#236 | Spilled Champagne | SeSoo
Prompt #: 236
Title:Spilled Champagne
Pairing/Main character(s): Kyungsoo/Sehun
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 8,041
Warning(s): Mentions of homophobia
Summary: Do Kyungsoo, a famous actor on the rise, is caught in a terrifying scandal with his new friend Oh Sehun.
Author's Note: hi! so i just want to thank my best friend for helping me edit my first mess of a fic. as for the prompter, i hope this is what you had in mind!
The wind rips through and musses up Kyungsoo’s dark brown hair through the wide slit of the open car window. He rips his eyes from his cellphone to dart his eyes across the city. Skyscrapers flew past as they drive through the heart of Seoul, the city illuminated by forgotten lights in apartments and billboards with celebrities’ attractive faces blasted large and wide for the whole area to see, advertising random products or actors and actresses promoting their new movies
He stares back at the dimmed screen of his phone through slitted eyes of exhaustion, scrolling through a news website he had managed to stumble upon. “DO KYUNGSOO, ANOTHER FANTASTIC ACTING JOB IN NEW MOVIE ‘WHITE CHAMPAGNE’ he stops scrolling aimlessly, deciding to take a look at the article written about him, posted 7 hours ago by some freelance journalist.
Comments such as ‘Kyungsoo-Oppa! I loved your new movie! Keep up the great work, I love you!’ have Kyungsoo’s full lips slipping into a small crescent, a giddy laugh rolling out of his mouth before he knew it.
His manager Minseok quirks up an eyebrow from the driver's seat, haphazardly taking his eyes off the road to look at the actor for a few seconds. “Something entertaining?” he asks, his mouth turning up into a grin.
“Fan comments,” Kyungsoo replies, voice heavy with fatigue, but still light and cheerful as he kept on reading the comments. “On this article about the movie. They’re really sweet.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Soo,” Minseok replies, twisting the steering wheel to turn left into a parking lot, a sign stating the name of the condominiums to their right. “You really did do a great job,” he continues, pulling into a spot close to the tall building, switching the vehicle into park and pulling the keys from the ignition.
Kyungsoo yawns and he pulls up his face mask from its place on his chin to cover up his mouth. He shuts his phone off, slipping it into his coat pocket sliding out of the car seat and shutting the black car door behind him, then stretching his arms over his head and arching his back, a groaning with satisfaction when he feels a few pops on his spine.
Minseok drags him into the lobby of the condominiums and past the doorman (who gave a friendly nod to the men), as he tells Kyungsoo, “I’m not leaving to go home until I see that you make it safely to your apartment, okay?” to which Kyungsoo protests.
The elevator stops somewhere in between the middle of the building and the top few floors’ penthouses, the ding startling Kyungsoo from beginning to nod off. Stepping into his fresh apartment, he sighs loudly, smiling with the prospect of curling up into his blankets on his mind.
“You good?” Minseok asks, shutting the door softly. Kyungsoo only nods and beckons the manager out hastily, assuring him that he would be fine.
Kyungsoo groans, slipping off his coat and slipping it into the small closet near the door, and pulling his facemask off of his face. He elects to ignore the boxes stacked onto the kitchen counters, waiting to unpack the non-necessities when he wasn’t so exhausted.
He changes his clothes, slipping into some large shirt and climbing into his bed, curling up into his blanket and falling asleep with a smile as soon as his head touched the cool pillow.
The blaring noise of his ringtone arouses Kyungsoo from slumber, a low whine escaping from his throat as he picks up his phone with sleep-crusted eyes. “Yeah?” he asks with a yawn and a voice heavy from sleep, lifting his sleep shirt and scratching his stomach absentmindedly.
“Remember to unpack some of your shit today!” comes Minseok’s voice through the crackling speaker of his cellphone--and Minseok promptly hangs up afterward.
Kyungsoo groans, pushing himself back onto his pillows, shutting his eyes tightly, an arm thrown over his eyes. “I don’t wanna get up, not on a day off,” he mumbles to no one.
He pushes himself reluctantly off his bed and into the kitchen, the words of his manager echoing into his ears, audibly dreading the day of unpacking everything into his new apartment with a groan.
Kyungsoo selects the only box marked as fragile, his lips stretching into a pink heart. He pulls out a plastic photo frame adorned with pink and red construction paper hearts, a small smile on his face as the memories came flooding back. A photo of his family from 10 years ago, a small Kyungsoo perched on the shoulders of his older brother Seungsoo, his parents on either of the two. He shakes his head with a chuckle, setting the photo frame aside.
Kyungsoo spends the day unpacking, the day dreaded at first but eventually warming up to the idea as he sorts through pleasant memories and his past.
He makes the decision to leave his apartment at midnight to walk to the small convenience store down the road to purchase some junk food he knows he probably shouldn’t be eating. Locking the door behind him, he pads his way to the elevator at the end of the hall, accompanied by the dull thud of his shoes hitting the carpeted floor. He presses the down button on the elevator, a yawn creeping out of his mouth, slipping his facemask up soon after. The doors slide open, revealing a young man staring down at his phone, leaning against the bar. His eyes widen, and Kyungsoo’s mouth immediately goes dry.
‘Not at midnight!’ his brain chants. “Do Kyungsoo?” the man asks, a smile twitching at his lips. “You might want to step into the elevator before it closes. I know I’m handsome and everything, but no need to stare, really.”
