?” Hyuntak asked. He was visibly tense. As usual.
Seongje smirked at the long sentences his lover constructed instead of simply saying, “Stay by my side, I miss you.” Hyuntak really loved making life difficult for himself.
“It's due to ten days, requiers two people, I think you understand what I mean by unnecessary.” said Seongje, stirring the newly cooked rice.
Hyuntak's eyebrows rose even higher, as if that was possible. A slight, mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Two people?” he said.
“Yeah, two people. Why?” said Seongje innocently. He took a spoonful of rice and soup and carefully brought it to Hyuntak's mouth. Hyuntak was still so shocked that he could only take half the spoonful. Seongje quickly finished the rest. Hyuntak's head was even more confused by the flavor explosion in his mouth because... We could say that Seongje's cooking skills were quite advanced for someone who had been living off instant noodles.
Hyuntak swallowed the bite in his mouth and crossed his arms. It was obvious he was calculating something in his head.
"Are your partners predetermined, or do you get to choose?
"Uhh... No, everyone is randomly grouped. Good thing it's predetermined, otherwise it would be pretty hard to find the least loser one among a bunch of idiots studying software engineering. Hah. They paired me with... I think her name was Seulgi. She seemed like a decent girl, we talked and got along. We sorted it out, no problem."
Hyuntak's jaw tightened slightly at the mention of the word “girl,” despite his smiling face. He slowly nodded his head up and down as Seongje spoke, waiting for him to finish.
Hyuntak swallowed. “Seulgi, huh? Pretty name.”
Seongje looked at him with a blank expression. It was clear he expected him to say more. Hyuntak couldn't believe his lovely boyfriend was so clueless. With unbearable tension, he tapped his fingers on the counter in a certain rhythm. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He brought one hand to the back of her neck and rubbed it hard. Sighing and smiling nervously, he began to speak:
“Great, just great. It's not enough that every girl that I see stares at you every day in college, now someone has you held captive for 10 days. Awesome plan, congrats.” said Hyuntak, his irritating smile partially confirming his words.
Seongje was stunned. He knew very well that Hyuntak was a jealous person. But it never occurred to him that he would make it so obvious. Normally, Hyuntak would express it with a glance, maybe a touch. Words were unnecessary and hard to him. He communicated with small signals, usually. Seongje, like the whipped bastard he is, had become quite accustomed to this. He liked every move the man in front of him made anyway. And the said "man" was probably really struggling to control himself now, with the stress of finals. Seongje grinned, slowly approaching Hyuntak. He rested both hands on the counter on either side of Hyuntak. Hyuntak reflexively pulled back slightly.
“Oh so you're jealous of me?” he said, the smirk on his face unchanged.
“Why would I be jealous of you? I just wished you both success,” said Hyuntak, averting his eyes.
Seongje laughed out loud at this. He laughed so hard his head bent forward. This man's cuteness would truly be his undoing one day. Feeling his piercing gaze, he stopped laughing and prepared to speak. He took a deep breath.
“I don't think anyone will be attracted by my zombie-like face with bags under my eyes from coding nonstop for hours, Jagiya. So there's no need for you to worry,” he said, ending his sentence with a light kiss on Hyuntak's right cheek.
Hyuntak gently pushed Seongje away from his chest, rolling his eyes contradictorily to the slight blush on his cheeks. “Fuck off. At the end of the this, I'll hang a sign that says ‘Hyuntak's property’ on your back.” he said, his eyebrows furrowed.
“You already did that just now. My back is still burning like hell.”
Hyuntak's eyes widened at the words coming out of Seongje's mouth, his ears turning even redder than they already were. Seeing this, he struck Seongje's bare chest, not hard enough to hurt but enough to make his presence felt. Seongje was still grinning. The sound of the slap filled the room, but Seongje, of course, was completely unaffected by the blow.
“I'm telling you, stop say things like that all of a sudden!” Hyuntak raised his voice slightly.
“Aww are you embarrassed? You weren't this shy about an hour ago when you dug your nails into my back like a feral little cat, Takie-”
“SEONGJE!”
