lion's den for rokeby (1/2)
Title: Lion's Den
Recipient: rokeby
Pairing: Taekwoon x Sanghyuk
Rating: (NC-17)
Wordcount: 10k
Summary: A wrong suitcase, several texts, and a baby later, Sanghyuk meets the one person he was least expecting to.
Taekwoon drops onto the bed as if it were clouds and he’s been falling for days. He breathes in the fresh smell of clean sheets and shoves his face into the satin pillows and his eyes flutter so quick, he knows sleep is going to take him soon. Until the hotel room’s front door bangs loudly, followed by the ungodly sound of broken wheels rattling against the rough carpet. Takewoon flinches violently at the sound of a suitcase hitting a bed frame and for a moment there’s silence, and he relaxes, only for the sound of the suitcase being opened, rattled with and scuffled in to berate at him incessantly.
“Jaehwan…” Taekwoon mumbles.
Jaehwan continues rattling.
“Jaehwan,” Taekwoon tries to call out again, lifting his mouth away from the pillow.
No response.
“Jaehwan!” Taekwoon shouts, and Jaehwan jumps so hard the contents within the suitcase seem to jump out as if they too were scared of Taekwoon.
“What, what!?” Jarhwan cries out as if he could not possibly comprehend Taekwoon's irritance right now.
"I'm trying to sleep," Taekwoon groans and let's his head drop back down. "We just had a ten hour flight."
"And I slept like a baby," Jaehwan grins. "Speaking of babies, I think I have the wrong suitcase."
"Babies? What?" Taekwoon mumbles half asleep.
"Taekwoon! I'm serious, there’s a bunch of briefs and baby clothes in here and unless I have a child I don't know about, these aren't mine."
"That's nice..." Taekwoon trails off.
"Forget it, I'm going to make a call, hopefully whoever has my suitcase is close by." Jaehwan continues on, mostly to himself.
He hears the distant sound of Jaehwan's voice jabbering on in panic as the darkness softly takes Taekwoon away into a slumber.
The next time Taekwoon wakes up he doesn't see Jaehwan on the bed beside him, in fact the bed is so neatly laid out Taekwoon thinks Jaehwan hasn't gone to bed yet. But he doesn't really care, Taekwoon too content with the sleep he just had, he decides to revel in it as much as possible, snuggling the pillow as if to suffocate it.
He lays there for a couple of moments, drinking in the soft ray of sunshine seeping through the translucent white curtains of the hotel room. He doesn't really want to get up...ever but the dryness to his mouth is too uncomfortable so eventually he goes to the bathroom to freshen up.
It's whilst he's brushing his teeth does he hear a light knock coming from the front door. He’s about to step out of the bathroom, toothpaste all smeared around his mouth and brush bobbing between his lips, before he catches himself and quickly goes to rinse it away. He answers the door with a damp face, and towel in his hands, his hair brushed back.
“Hi,” A small, pleasant face greets him. Taekwoon blinks down at the man unsure; he wasn’t room service because he hadn’t ordered any nor was he in uniform. “I’m Sanghyuk.” The man introduces himself with a smile, and Taekwoon blinks again.
“Uh, can I help you?” Taekwoon asks awkwardly, dabbing the towel around his neck.
“Oh, I was called here?”
“Wrong room maybe?”
“Room 86, right?” He smiles the question and it makes Taekwoon’s own lips twitch as if it return it. “Your voice seems different than it was on the phone, maybe I did get the wrong room.”
“What is it you need?”
“Ah, I came to switch a suitcase with a...Lee Jaehwan?”
Then Taekwoon remembers the conversation he had with Jaehwan before he passed out. “Oh, right. The suitcase...yeah, Jaehwan isn’t here, right now. You want to wait inside?” Taekwoon offers, although slightly reluctant, he could hardly handle being alone with friends, let alone a stranger.
“That’d be great, thanks,” Sanghyuk bows slightly and steps foot into the hotel room awkwardly. He goes towards the window, where the view includes half an apartment building and the car park.
“Do you want anything? Water? Coffee?” Taekwoon asks, uncomfortable in his pair of boxers and vest.
“No, I’m fine thanks,” Sanghyuk refuses politely, and let’s his eyes linger a moment on Taekwoon before looking away.
“I’m just going to go dry my hair, real quick,” Taekwoon says, and all Sanghyuk can respond with is an awkward nod.