Kyungsoo nods stiffly, dipping his head and mumbling an “Oh, yeah, right,” muffled by the mask over his face.
“I’m a pretty big fan, really. But I won’t bother you for anything this late at night.” He winks at the actor, but Kyungsoo let out an audible sigh of relief and cleared his throat. “Oh Sehun,” the other man continues, holding a hand out to Kyungsoo as the ding signals the end of their ride. Kyungsoo takes it gingerly, shaking it with his heart still pounding in his chest, but he smiles back despite himself, taking his leave from the elevator quickly.
Do Kyungsoo has lost count of how many times he’s stumbled upon Oh Sehun. 20? 30? Enough to kindle some sort of friendship, perhaps? This time they meet on the dusty and unused staircase that started at the very top penthouse and ended in the lobby. The steps and railings made from thin metal, now dingy from years of neglect.
Kyungsoo’s stomach twists into knots as he shuts the door behind him, he swallows thickly and attempts to release a shaky breath he’d been holding.
A groaning creak comes from the grouping of stairs above him, someone bounding down the stairs hazardously. Kyungsoo pulls his hood over his head and adjusts his large sunglasses, his breaths becoming uneven as the stranger approaches. He quickly walks to the descending stairs, his mind pleading that he doesn’t meet them.
“Kyungsoo?” comes the voice of a young man, and Kyungsoo turns his head to the source. Kyungsoo is met with the face of Oh Sehun and his stomach eases, the other’s mouth another aggravating half-smile.
“Yeah?” he croaks in reply, clearing his throat and turning back to look at the bottom of the stairs. Sehun starts down the stairs next to him, beckoning him down with a full smile.
“How’ve ya been?” Sehun asks, face turning towards Kyungsoo for a split second.
“Okay, I guess,” he offers a small smile as he says so. “You?”
“Pretty great, actually. College has been pretty smooth. Have you been hearin’ my parties?” his finger points above them, his left eye closing with a miserable attempt at a wink. “You should come to one sometime. They aren’t too crazy, just loud” he chuckles to himself.
Kyungsoo averts his eyes from Sehun’s, chewing his lip as he thinks. “Eh…” he begins and trails, ignoring the hopeful look in Sehun’s eyes.
“Maybe?” Kyungsoo tries, finally looking directly at Sehun. Sehun’s eyes are sparkling like stars and the smile that blooms on his face is magical, and Kyungsoo almost feels his chest contort. “Only if you promise to focus on your schoolwork and study more.”
Sehun rubs his chin thoughtfully with his lips turned downward briefly, before slipping again into a smile, a “Deal!” slipping from his mouth quickly as he laughs.
Kyungsoo swallows thickly come Saturday, adjusting the collar of his black button-up with sweaty fingers. His fingers press against the metal elevator railing and the brief motionlessness of the ride only adds to the churning in his stomach.
Ding! Signals the end of the ride and into the hallway of the top-floor penthouse he stands, loud music pumping through the cracks in the door and the bass running through his body. “Not too crazy?” he says to himself as he grips the doorknob and swings the entrance open.
The music immediately blasts through his eardrums, a DJ found close by, the number of party guests large and clumped into a mass in the middle of the room. He darted brown eyes to look for the owner of the penthouse, finding some of his actor friends within the crowd instead.
“Kyungsoo!” a voice sounded from right next to his ear, causing Kyungsoo to jump at least ten feet away. “You made it!” Sehun’s lips curled and his eyes curved into crescents as he laughed at Kyungsoo, a red solo cup clasped in his hand.
“I thought you said this wasn’t gonna be crazy!” Kyungsoo shouted over the bass, his eyes flicking back and forth between the crowd and his friend.
“It wasn’t supposed to be...but word got out that I invited Baekhyun. Y’know, that famous idol. And he came. So everyone kinda followed him and I kinda let them,” Sehun replied sheepishly, vaguely gesturing to the guests, his words showing signs of slurring soon.
“Oh...I--maybe I should leave?” Kyungsoo pointed behind him with a strained grin, but Sehun grabbed his wrist and smiled.
“But it’s only just started, Soo!” his lips push into a pout, and Kyungsoo easily complies, those weird contortions happening in his chest again.
Later, Kyungsoo finds himself being dragged around with Sehun’s arm around his shoulder and introduced to celebrities and friends of Sehun he cannot put faces to, but instantly recognize him. Kyungsoo does not drink, but the contents of Sehun’s cups quickly disappear, one after another, and soon he is hanging all over Kyungsoo with a dopey smile on his face.
“Kyungsoo-hyung~! Let’s get back in the action!” Sehun throws a fist up lazily, trying to push Kyungsoo with the other hand. Dragging a wasted Sehun to the table in Sehun’s dining room wasn’t Kyungsoo’s original plan, but he figures it’s much better than going back and having to face more fans and a (luckily thinning) large crowd.
“Sorry, Sehun,” he offers a semi-sympathetic smile for the ‘party animal,’ whose face is flat on the table. “But you’re completely drunk. That won’t be fun out there. I’ve already had to drag you around for the past 20 minutes.”
“But hyung!” he whines again, dragging out the ‘ng’ with a higher pitch than normal, stretching his arms out across the table “It’s my party!”