The more Hyuntak tried to break free from Seongje's arms, the tighter he seemed to hold on. Seongje was still laughing like crazy. When Hyuntak tried to resist one last time, Seongje used a much more clever method, like pressing his lips against the soft lips he had been daydreaming of for minutes. Caught off guard, Hyuntak froze for a few seconds, stunned by the moment. Seongje, unfazed, continued his actions, kissing Hyuntak each time so intensely that he was sure he would be left breathless. But no matter how much he denied it, this was the thing Hyuntak loved most in the world. Being filled with Seongje, with his love. Becoming one with him... He rested his right hand on Seongje's nape and slowly began to respond to the kiss.
Meaningless arguments born of meaningless topics always ended this way between them. They both knew they couldn't be apart for more than ten days anyway. Seongje couldn't go a single hour of Hyuntak's day without bothering him. This half-hour argument was just some sort of foreplay to them, and they both knew it very well. When Hyuntak finally wrapped his godsent legs around Seongje's waist, they realized that...
it would take them a while to leave the kitchen.
-
Go Hyuntak was being tested by the universe, he thinks.
He was genuinely surprised that he hadn't lost his mind in the last eight days. He was tired of the only interaction he got from his boyfriend being facetimes and clichéd messages like “good morning” and “how was your day?” Of course, this was perfectly enough for a normal couple, but when it came to Seongje and Hyuntak, things were a little different. Because the maximum number of days they hadn't seen each other since they started dating was probably around two. And Hyuntak didn't think he could take it much longer.
All day long, the only thing on his mind was his stupid boyfriend. While Baku enthusiastically shared more of his ridiculous theories with him, like “I think the fondant used in cakes is actually playdough and they're tricking us,” Seongje's enthusiastic talk about the games he played and things Hyuntak didn't understand at all was what came to his mind. Or Suho and Yeongi sitting side by side, casting judgmental glances at everyone around them in the same way Seongje would, he was cursing that damn professor. Since they were Seongje's childhood friends, all their movements started to resemble each other after a while, and this situation wasn't helping Hyuntak at all right now. It wasn't fair that this useless, good-looking jerk, who had randomly started messing with him on a high school day, was taking up so much space in his head. It wasn't fair at all.
Fortunately, Baekjin had recently passed the bar exam after studying for over a year. And of course, that meant a big gathering would be arranged to celebrate. The two groups of friends would come together, and Hyuntak would finally see Seongje in the flesh. He was excited for it. Baekjin being older than them sometimes came in handy. (Especially for Baku who appearently has a dilf fetish.)
Whenever there was an important development in their friend groups, they would go to the Korean barbecue place where they had become regulars at. Hyuntak's mind was busy enough with Seongje, so he had put together a simple outfit. His favorite navy sweatshirt with dark jeans. It was effortless and it looked good. And that was enough for Hyuntak. But some didn't think so. Wooyoung and Yeongi had been wandering around arguing for minutes. Yeongi was insulting Wooyoung's fashion sense, while Wooyoung was trying to get his plaid shirt back from Yeongi. He was also shouting loudly.
“YOU ALREADY HAVE LIKE FIFTY SHIRTS OR SOMETHING, JUST LET ME HAVE THIS ONE AT LEAST.”
“THIS SHIRT MATCHES MY OUTFIT PERFECTLY. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHEN I'LL SEE A PRETTY GIRL? YOUR SISTER BROKE MY HEART ENOUGH, DON'T RUIN MY CHANCES”
“YEONGI, MY SISTER IS ENGAGED FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"
Suho watched the pair bickering, laughing like a maniac. As usual, he got ready in 15 minutes and curled up in a corner. Because even if he went to the meeting looking like a mummy, Sieun wouldn't be able to take his eyes off him all day. Speaking of Sieun, Juntae and Sieun were almost there, according to the phone call Hyuntak had just made with them. Everyone would slowly make their way to the venue. Amidst the chaos inside the house, Hyuntak laughed at the comebacks Wooyoung and Yeongi threw to each other, while wondering why Seongje hadn't said anything to him about the meeting. He was coming, right? He had to come. One of his closest friends was going to be a lawyer, after all. It was an important event. So he would come, right? Why wouldn't he?
-
Seongje wasn't coming to the meeting.
When they arrived at the venue, Hyuntak got tired of thinking about it after a while and asked Baekjin. Baekjin said he wasn't coming, as if that was the most natural thing in the world. Apparently, Seongje was even busier than Hyuntak thought. And since he was the first to find out, he had already congratulated Baekjin. Baekjin had said the two of them would meet later. He wasn't the type to dwell on such things anyway.