As the hairdryer blares away, stuffing the awkward atmosphere into a tiny box in the corner of the room, Taekwoon thinks about one thing. Where the fuck Jaehwan is, because for definite, this wasn’t the first time he’d ever abandoned Taekwoon. Especially on their trip to Jeju, it was meant to be a birthday gift from Jaehwan’s girlfriend, for him to spend a weekend away with his friends. But instead, Jaehwan chose Taekwoon, the one friend that was so quiet and isolated, he wouldn’t be the one to especially blabber if Jaehwan was to be even the slightest hint of unfaithful. Which is why he worries now over just how long Jaehwan might be, because chances are he’s managed to catch another female too drunk to realise she’s leaving with a greasy, constantly in-heat guy with a questionable haircut.
When Taekwoon enters the bedroom again, Sanghyuk is sitting on the edge of Jaehwan’s bed, flicking through his phone. “You sure you don’t want anything?” Taekwoon asks out of sheer loss from what do. Sanghyuk doesn’t answer however. “Um, excuse me?”
“Oh, what? Sorry?” Sanghyuk jumps and turns to look at Taekwoon with a slightly bashful expression.
“I was just asking if I should get you something to drink?”
“Oh no, it’s okay, thanks,” He clears his throat, his posture suddenly fidgety. “I think I should go, maybe come by tomorrow when Jaehwan is here.”
“I could just give it to you?” Taekwoons says, pointing towards the suitcase peeking out from under Jaehwan’s bed.
“No, no, it’s fine, I only came to make sure it was mine, I didn’t bring his with me,” Sanghyuk says with a clear of his throat.
“Well, why don’t we check it then?” Taekwoon isn’t sure why he’s being so pushy. Since he could talk, he hardly ever chose to, but despite the unpleasantries, he hated burdening others. So he goes to grab the suitcase and throws it onto the bed to flick it open.
“Ah, it’s okay you don’t have to open-” But Taekwoon’s already swinging it open, and despite his naturally cool composure even Taekwoon was a little thrown off by the variety of underwear and baby clothes folded neatly inside. “Hmmmm.”
“These yours?” Taekwoon asks, a little amused as he looks up to Sanghyuk staring deep into his suitcase with a palm pressed to his lips.
“Yeah- mm, yeah,” Sanghyuk clears his throats and flings his hand around in a pathetic way of saying ‘yes’.
“You can take it,” Taekwoon says and goes to shut it again.
“What?”
“Take it.”
“But what about Jaehwans?”
“Just bring it tomorrow, he probably won’t be back for a while,” Taekwoon offers a small smile and Sanghyuk makes a little noise in his throat. “You okay?”
“Hmmm yeah, yeah, thanks a lot.” Sanghyuk nods frantically and takes the suitcase from Taekwoon, dragging it quickly to the door. Taekwoon follows him out, staring at the small of Sanghyuk’s back as a faint sense of familiarity washes over him all of a sudden.
Just as Taekwoon is about to wave him goodbye, Sanghyuk seem’s to fidget at the entrance for a bit, “Um...Taekwoon...yeah?”
“Yes?”
Sanghyuk gives Taekwoon a long determined look, his eyebrows creases together before they falter all of a sudden. “No...nevermind, thanks again.” Sanghyuk quickly bows and skitters down the hallway. Taekwoon pokes his head out a bit to watch him until he turns a corner.
✈
The next time Jaehwan returns to the hotel room it’s five in the morning, and Taekwoon is up reading a book, fully prepared for his drunken mess. Except when he does finally walk through that door, Taekwoon is greeted with a solemn, sad mop of a Jaehwan he instantly wishes he was asleep right now. But it was too late, Jaehwan looks up then and meets eyes with Taekwoon, and the tremble in his lips means Taekwoon wasn’t going to sleep for a while.
"Get rejected?" Taekwoon starts and Jaehwan responds with a simple sigh as he trudges towards his bed. "It's just your first night in Jeju, you can try again tomorrow?"
"No Taekwoon, you're not meant to condone this!" Jaehwan cries and flops back into his bed.
"I...don't really care."
"And that's exactly why I picked you!" Jaehwan shouts with a point of his finger. Taekwoon decides he's definitely drunk. "You mind your own business and go about your way! That's why you're hereeeee."
Taekwoon rolls his eyes, fully prepared to get back to his book.
"No I didn't meant that..." Jaehwan mumbles, his pout so far out it was basically poking Taekwoon to give it attention. "It's just I got rejected so many times tonight it made me think, you know?"
"Shocking."
"It made me realise just how much I care about Heeyoun, and how much she cares about me. She's with someone like me, me ." Jaehwan squeaks, his eyes tearing up.
Taekwoon nods, "Yes just as...shocking."
"Taekwoon what do I do man," Jaehwan cries and proceeds to throw a tantrum on the bed.