Kyungsoo sighs and then yawns, standing up. “Fine, but I’ll be leaving. It’s getting late, anyways” he says as he messes with the cuff of his shirt, turning away from Sehun. Sehun mumbles an almost inaudible ‘ok’ into the table, and Kyungsoo makes his way back to the door and into his own apartment, ignoring those who attempted to call for him.
“Kyungsoo, care to tell me what this is about?” Minseok asks as soon as Kyungsoo swings open his door the next morning. The actor rubs at his eyes and squints at the bright phone placed inches from his eyes.
‘Actor Do Kyungsoo Friendly With Son Of Oh Enterprises CEO and Attends His Party?’ Is what heads the article, and with a quick flick down, there are pictures of Sehun with his lazy eyes hanging over Kyungsoo while drunk, blurry, albeit the faces easily identifiable. A picture of Sehun with his face nudged into the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck with the actor’s arms wrapped around him to support him.
The report tells of the two possibly being friends for a long time, and an implication of the two’s possible scandalous homosexual relationship has Kyungsoo’s eyes widening in and his throat beginning to constrict.
“But neither of us are gay? How could we be dating? We’ve literally never been seen in public by paparazzi together either,” Kyungsoo raises his voice and flicks his eyes up to his less-than-pleased manager, who shuts the door behind him.
“Oh, I don’t know. You should be asking yourself that.” Minseok’s lips pull into a tight, plastic smile as he leans on the countertops of the kitchen, a dark gleam in his eyes as he stares Kyungsoo down. “But you know full well how dangerous the smallest things can be. A glance in the wrong direction and you can be landed a scandal,”
Kyungsoo runs his fingers through his hair, gulping thickly. “This...is all just a big misunderstanding! Sehun was drunk! And this is a part of my privacy!”
“But the media doesn’t know that, and even if they did they wouldn't care. It’s money, Kyungsoo, you know that,” Minseok replies, sliding his phone into his pocket. “You’re going to have to lay low and stay out of the public eye until this blows over and the company decides to make a statement - you know that, right? It's good you're not filming or advertising for anything right now.”
Kyungsoo nods glumly, chewing on his bottom lip. “And you can’t be seen with Sehun either,” Minseok finishes.
After Minseok leaves with squinting eyes trained on Kyungsoo, the actor calls Sehun immediately. “Sehun-” he starts as soon as the other picks up, but is interrupted by Sehun’s surprisingly calm, “I know, Kyungsoo. It’s painted all over every gossip website.”
“How…..are you feeling?” Kyungsoo tries instead.
“Okay, I guess. My father saw the news and called me immediately. What an adventure that was…” Kyungsoo could practically hear the other rolling his eyes. “He’s….not exactly the tolerant type...” Sehun continues.
“Ah...I see…” Kyungsoo picked at a random thread on his sweatpants, the awkward tension thick through the phone. “I’m sure it’ll blow over soon...” he says, and hangs up quietly.
The day is a long and boring one, Kyungsoo staying within his home as per Minseok’s orders by text. “Stay inside, stay off news sites and social media until the company decides to handle everything,” the first message read. “And remember to try to avoid Sehun.”
Kyungsoo stays in his room and browses Netflix, and despite his profession, scrolls through pirating websites for newly released movies. Sehun calls multiple times yet Kyungsoo ignores them all; ignores all notifications to his phone.
Kyungsoo picks at his lips and stares at the ceiling once the clock strikes midnight, his stomach in knots, throat tight, chest aching. His mind flashes to Sehun and his hearts feels constricted even more.
“This is going to ruin my career,” he whispers to the moonlight pouring through the window.
Kyungsoo’s negative thoughts wax and wane, his nail-biting and lip-picking trail off and start again with his anxiety and fears for his career. He spends his nights wondering how Sehun is doing, his college and his family. He wonders why Sehun hasn’t stopped calling and texting despite Kyungsoo ignoring them. He wonders how Sehun feels.
Kyungsoo wonders about himself more than anything else. He stares at walls with wide eyes, hoping that somehow, some way, they will give him all the answers he needs. And they don’t; they never have.
Kyungsoo buries his face within his smooth white pillow, a deep sigh escaping his lips and small prickling at the corners of his eyes. He lets out a small, muffled sob, his nose starting to run. Kyungsoo wonders why he’s crying now of all times, when he isn’t particularly sad, but really it’s just a way of releasing his pent-up anxiety and stress, breaking the dams of his mind and letting the flooding negativity flow through his eyes instead.
He lifts his head from his pillow and he sniffles and wipes his snotty nose with the back of his hand. Kyungsoo slides out of bed with droopy eyes and opts for a cold shower instead, having not properly cleaned himself in a few days.
He lets the cool water run down his back as his forehead presses against the cool tile, and his mind flashes back to Sehun and guilt fills his body from the tip of his toes to the top of his head, his chest aching at the thought of Sehun doing terribly, Kyungsoo’s lack of contact adding to it.
Kyungsoo steps out of the shower feeling no better than before, and the guilt eating at him compels him to disobey Minseok’s wishes and fly up the stairs to Sehun’s penthouse.