Baekjin was perfectly fine with this situation. But of course, there was someone who wasn't fine with it.
Ever since learning that Hyuntak Seongje wouldn't be coming, he had sat frozen in place, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were fixed on the half-empty bottle of soju on the table, and his jaw clenched as his foot fidgeted under the table. Anyone watching from the outside could tell he was not in a calm state. But Hyuntak's friends, who weren't very bright to begin with, had already downed more than three bottles of soju, so their already low IQs had dropped to zero. Suho and Baku were, as usual, caught up in the game titled “who will eat the most food” - which everyone knew they would regret in half an hour - while Baekjin, panicked by the alcohol entering his system, asked whether being a lawyer was harder than he thought. He was going through some kind of existential crisis. Juntae was slumped in a corner. Wooyoung, who became unnecessarily soft every time he drank, was chatting with Yeongi without arguing, which was rare. Yeongi was telling him about a girl, and the girl's name sounded a little more familiar than it should have.
“I'm in such a state that I could even text Seulgi right now.”
Hearing the name Seulgi, Hyuntak finally took his eyes off the soju bottle and fixed them on Yeongi. He stopped tapping his foot and began to speak in a tone that was a little curious, a little tense.
“Seulgi?”
“Yeah, Seulgi. The one in software engineering. She's always hanging around our faculty. She's a really pretty girl, but she's probably straight. And she's a bit annoying. I thought you knew her. She always acts like she's going to fall into Seongje's mouth or something.”
Oh.
Hyuntak tensed up even more at what he heard, as if it were possible. His teeth were clenched so hard they might break.
Oh.
Within seconds, a thousand scenarios with no basis in reality were running through his mind. To be honest, Seongje couldn't even remember the girl's name properly. And since he doesn't give a flying fuck about the actions of the people around him, except Hyuntak, even if the girl was flirting with him, it would take him a long time to notice. But Hyuntak wasn't exactly a rational thinker. Especially in a situation and at a time like this. The only thing on his mind was that Seongje might be doing a project alone with a girl who might like him.
What are they doing right now?
Is she touching him?
Is he touching her?
What are they talking about?
Does this project really take that long?
Hyuntak couldn't stand the unwanted thoughts in his head any longer and reached for the bottle in front of him. He had actually decided not to drink tonight because he didn't want to deal with a headache in the morning. But the universe must have been playing a big joke on him. And if Hyuntak stayed sober a little longer, he might do something completely insane.
Stupid Seongje.
Stupid Seongje and his stupidly pretty face.
Hyuntak drank more than he ever had in his life. One bottle became two. Three shots became four... He left all his logic at that table that night, and frankly, the only thing he remembered was Suho trying to snatch the phone from Gotak's hand. Suho was amazed at how much muscle strength a drunk person could have. Hyuntak literally had his hands glued to the phone like a leech.
“GIVE ME BACK MY PHONE, I'LL TEXT HIM, YOU CAN'T STOP ME.” Hyuntak yelled in a voice broken by alcohol.
“YOU'RE NOT IN YOUR RIGHT MIND RIGHT NOW!” Suho said, trying to convince him. “I JUST WANT YOU TO EMBARRASS YOURSELF. TRUST ME, YOU'LL THANK ME IN THE MORNING.”
The entire table watched the pair with astonished looks. Yeongi and Wooyoung were almost dying from laughter at their very situation. The others were too tired to do anything but watch. Watching suited them just fine, too. Who would say no to a little entertainment?
Hyuntak's patience had run out, and resisting Suho for minutes had made his arms ache so badly. An idea flashed in his mind, and his eyes lit up. He looked at Suho one last time and, as a last resort, he bit down hard on his arm. Suho quickly pulled his hand away from the phone, letting out a cry. Hyuntak ignored the loud reactions coming from his sides and Sieun suddenly getting up and going right to Suho's side. He finally had the phone in his hand, and there was a victorious smirk on his face.
His head was spinning, and he couldn't move his fingers properly, but he opened the message from the person named “Bastard🤍” at the top of his contact and started moving his said fingers over the keyboard. In the background, the laughter of several people, Suhon's mouthful of curses, and countless “eat shit”s were still flying around. His friends and he were a bit wild, but that was okay. Hyuntak was having fun. Of course, if the restaurant owner hadn't been an acquaintance, Suho would have been prepared to work five months overtime as compensation for the disturbance they had caused, but fortunately, there was no problem in that regard.