"Just stop hitting on girls...?" Taekwoon pathetically made the attempt at helping but in all honesty he just wanted to get to bed.
"You're right, you're right-"
Taekwoon relaxes.
"I'm going to try my best not to flirt and enjoy this trip with you," Jaehwan smiles, and it's the kind of pained smile that helps Taekwoon realise this trip was more effort than he had originally planned.
"Anyway, since that's resolved, some Sanghyuk came and took his suitcase," Taekwoon says nodding towards the empty space under the bed.
"What!?" Jaehwan jumps up and goes to bend between his legs, shuffling at the covers to look down below. "You gave it to him!? Why would you do that?"
"It had baby stuff in it, what if his kid needs it?" Taekwoon shrugs, the image of Sanghyuk's thin shoulders resurfacing in his mind.
"Taekwoon," Jaehwan groans his name. "That was like my collateral, my hostage! What if he runs away with my stuff now?"
"He's not the type, don't worry."
"What? How can you be so sure? It's not like you know him," Jaehwan pouts and goes to start stripping in frustration.
Taekoon opens his mouth to refute Jaehwan's point but he was right, he didn't know Sanghyuk but there was something about him that made Taekwoon easily put his trust in him. Maybe it was the baby clothes, fathers couldn't be that conniving? Could they?
✈
When Sanghyuk's sister had invited him to her family trip to a Jeju resort, he could hardly say no. But if he had known that his sole purpose for coming here was to look after the baby, then maybe possibly he would have said no. But because his sister is the evil selfish witch she is, he evidently didn't have a choice in the matter as he watched his sister and husband play around in the pool while he sat back cuddling the baby to sleep.
It wasn't all bad, he could sleep for long periods of time and bathe in the sun but he also has to feed the baby, burp the baby, rock the baby, care for the baby so much he smells like baby even after an hour of scrubbing himself in the shower.
Thankfully today little Jisub is having a calm day, he's sleeping on Sanghyuk's chest as he lays down on a sunbed beneath a large umbrella. The sun was bright but it wasn't smoldering hot, so Sanghyuk was tempted to fall asleep too, until his phone begins to buzz.
"Hello?"
"Oh yes hi! This is Jaehwan, with the suitcase?" The voice on the other end says. Sanghyuk shifts slightly thinking it was Taekwoon for a moment, but then hears the name.
"Ah yes, I came over yesterday but you weren't there?"
"Sorry about that, I was busy and lost track of time," Jaehwan awkwardly laughs and then clears his throat. "About my suitcase, will I be able to pick it up today?"
"Yes of course, what time?"
"Let's make it six pm if that's okay with you?"
"Okay...I'll text you my room details, bye." Sanghyuk hangs up the phone with a tinge of disappointment. He was hoping somehow he'd be able to meet Taekwoon again, if only he'd had taken Taekwoon's suitcase instead of Jaehwan's by accident.
Jaehwan's stops himself and thinks about how ridiculous the thought was. He doesn't have much time to brood over himself since a shadow comes to cover the entirety of the sun and Sanghyuk squints up to find Taekwoon looking down at him.
"T-T-Taekwoon?" Sanghyuk stutters and has to bite his tongue to force the rest of his name out.
"Sanghyuk, right?" Taekwoon bows a little. "I thought I recognized you."
"Ah yes, it's nice to see you again," Sanghyuk says and shifts to sit up right, the baby sliding slightly down his chest.
Taekwoon makes his way to sit down on the sun bed beside Sanghyuk, "Is this taken?"
"No, no, no, please sit."
Taekwoon does, he lays out a towel and sits on the edge, shuffling out of his flip flops. Sanghyuk looks away and awkwardly pats Jisub as he tries to think of a conversation starter.
"Is that the baby?" Taekwoon asks, beating Sanghyuk to the punch.
"Baby?" He remembers the baby clothes in the suitcase and how mortified he was to have his underwear on display."Oh yes! This is little Jisub." Sanghyuk introduces with a small pat on his bum.
Taekwoon leans in with a small smile on his face and goes to stroke at the babies plump cheek, "Cute." Taekwoon murmurs, and Sanghyuk feels the heat in his face burn up as if Taekwoon was talking to him. "How old is he?"
"I'm twenty four- and you weren't asking me, wow, okay," Sanghyuk clears his throat, the blush in his cheeks turning into embarrassment too quickly as Taekwoon looks at him. "Jisub is nine months next week."
"He's so small..." Taekwoon says softly, and Sanghyuk doesn't know if that's just how he usually speaks or he's lowering it for the baby, either way it raises goosebumps up Sanghyuk's arms.
You still like small things Sanghyuk thinks to himself, the fond memory bringing a small smile to his lips.