Kyungsoo’s fist hits the door in a rapid knock, hoping that Sehun is home. The door swings open, and ultimately, Sehun looks like shit. His eyes are as sunken as Kyungsoo’s and his lazy attire the same, a t-shirt and a pair of ratty sweatpants. His eyes are sad as he glances up and down Kyungsoo’s figure. He steps aside without a word and gestures for Kyungsoo to come in. Sehun’s apartment looks no better than he; not filthy, yet not clean.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Kyungsoo,” Sehun croaks from behind said actor, with Kyungsoo halting in place.
“Minseok told me not to be seen with you,” Kyungsoo manages to stutter out, his back still turned to Sehun. “Or leave my apartment. I’m sorry.” He chews on his bottom lip when he hears Sehun sigh quietly from behind him.
“Okay,” is all Sehun says while curving his mouth into small but genuine smile, and it’s reassuring enough to Kyungsoo to know that he forgives him.
Sehun pulls the shorter into a hug, resting a chin on the top of his head, and Kyungsoo knows, with the tightening of his arms around Sehun’s waist, that everything was truly going to be okay in the end.
After Kyungsoo’s visit to Sehun’s penthouse, to which he left minutes after they had he embraced, they decided to sneak and hang out, though minimal. Sehun would sneak to Kyungsoo’s apartment and show him the newest movies releases, (Pirated, of course. Sehun would rather pirate them than watch them in a theatre. Alone. Where people could recognize him and talk about Kyungsoo. So what if it was illegal?) which they watched together in silence.
Kyungsoo knew Minseok had an inkling of what was going on; how could Kyungsoo avoid a close friend even though people thought they were in a relationship? But he didn’t say anything for awhile.
Around 2 weeks after they started seeing each other again, Sehun tells of his new girlfriend who he met through a mutual friend.
“Her name’s Joohyun, Kyungsoo. She’s so beautiful,” his eyes sparkle when as he speaks of her, a dopey smile on his face, as he stares at nothing.
Kyungsoo doesn’t know why his smile is suddenly strained and why his chest tightens. He doesn’t know why jealously courses through him because he’s supposed to be happy for him. He’s supposed to be excited that one of his best friends is happy.
“She’s really pretty,” he replies, hoping Sehun can’t see the strained words, can’t see the dulled look in his eyes. “Congratulations. I am sure you’ll last a long time.” His heart constricts in his chest.
“Thank you, Soo! I’m so happy you like her,” he hugs Kyungsoo tightly, and Kyungsoo brings his arms to wrap around Sehun’s middle loosely, his smile faltering.
Sehun soon had left. “I have a date with Joohyun, bye Soo!” He leaves with another hug and that same giddy, ‘I’m absolutely whipped for you’ smile.
Why does it feel like Kyungsoo’s heart has crumbled completely?
Kyungsoo doesn’t see Sehun for weeks. He stopped answering the other’s calls, muted their text conversations once again. Ignored everyone, including Minseok. That night, Kyungsoo cried again. He still doesn’t quite know why.
He buries his face into the cool white of his pillow, curling into the endless amount too-hot blankets, a huff pushing out of his lips.
“Kyungsoo,” came a voice from next to him, causing the actor to jump at least 10 feet in the air, his heart pounding ruthlessly against his chest. The heartbeats soften once he realizes it’s his manager with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrows furrowing together.
He slithers back into the covers, turning away from Minseok, refusing to answer him.
Minseok pushes his legs out of the way, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Is there a reason….” he starts, chewing on his lips, his eyes darting over the lump under the blankets. “You’ve been ignoring me? And Sehun? The kid’s been calling me for weeks asking if you were okay. I don't even know how he got my personal phone number.”
A grunt comes from the lump of fabric, Kyungsoo poking his head out with a sigh. “Don’t feel good,” he answers simply.
Minseok doesn’t reply but he sighs deeply and opens his mouth too, but another whisper comes from the actor. “What...would you do if I was actually gay like all the articles said, Minseok?” Kyungsoo’s voice shakes, his eyes swelling with tears has he shoved his face back into his pillow, heart pounding in his chest like a bass drum.
“Kyungsoo….” he sighs, picking up the lump of sniffling Kyungsoo and hugging it tightly. “I would never judge you okay? So don’t think that. But I hope you understand that the public can’t know. The company has about everything cleared up already.”
Kyungsoo nods, his tears clearing up, the storm ending. “Thank you,” he says, clearing his throat. “Thank you so much.”
After Kyungsoo’s confession to Minseok, the weight in his chest starts to clear, and he picks up a call of Sehun’s, answers a few texts here and there; but it’s not the same as it was before. There’s still a lingering weight holding down his heart, a strings still trying to pull down the corners of his lips when he tries his best to smile genuinely.
Then Joohyun breaks up with Sehun, leaving Sehun just as messy as Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo decides to let Sehun in, listening to his slurred words and indecipherable drunken ranting.
Bits and pieces of “Someone else,” “A woman,” “Left me for her,” tumble out of Sehun’s mouth as his eyes brim with tears and he hiccups. “Some woman named Seulgi. Can you believe it?”
Kyungsoo doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know how to comfort Sehun when his heart twinges with the smallest bit of happiness; he hates himself for it. He opts for a warm hug and a gentle rub through his hair, hoping it was enough. He’s praying Sehun doesn’t mention how Kyungsoo has been avoiding him for weeks, he’s praying that Sehun doesn’t detect that small happiness within him
“God, I hate girls. I’m going for a guy next time, haven’t had a boyfriend in a while,” he mutters, smiling a smile that doesn’t come close to reaching his dull eyes.