-
Seongje was on the verge of suicide. He was about to lose his mind because of this crappy assignment he'd been working on for days. As if spending hours every day wrestling with numbers on the computer wasn't enough, his project partner was also very talkative, and she was quickly draining Seongje's social battery. On top of all this, he hadn't seen his one and only love in eight days. Well, technically he had seen him. He was very careful to talk to him everyday and not lose contact. But it wasn't the same. He couldn't see his blushing cheeks and wide eyes when he said naughty things to him, with this distance between them. He couldn't touch him at every moment—which was worse than hell for Seongje—and he couldn't touch his waist, which was made for Seongje's hands, and he couldn't hug him tightly after a long hard day and breathe in his scent and—
"Hey, Seongje...you've been getting notifications on your phone for about 15 minutes now. I think you should check it out. Maybe it's something important." said the girl sitting in front of him.
Seongje wasn't aware of the passing time. He wasn't even aware of his phone, to be honest. His eyes were lost in thoughts of his Hyuntak, and he was completely detached from reality for fifteen minutes appearently. Snapping out of his thoughts, he shook his head slightly at Seulgi and picked up his phone.
“26 new messages from Darling❤️”
He stared at his phone in shock. Hyuntak wasn't the type to send him so many messages in a row. With a mixture of fear and curiosity, he clicked on the notification.
Shht
Look at mw you idipt
If youditch me onw more time I wull smash that fucking cpmputer of yoyrs you hwar me????
[+13 messages]
Seongje struggled to keep his face straight as he scrolled down the screen.
SSwongje
I saud come hrre
Ypu dont lovr me do you.
Of corrse yiu dont
If yoy did youd be hwre
Idiot
Dont comw
I hatr you
I reelly reallyyyyyyyy hate yoy
Havd fun wiyh Seilgi🤪🤪🤪
With every new message he read, Seongje became a little more certain: Hyuntak was drunk. Dead drunk. He breathed in and out angrily. The problem wasn't that Hyuntak was drunk, the problem was that the friends Hyuntak had entrusted himself to were allowing him to get this wasted. They were all aware of what a drunk Hyuntak was capable of. Despite that, they hadn't stopped him. Seongje lost the last bit of restraint he had and called Hyuntak, getting up from where he was. He couldn't hear anything but the ringing of the phone in his ear. The only thing he wanted now was to reach Hyuntak safely. He started pacing where he stood. His mind was so focused on this task that when he quickly stood up, he didn't even notice Seulgi, who had suddenly raised her head when he got up and started looking at him. He was about to explain when the voice on the other line shut down all his senses.
“Don't call me, fucker. I don't want want to talk to you” said Hyuntak, in a rather slurred and drunk tone of voice.
Seongje exhaled and closed his eyes.
“Where are you guys?”
“Don't come here. I don't want you to. I hate you so much oh my god.”
“Hyuntak,” he continued in a monotone voice. “Where are you?”
Hyuntak was silent for a few seconds. Seongje was left alone with the muffled sounds of conversation coming from behind him. “Isn't she there with you? Go talk to her—YEONGI GO AWAY, NO I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU HER NUMBER OR ANYTHING! ARE YOU STUPI-”
After a few shouts and arguments, the phone hung up. With a beep, Seongje took the phone away from his ear. He hurriedly grabbed his jacket, gave Seulgi a brief explanation along the lines of “I'm sorry, something came up, I'll take care of the rest of this anyway, you can go, thanks again,” and left the house. Of course, he didn't know exactly where they were. But there was only one place his feet were taking him. And his instincts weren't lying to Seongje.
-
Hyuntak was about to fall asleep. The conversation, which became more tedious as the night progressed, had bored him to death. His friends' voices sounded like a lullaby to him. It wouldn't hurt to rest his eyes a little, right? What could evenhappen? He shifted in his seat, as if trying to find the most comfortable position. Finally, he stopped. He almost let himself fall into the arms of sleep as soon as he closed his eyes, but the familiar smell of cigarette smoke filling his nose, the large hands running through his hair, and the familiar butterflies in his stomach prevented it.
Seongje...
His mind spoke before his mouth did.
“Seongje...?” When he slowly raised his head and looked up, the profile he saw proved him right. The body he was very familiar with was behind Hyuntak, and his other hand was on his shoulder. He served as like a shield for him.