“What did you say?” Taekwoon looks up and Sanghyuk squirms, had he said it out loud?
“Well, what do we have? Little Hyukkie making friends,” A female’s voice interrupts the two and Sanghyuk looks up to find his sister looking down at the two of them. She was dripping wet, the sun glistening off her curves and Sanghyuk eyed Taekwoon a little to see if he was staring. He wasn’t, at least Sanghyuk didn’t think so, he just seemed to give an acknowledging smile.
“Taekwoon, this is Hyojung, mother of Jisub.” Sanghyuk reluctantly introduces. “Hyojung, this is the man that gave me my suitcase yesterday.”
Taekwoon gets up to politely shake her hand and asks, “Your wife?”
Sanghyuk’s choking, he wanted to gasp but the shock got to him so much it just got caught in his throat. “No, no, no!” Sanghyuk aggressively denies. “No, god, no, she’s my sister.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought the child was yours,” Taekwoon bashfully says and scratches the back of his neck. “Sorry.” He then bows to Hyojung who just stands there bellowing out in laughter.
Hyojung clears her throat, “No, my husbands in the pool right now, trying not to drown.”
“Jesus,” Sanghyuk sighs and then feels Jisub scuffle around on his chest. “Oh god he’s awake.”
And then the baby starts crying, the kind of screech that could wake up the dead and Sanghyuk is too caught up in his embarrassment and shock to remember what to do to silence him so he looks up to his sister for help. But she just raises her palms up and indicates to her wet body, and Sanghyuk is already mortified enough he’d wish Taekwoon would just disappear.
“Do you mind?” Taekwoon slides in, bending over Sanghyuk too close, indicating to the baby.
“Y-yes please do.” Sanghyuk stutters and hands the wailing baby to Taekwoon. Who in turn happily takes the baby and rocks him into his arms, the screeching almost stops immediately and both Sanghyuk and his sister stare in amazement.
“No one has ever been able to do that so quickly,” Hyojung gasps, a perfectly manicured hand settles upon her mouth. “Do you want to marry me?”
“Your husband is right behind you, Hyojung,” Sanghyuk groans and peeks at Taekwoon who’s grinning down as Jisung makes little bubbly noises.
“Right you are, and I’m jumping back into the pool,” She declares but not before she throws a wink at Sanghyuk as if to suggest something he really was hoping she wasn’t suggesting, and walks away.
“You don’t have to hold him if you don’t want to, it’s okay,” Sanghyuk says, and nervously lays out his hands, wondering too hard about whether or not he was bothering Taekwoon.
“Hm?” Taekwoon looks up absentmindedly. “I don’t mind, he’s cute.”
Sanghyuk kind of wants to say ’no, you are’ but then he remembers, Taekwoon doesn’t even remember him. He was just a boy in the grade below him in high school, they never spoke, Sanghyuk just staring at him from afar for three years until he graduated. If anything the fact he doesn’t remember him means that he didn’t come off a total stalker back then. Sanghyuk lies back into his sunbed, mortified with his teenage self.
“Does he have any food? He seems hungry?” Taekwoon asks, his eyes never leaving Jisubs.
“Yeah, sure,” Sanghyuk quickly rummages around the baby bag beside him and pulls out a bottle to hand to Taekwoon.
“Thanks,” Taekwoon says and blindly takes the bottle.
“Um, sorry to trouble you,” Sanghyuk awkwardly mumbles. “I can’t believe I’m bothering a stranger.”
“No bother,” Taekwoon smiles down, and starts to feed the baby.
Sanghyuk feels slightly saddened by the fact Taekwoon doesn’t say anything to refute the stranger comment, maybe somewhere in the back of his head he was hoping he made some sort of impression. No matter how creepy a guy staring at another guy in high school might have come off.
“Ah, he fell asleep,” Taekwoon says and looks up at Sanghyuk with a small smile, and Sanghyuk makes a little whimpering noise in his throat as his heart squeezes. He’s still so good looking.
“Let me take him off you, you probably want to enjoy your holiday,” Sanghyuk offers but Taekwoon’s arms seem to grow tighter around Jisub ever so slightly. Sanghyuk blinks at him.
“It’s fine, I like kids, besides I came here out of force,” Taekwoon explains, stroking Jisub’s hair.
“With Jaehwan?”
Taekwoon nods, “He wanted the friend that would bother him the least to come.”
“That’s harsh.”
“It’s Jaehwan. I was free anyway.” Taekwoon shrugs, and then looks up at Sanghyuk. “What about you?”