Kyungsoo freezes, the color draining from his face as he realized what Sehun said. Sehun pulls away and gives him a strange look, one that Kyungsoo can’t quite decipher. “What? You have a problem with me being bisexual, Kyungsoo? Liking guys, just like my father? Or do I have to pick a side?” he snaps out soberly, his eyebrows furrowed tightly.
“Sehun, it’s nothing like that, alright?” he remains calm, but his throat tightening around the words in his throat. “I…like boys...too,” he manages to stutter out, shaking as he stares Sehun straight in the eye. “Surprised, that’s all,” he tacks on quietly.
“Oh, that makes sense,” he slurs without a question, nodding, resorting back to his drunken state, seemingly unsurprised by Kyungsoo’s confession.
“Yeah…” he says, letting out a little breathless laugh and a smile, and Kyungsoo realizes one more weight has been pulled out of his chest and god, it’s so, so relieving, and Kyungsoo can finallyact like he can breathe normally, even though Sehun might not remember it.
That night when Sehun leaves, Kyungsoo breaks one of Minseok’s rules and checks the gossip websites, feeling slightly confident about the situation and way too curious. He sighs with relief when he noticed the top article isn't about him or Sehun, but instead about an idol group.
The second one down tells of his company's statement on the issue, though, and he clicks on it with a heavy chest.
“This is simply a huge misunderstanding. Our Do Kyungsoo is not a homosexual man, and these photos here are of an overzealous friend who was drunk at the time. Please excuse this mistake and continue to love our Do Kyungsoo as usual!” Is what it reads, and Kyungsoo isn’t sure if he is relieved that it is cleared up or guilty because of the fact that the company--he--is lying.
He scrolls down despite his tightening heart to glance at the comments.
“They're lying, I bet Kyungsoo is disgusting and likes men.”
“Kyungsoo oppa is totally gay. Ew.”
His heart shatters into thousands of pieces, sharp edges slicing his chest.
“So what if he’s gay? He’s still a good actor.”
The few comments of support don't ease the pain, but he sets down his phone, and shuts it off without a second thought curling into the shelter of his warm bed blankets, willing himself not to start crying.
The next day, Sehun doesn’t remember, and Kyungsoo isn’t sure if he’s more happy or upset with the fact. He wants Sehun to know--he feels like he cheated Sehun by knowing his sexuality. Sehun doesn’t know that he told him, yet Kyungsoo knows. He doesn’t know if he can come out to Sehun a second time, he doesn’t know if he can face the boy, and the thought of it twists his stomach in knots and forms a lump in the back of his throat.
Today, Kyungsoo calls his manager. “Oh! Great, I was just about to call you too. I have great news!” Minseok sounds absolutely elated and Kyungsoo feels terrible for wanting to pin his worries onto his friend. “You won’t believe it!” But he can feel the gummy smile through the phone and Minseok’s excited laugh, and he feels his lips twitch just slightly.
“I got you an acting role in a new movie!” It’s been over a year since White Champagne’s filming was wrapped up and although Kyungsoo loves his job and he loves acting he doesn’t know if he should take it.
“Kyungsoo, it’s great, I promise. I know you don’t think the that with the circumstances this will be okay, but it will. I know,” he senses Kyungsoo worries and his voice sounds desperate from the other side. “It’s not a main role, and the filming is in China, if it happens to make you feel better; we can ease you back into the media and real world, yeah? Once people see you're acting again people might believe you aren't gay.”
Kyungsoo sighs and he picks absentmindedly at a loose string from his ratty old hoodie and he tears up his bottom lip. “I don’t know, Minseok. I really don’t,” he says half-heartedly.
“Let me know if you decide, alright? But please consider for yourself,” Minseok hangs up, the line goes dead, and Kyungsoo sets down his phone with a decision already made.
Kyungsoo paces back and forth, packed bags on the floor and his hands running through his hair, Sehun in the doorway with his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, expression unchanging, but a twinge of hurt in his voice that pulls at the guilt in Kyungsoo’s heart.
“I was going to,” he stops in his pacing and faces Sehun, who is looking at the floor instead. “I forgot,” he lies, and Kyungsoo’s smile is sheepish and forced, but on the inside he isn’t smiling.
Sehun stays silent and it pains Kyungsoo more than hearing an answer would. He nods his head and looks up, a glaringly plastic smile on his lips. “Okay,” he finally answers. “Do you need help packing?” he tries, eyes flicking over the mess Kyungsoo has all over his bedroom floor.
Kyungsoo shakes his head, but Sehun doesn’t take no for answer despite his hesitation, so he goes to collect necessities he thinks Kyungsoo will need, which leaves Kyungsoo sighing and shaking his head as he folds and packs his clothes.
Sehun comes back and dumps them on Kyungsoo’s bed without a word, but he clears his throat and asks if he did anything stupid yesterday when he came to Kyungsoo’s apartment drunk.
Kyungsoo shakes his head no and smiles, his chest tightening with guilt. “But it’s okay, I understand the situation.”
He nods and offers an honest, understanding grin, and Kyungsoo notices how his heart warms, and god it terrifies him. Why is he still feeling this way?