Seongje didn't answer him. He was talking to his friends. Hyuntak wanted to laugh at the partial threats reaching his ears amid the indistinct voices, but he was too tired for that. Besides, his boyfriend, whom he hadn't seen for days, was finally here, and he was touching him. That was the only thing Hyuntak cared about right now. Like a cat craving attention, he did nothing but press his head more into Seongje's hand. He was literally melting under his lover's touch. The tension in his shoulders had disappeared with the sense of security Seongje radiated. Even if he didn't say it out loud, Hyuntak had missed him like crazy. He missed him so much that his mind was going back and forth between listing all the compliments he could give him and not caring where they were and just start making out with him right now. Before Hyuntak could make a decision, the hand in his hair withdrew. Just as he was about to complain, he felt Seongje's right hand on his arm and his left hand on his waist. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he found himself leaning against him sideways.
“This won't ever happen again.” Seongje said in a slightly serious tone. He was still talking to their friends. And he was talking to Suho at the moment. After Suho said his last words to him, Seongje said goodbye to everyone. Meanwhile, Hyuntak had buried his head in Seongje's neck, busy filling his lungs with his scent. He couldn't break this moment. It didn't matter if he didn't say goodbye to his friends just for this one time. They would be following them soon anyway. The group watching the pair leave the place exchanged knowing glances and grinned before starting to get ready. It was almost midnight. They were practically the only ones left in the restaurant.
When they left the place, the only thing Seongje struggled with for the next few minutes was trying to get his very smart (!) boyfriend to walk properly. After a couple of steps, either Hyuntak's legs would get tangled up, or he would limp. Seongje started nagging like Hyuntak's mother, saying things like, “Why did you drink so much? Look at the state you're in.” All Hyuntak did was make meaningless, incoherent murmurs. When he lost his balance one last time as they stepped onto the sidewalk, a curse escaped Seongje's mouth.
“Fuck it.”
With one hand firmly on Hyuntak's waist, he placed the other behind his knees and tightened his grip. As Hyuntak's head grew increasingly dizzy and his feet left the ground, he reflexively wrapped his arms around Seongje's neck and slowly began to comprehend what was happening, when his beloved's face that was worth worshipping suddenly entered his field of vision.
Seongje carried Hyuntak in his arms bridal style.
This night couldn't have been more beautiful.
Hyuntak knew that he wasn't light, as could be seen from his frequent visits to the gym and his healthy balanced diet. Seongje must have struggled every time he picked him up. But even if that was the case, he didn't show it, carrying him as easily as if Hyuntak were weightless. And Hyuntak loved it.
He loved it much more than he should have.
Every time Seongje carried him, the strong arms he felt on his back almost made him lose his mind.
Hyuntak grinned at the idea that suddenly popped into his head. He could make this situation a little more fun, couldn't he?
He wiped the grin off his face and put on a bored, unimpressed expression. When Seongje slightly furrowed his brow, as if trying to understand what was going on, he began to speak.
"If we were in highschool right now, you would carry me out of the place without waiting for me to limp. Too bad, even you're getting weaker as time goes by..." he muttered with a pitying expression on his face.
Seongje stopped frowning. He took his eyes off Hyuntak and turned them to the road, letting out a hollow laugh that held no entartainment. Hyuntak waited for Seongje's next reaction, and Seongje's lips formed to a straighr line, and he threw Hyuntak into the air twice and caught him in his arms again. Hyuntak laughed loudly, as if he had been expecting this, and pressed his nose against Seongje's neck, tightening his arms around him a little more and finding the strands of hair at the nape of his neck with his hands.
The cool night breeze on his skin, the stars spinning in Hyuntak's head, and Seongje.
This night really couldn't have been more beautiful.
-
Hyuntak spent the rest of the journey quietly dozing off in Seongje's arms. When they entered the house, Seongje was still carrying Hyuntak. His steps slowly turned towards the living room, and when they reached the sofa, he began to gently lower the body in his arms. Hyuntak's grip around his neck tightened.
“Don't leave.”
Seongje smiled.
“I'm not going, sweetheart. I'm just going to make you some coffee, It'll do you good. You can wait a little, hm? Come here...” he said, placing Hyuntak very gently on the sofa. Hyuntak was still unhappy, but he didn't say anything, both because of Seongje's sweet words and because he didn't have the strength to. He released his arms from around his neck. He stretched out on the sofa, curling up where he was. He watched Seongje's back as he headed towards the kitchen. His eyes closed slightly as he waited for him to return.