Kyungsoo smiles back despite himself, and the warmth only fills out more of his body.
An hour later, Kyungsoo has to leave for the airport to catch his flight for Beijing, and he doesn’t know how to say goodbye to Sehun when he never planned on a goodbye at all.
He smiles halfheartedly at Sehun and he smiles back just as sheepishly, and to Kyungsoo’s surprise he opens his arms wide for a hug. Kyungsoo walks into his outstretched arms and wraps his arms around the taller, burying his face into the other’s chest.
He feels Sehun’s pink lips on the crown of his head and that’s when he freezes, the lump returning in his throat and his arms tightening instinctively. Sehun quickly pulls away with a pained look on his face and he stretches his lips into a tight smile without a word.
Sehun slips out of his apartment and closes the door quietly, softly mumbling, “I’ll miss you, goodbye,” incoherent to Kyungsoo.
A soft rapping against Kyungsoo’s door startles the actor. Minseok unlocks the door and walks in before Kyungsoo gets a chance to open the door.
“It’s time to go,” the manager declares, a soft smile on his face.
Kyungsoo nods and gathers his things following his manager to his car.
When Kyungsoo’s back hits the second class seat of his flight to Beijing, he sighs in relief, and he doesn’t know why.
Minseok slips into the seat next to his, Kyungsoo at the window and the manager in the middle of three seats.
“Isn’t it nice?” Minseok asks, and he grins widely at the actor.
“Yeah, I guess is…”
“You guess?” And Minseok’s smile falters just a little bit.
“It’s difficult, you know. I chose to do it but it’s still stressful. Someone could bring back a scandal at any moment, Minseok.” Kyungsoo leans his head against the closed window, worrying at his lip. “But I’ll cope for now.”
“Hey, I know I don’t know what you must have went through, that you constantly were aware of your career potentially being ruined. But know that I’m always here for you, Soo. You’re my best friend, I hope you know that.” Minseok’s face is painted with a smile and he grabs Kyungsoo’s hand from their shared armrest, lacing their fingers together.
Kyungsoo looks at him with his eyebrows raised but smiles back radiantly.
When the actor and his manager land in Beijing Capital International Airport, Kyungsoo finally feels like he can breathe a real breath of relief, he feels like he can ignore everything that happened in Korea during this month of filming in China. He can leave his problems back in South Korea, and he can leave his heart back there too.
The hotel they check into -- some long Chinese name Kyungsoo can’t pronounce or remember. His agency booked it for him; something, that even with his salary as an actor, could never dream of renting.
Kyungsoo and Minseok’s shared suite is nothing short of the word luxurious. A chandelier hung over the main room, two identical bedrooms, and an entire kitchen with God knows how many appliances. Kyungsoo sucks in a breath and his eyes widen along with Minseok’s as he sets down his bags.
“I call this bedroom!” Minseok points to their left. “So you get the one on the right,” he affirms, taking himself and his bags and shutting the door. Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows at the closed door and sighs, walking into his bedroom and immediately plopping onto the queen-sized bed, his bags dropped at the foot of the bed.
He doesn’t know exactly how long he lays there, his face buried into the soft comforter and legs and arms spread wide, but Minseok knocks at his doorframe and tells him they should go out to eat with a soft smile on his face.
Kyungsoo groans and pushes off the bed, but he ends up agreeing anyway. They find themselves at a small, tucked away restaurant near their hotel. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and it makes Kyungsoo smile as they walk inside, a pleasant smell invading his nostrils of something Kyungsoo can’t quite name.
“This is nice,” Minseok comments as he pulls down his black facemask, eyes darting around.
The duo is greeted by a waiter with a pretty smile on her face as she leads them to a table, the restaurant mostly empty at this time besides for what appears to be 2 college students and another man who enters in just after them.
“Come to the counter when you are ready,” the waiter spoke in Chinese, Kyungsoo cluelessly smiling but Minseok translating for him after a few minutes. Minseok goes to the counter to order for the two immediately after, rattling off some Chinese dish Kyungsoo doesn't know.
“One for you, and one for me!” Minseok returns with a smile and repeats the dish’s name and immediately starts eating excitedly, which prompts Kyungsoo to begin eating too.
Kyungsoo really doesn’t want to admit this, but he can tell that the man dressed in all black is staring at them constantly, and frankly, he’s entirely too freaked out. He steals another glance at the man and he feels like he’s boring holes into his soul, and Kyungsoo says a silent prayer that the man isn’t some sort of creepy stalker fan who’s after a lock of Kyungsoo’s hair or something.
Minseok suddenly clears his throat and leans in, voice at a whisper. “You can notice that guy too, right?” He peeks over quickly, and the man is still looking and Kyungsoo kind of wants to wet his pants on the spot and the bathroom is way too far.
Kyungsoo nods quickly and avoids the gaze of the creepy stalker, focusing onto Minseok’s forehead to distract himself.
“Let’s get out of here,” Minseok says with an even lower whisper and he picks up his coat and hat while Kyungsoo does the same, and Kyungsoo has to stop himself from practically bolting straight out the door and not stopping until he gets all the way back to the comfort of his hotel bed.
The stranger watches them walk out carefully, but he doesn’t seem to make a move to follow them. The staff waves goodbye to them, and Kyungsoo sends a hurried smile their way as he shuffles out the door.