Seongje had placed Hyuntak's favorite cup under the coffee machine and was standing there waiting for the coffee to brew when his eyes suddenly fell on his tired lover.
Hyuntak's hair falling on his forehead, his long eyelashes, his slightly parted lips, his rabbit teeth showing, him shining like an angel...
Seongje was the luckiest man in the world, and Hyuntak was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in this world.
His pretty, pretty boy.
The quickening rhythm of his heart, the familiar, warm feeling inside him, and his gorgeous boyfriend had made him forget why he was leaning against the counter. The long one woke up to the "beep!" noise from the machine. Pulling himself together, he began to carefully carry the coffee to the living room section with measured steps. When he reached Hyuntak, he placed the cup on the table in front of the sofa and crouched down on his knees to look him in the eye.
Seeing Seongje in front of him, Hyuntak stood up. He rubbed his eyes and took the coffee cup Seongje offered him.
“Be careful, it might be hot.” said Seongje.
Hyuntak took a sip of the coffee without hesitation. Fortunately, it was drinkable. Otherwise, his neighbors might have been subjected to the worst words they had ever heard in their lives. He was so thirsty that he drank half of the coffee. His breath caught, so he stopped drinking and placed the cup in his lap. He took a peaceful breath. Coffee really did do him good at any moment.
“I still can't understand how you can enjoy drinking this tar-like stuff." said Seongje, clicking his fingers and wrinkling his nose slightly.
“Oh trust me it's better than your sugar comas in liquid forms.”
Seongje laughed. “Forget about all that...”
He took the coffee from Hyuntak's lap, grasping it around his hand, and placed it on the side table, replacing the coffee with his hands. He was now holding Hyuntak's two hands with both of his. Hyuntak was waiting for the next sentence to come out of his mouth.
“Did you... miss me today?” he said, raising one eyebrow.
Hyuntak wasn't expecting this question. His gaze fixed on Seongje, he cleared his throat and spoke.
“Why would I? Am I a child or something?” He swallowed at the thought that came to mind. The mocking smile he was accustomed to appeared on his lips as he spoke. "You probably didn't miss me either. You've probably been having fun with you beloved partner. Since you haven't come to see me in 8 days, you know. You even skipped today's meeting..." Because he was drunk, he was more honest than usual, but he still didn't explicitly say he missed Seongje.
Seongje sighed deeply when he heard the words he had been expecting to hear. He gently stroked Hyuntak's hands.
“For eight days, it wasn't some girl whose name I couldn't even remember properly that was on my mind, it was you, Hyuntak-ah.”
Hyuntak tried not to soften in response to the nickname.
“I don't know about you, but she seems to know your name very well. According to Yeongi, she likes you. Give her a chance if you want.” When the last sentence came out of his mouth, his jaw clenched just at the image that flashed through his mind.
Seongje rolled his eyes. “I don't think you should play that card anymore, dear. Because I know by heart the number of eyes following you wherever we go. And the project is over anyway, I won't talk to her again.”
Hyuntak turned his head, his eyes fixed on Seongje. Seongje was right. But he personally preferred to remain silent because he doesn't want to accept it.
“Now...” Seongje stood on his knees and brought his face close to Hyuntak's. “Tell me. Did you miss me or not?”
Hyuntak swallowed. “I didn't.” he said with difficulty.
Seongje leaned in a little closer. He was nose to nose with Hyuntak. “Are you sure?” he said, grinning as usual. Sometimes Hyuntak really wanted to punch the boy in front of him squarely in the jaw. Just like back in the days.
And at the same time, Hyuntak was really struggling. The beautiful face standing right in front of him was testing his already fading control and patience. With the blood pooling in his cheeks and the warm breath on his lips, he realized he couldn't take it anymore.
“Yes, yes I did, you idiot. Now come here...” he finally said in slow, weary words.
Hyuntak took off Seongje's glasses and placed them somewhere random on the table. He held Seongje's cheeks with both hands and began planting kisses everywhere he found space on his face. Especially on the mole under his right eye. Seongje giggled loudly at Hyuntak's actions and held his wrists tightly on both sides of his face. As if he didn't want them to leave. Hearing his giggles, Hyuntak sped up his movements even more.
They guessed that this was the love that “healthy” people constantly described to them all the time.