Minseok stands behind him the whole walk home, occasionally glancing behind them for a suspicious flash of black.
Their hotel comes into view a few moments later, Kyungsoo audibly sighing with relief. They climb the stairs to their room in silence, the only noised the slide of their hands along the railing and the stomp of their feet on the stars, and Kyungsoo thanks the lord he can’t hear a third pair behind or below them.
They both freeze when they see the man lean carelessly against the door, fingers idly tapping at his phone, and he doesn’t seem to notice they’re there.
“Who are you?” Minseok asks firmly with his dark eyebrows furrowed together, his lips pressed in a line. Kyungsoo’s heart pounds quickly and he can feel it close to breaking through his ribcage. His throat dries and he’s still frozen as the man looks up, face disguised by dark sunglasses.
He chuckles behind the face mask and slips his phone in his pocket, and the actor swears he can feel his heart beginning to pour of his chest and onto the floor.
The man pulls off his hat and sunglasses and pulls down his face mask, and stuffs them all in his pocket. Kyungsoo doesn’t know if he feels relieved or more terrified, or if he should be extremely angry. Minseok raises his eyebrows and his eyes dart back and forth between the two, not recognizing the stranger.
“Oh Sehun, what the fuck are you doing here?” Kyungsoo clenches his fists and Minseok’s eyes widen comically, from the sight of Kyungsoo being angry (he rarely is), and the name that tumbles out of the actor’s mouth. Minseok clears his throat awkwardly before sending Kyungsoo an apologetic look as he slides his keycard into its designated slot and quickly opens and closes the door behind him.
Sehun sighs, running his fingers through his blonde mussed up hair. “I needed to come after you, Kyungsoo. We really need to talk, okay?” He looks Kyungsoo dead in the eye, and his mouth is pressed into a serious line.
Kyungsoo feels himself calming down and he doesn’t quite know why he was mad in the first place. He mirrors the other’s sigh, asking, “Talk about what exactly, Sehun?”
“You and me. Us.”
“What about us? Is there something wrong?” he raises his eyebrows.
Sehun closed his eyes and leans his back against the wall, face pointed towards the ceiling. “I think I’m in love with you, Kyungsoo. I don’t even know if you feel anywhere near the same way, but I do.” He turns his head to Kyungsoo and opens his eyes slightly, the dark brown of his eyes piercing through the slits of his eyes.
Kyungsoo throat tightens up and he clenches his fingers into fists. “You’re dropping this on me now? Just after a scandal was cleared up between us, and in the fucking hallway of a hotel where anyone could walk past and see? Seriously?” he whispers harshly.
Sehun’s eyes dull painfully, a stab to Kyungsoo’s heart, but his anger overwhelms the pain.
“Kyungsoo-hyung, please-”
“I don’t want to hear it right now Sehun, I really don't,” he interrupts, closing his eyes and running his hands across his face.
“Okay,” is all Sehun says, and he slips past Kyungsoo without another word and heads to the end of the hall. Kyungsoo’s eyes prick with tears and he knocks on the door, too worn out to even pull out his keycard to unlock the door.
When Minseok opens the door immediately, he’s sure his eyes are reddening because Minseok pulls him into a hug, pushing Kyungsoo’s face into the crook of his neck.
“It’ll be okay,” he says, dragging his hand across Kyungsoo’s head soothingly.
Kyungsoo begins to cry, sniffing obnoxiously as he releases pent up stress and sadness, finally letting the dams break. He wraps his arms around his manager’s waist for support tightly.
“It’ll be okay,” Minseok repeats.
Kyungsoo wakes up wrapped in the thick comforter of his bed with sticky eyes and a sticky and tear-stained pillow. He doesn't quite remember falling asleep in his bed, so he assumes Minseok carried him. He sniffs quietly and pulls himself up while rubbing his sleepy eyes.
He eyes the copy of his script on the end table and opts to pick it up instead of showering, and he scans through the opening scenes of the movie, still needing to memorize it for the first portion of filming in a week. Kyungsoo yawns, mouthing the words of his character. Kyungsoo plays the son of a wealthy businessman, the youngest who is fated to marry the eldest daughter of a rival company, hoping to ally the two companies.
“Father, I do not wish to marry this girl. Why not Jaehyuk-hyung instead? He is the handsome one of us three,” he whispers to himself.
“Jaehoon, you are the youngest; we must marry you to another girl from our rival companies. Jaehyuk will take over the company, you know this,” he replies in a deeper voice, chuckling quietly.
“I see you’re enjoying yourself,” a laugh comes from the doorway causing him to startle and look up, his manager leaning on the doorway with his arms crossed.
Kyungsoo nods calmly, cracking a small smile. “I think so.”
“That’s good to hear. You need anything?”
Kyungsoo hesitates for a moment but ends up shaking his head, shooing Minseok away.
“But father!” he gasps as Jaehoon exaggeratedly, giggling to himself afterwards. “I do not wish to marry at such a young age. I am only 20.” He sets his eyes brows into a firm line and scrunches them while frowning.
“No buts,” he read internally this time. He scans through the rest of the script, paying particular attention to the ending. He sighs deeply at the cliche. Jaehoon and the woman he is arranged to marry eventually fall in love and have a happy life and marriage. But what else do you expect from an obvious cheesy romance movie?
He sets down his script and sighs, unplugging his phone from its spot on the table with the green notification light blinking rapidly.
His notifications tell him he has an unread text from Sehun, and he swallows down the urge to not open it, turn off his phone, and never turn it in again, but he doesn't, and reads it anyway.
Oh Sehun 🐝:
come to room 1711. please. 10 pm.
It’s blunter than Sehun’s usual exclamation-ridden texts and it has him chewing his lip and glancing at the clock, reading 11 am. He sighs, typing back a short reply before he regrets it.
okay.
Kyungsoo’s phone alarm blares while he and Minseok are eating their dinner at 9:30. Minseok raises a curious eyebrow in the middle of his chewing, and Kyungsoo gulps nervously, avoiding his gaze. “Got somewhere to be?”
Kyungsoo stands up, dismissing his alarm, and nods. “Yeah, I do, actually,” he replies, and he leaves it at that, returning to his room to grab a facemask and a hoodie so people don't recognize him.
Minseok stares at him as he walks into the corridor and shuts the door behind him, shuffling uncomfortably. He braces himself with his forehead against the cool door for a second before making his way to the elevator.
Kyungsoo presses the button for floor 17 and the elevator starts descending, and the actor is incredibly thankful that no one else is in here with him. He thinks of the time he first met Sehun in an elevator, and where everything changed.
The elevator halting startles him and he steps out quickly, the gaze of a middle aged man stepping into the elevator heavy on his back, so he shuffles quickly out of his view.
“Seventeen-Eleven,” he repeats out loud, scanning the doors before him as he walks down the hallway. His watch reads 10:20, but the door of Stills 1711 swings open a soon as his knuckles hit the wood, and he’s wrenched into the room.
“We need to talk Kyungsoo. You know that,” Sehun demands and Kyungsoo knows that he’s right. He nods, pulling down his facemask and shoves his hand into his hoodie pocket, avoiding Sehun’s eyes.
“Sit,” the younger commands and he leads the older male to the couch seat in the center of the living room, sitting beside him. Kyungsoo immediately looks down, fidgeting and playing with his fingers.
“Kyungsoo, look at me, please?” Sehun asks softly, and Kyungsoo looks up to find the same sort of softness expressed in his eyes. “And please don't get mad and hear me out?” Kyungsoo nods.
“Obviously, as you already know, I’m in love with you. And like I said yesterday, I don't even know if you’re feeling the same way as me or anything or if you’re even gay but, but-”
“Sehun, can I tell you something?” he interrupts, his eyes locked with Sehun. “I’m gay, okay? Are you happy?”
Sehun’s eyes widen and the whites of his eyes look like dinner plates at Kyungsoo's firm confession. “You are? How come you didn't tell me before?”
“I did. Remember when you came to my apartment after Joohyun broke up with you? You told me you wanted to date a guy and you thought I wouldn't accept it but I told you I like boys too,” he says, all in a single breath and completely relieved to finally get this off his chest.
It’s Sehun’s turn to look away this time, staring at a random spot on the carpet.
“But I’m in love with you too,” he confesses, clenching his fists and sighing while his eyes shut. “But I don't want some kind of scandal while I'm filming for a new movie. I’m sorry.”
Sehun’s gaze bores into his own and his heart beats rapidly inside his ribcage. Sehun’s hands finds themselves on either cheek and he’s frozen as Sehun leans in and presses their lips together for a split second and pulls away, a mellow smile painted onto his lips.
Kyungsoo's mouth hangs open as Sehun whispers. “That’s okay with me. I can wait.”
Kyungsoo offers a grin in return, and right know, he doesn't know exactly what compelled him to comply after yelling at Sehun, or what compelled him to let Sehun kiss him, but all in all, he knows he doesn't regret it.
3 MONTHS LATER
Kyungsoo collapses into his bed, legs tired from walking up countless flights of stairs. There’s a smile on his face as he burrows into the comforting sheets he hasn't felt for months. A sigh and a laugh escapes from his mouth and for the first time in awhile he's genuinely happy.
“Glad to be home?” Minseok asks from the doorway with a fond smile on his face as he sets Kyungsoo's bags down for him.
“Absolutely!” He grins widely, sitting up.
“I’ll leave you to yourself then, have fun.” He winks and heads towards the door but Kyungsoo quickly follows him out, sending him off. Kyungsoo impatiently waits for his manager to step out of sight.
When he glances out the door and there is no trace of his manager, he darts out without a care and runs to the elevator, only one thing on his mind. He thinks about the time he met Sehun as the elevator travels up the floor. His heart thumps wildly as he knocks on the door with a smile on his face, and he all but leaps into Sehun’s arms as he opens the door.
“Kyungsoo?” he questions, voice thick with sleep. He warily puts his arms around the actor.
Kyungsoo nods with a laugh and buries his face deep into Sehun’s, squeezing his middle tightly. “I’m home.”
Sehun looks down at Kyungsoo curiously. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, Sehun, I’m okay.” He pulls back just the slightest, to look up at Sehun’s eyes. “I kind of had an epiphany while I was gone. No need to worry.” His eyes shine like the stars outside Sehun’s window, and the taller’s grin is just as bright.
Sehun presses his lips to the top of Kyungsoo’s head, and as cliché as he knows it may be, the actor’s heart tells him that this is where he should always be.