“Was offered a holiday, then realised I was in fact the babysitter,” Sanghyuk says, playing with the strings of his swimming shorts. He looks up at Taekwoon when he hears him chuckle, and feels kind of soft inside. He’d never seen him smile so much before, not in all three years they went to high school together. “You look good smiling.” Sanghyuk says without thinking and it isn’t till he realises Taekwoon’s questioning stare does he finally note what he says.
“That was so creepy, wasn’t it? What am I doing?” Sanghyuk groans and contemplates drowning himself right there and then.
“No, no,” Taekwoon snorts. “I’m just surprised...no ones ever said that before."
"Really?"
"Mmm, I'm apparently scary."
“No, you aren't!” Sanghyuk says too enthusiastically. “I mean...I mean you didn’t scare me so...yeah.”
Taekwoon grins, teeth on display and eyes rising a little at the corners, and Sanghyuk think’s if you if it's possible to fall for the same person twice in one lifetime, then he’s fucking screwed.
✈
“I have no clothes!” Jaehwan cries and flings himself onto the bed. “I need to look fresh tonight.”
“Go get your suitcase then,” Taekwoon says flatly as he brushes out his wet hair in the mirror.
“I don’t want to,” Jaehwan moans and crawls under the cover.
Taekwoon turns back to give the lump of useless that was Jaehwan a look. “Why not?” Jaehwan pokes his head out and pouts at Taekwoon.
“I’ve got a date in half an hour, I don’t have time, can I borrow some of your clothes?” Jaehwan blinks and smiles cheekily.
“Date? What happened to appreciating Heeyoun?” Taekwoon can hardly hide the look of disgust on his face but Jaehwan does a perfect job in ignoring it.
“Look man, I’ll go back to appreciating after this trip, she knows I need to let off some steam, be with someone else before I propose to her,” Jaehwan nods to himself.
“You’re going to propose- you know what, none of my business,” Taekwoon shakes his head and goes to throw on a t shirt. “Do what you want.” Taekwoon says and points to his suitcase.
“I love you,” Jaehwan cheers.
“That hardly means anything,” Taekwoon mumbles.
“So I’ve got a favour to ask,” Jaehwan grins, his body sprawled across Taekwoon’s suitcase.
“Now what?”
“Can you go pick up my suitcase? Please? Please? Pretty please?” Jaehwan begs, rolling around and kicking his legs like a ten year old on withdrawal from sugar.
Taekwoon was about to flat out refuse but then he remembers Sanghyuk has Jaehwan’s suitcase, and the thought doesn’t seem so daunting anymore. “Fine.” Taekwoon agrees, a little confused by the decision but maybe he’ll get to see Jisub again.
“Seriously!? Great! I’ll write down the room number and floor, you can’t back out now!” Jaehwan cheers, flinging himself across the room for his phone.
Taekwoon watches Jaehwan skip and dancing around as he taps away at his phone and wonders how no one has decided to murder him yet.
✈
Taekwoon’s palms are sweaty for some reason when he comes to Sanghyuk’s door, six on the dot. He brushes a few fingers through his jet black hair and makes sure his fringe is spread out evenly before he knocks at the door. There wasn’t an answer, so he knocks again.
“C-coming!” A voice cries out, followed by several loud thumps and a groan.
The door opens to Sanghyuk, a rather messy Sanghyuk. Bed hair parted naturally in the middle, little baby hairs sticking up as if electrified, he’s wearing a vest with a damp spot and a stain, and a pair of striped boxers. The second Sanghyuk locks eyes with Taekwoon, he slips instantly, and falls to the floor on his side.
“Fuck!” Sanghyuk squeaks from below, Taekwoon watching him from the little crack on the door. He presses it open as far as he can and goes to bend on his knees.
“You okay?” Taekwoon asks and grabs Sanghyuk’s arm to help him up.
“Y-yeah...it’s just everything’s a real mess in here, I wasn’t expecting you,” Sanghyuk mumbles quickly, looking around and tapping away at his body as if it would distract Taekwoom from the mess that he was.
“Sorry to bother you, I just came to pick up Jaehwan’s suitcase,” Taekwoon says, taking an awkward step into Sanghyuk’s room behind.
“Ah, uh yes, yes his suitcase, his suitcase,” Sanghyuk hops in one place, looking around the hell-stricken room. There were clothes everywhere, most noted were baby clothes, and toys scattered across the floor. “I’m sorry it’s a mess, I’m trying to both get ready for a dinner and look after Jisung, but there’s no bath for me to take Jisung in with me- and I’m rambling, I’m sorry his suitcase is by the window.” Sanghyuk points.
Taekwoon hops over open suitcases and tries not to slip on the sheets now slid off the bed. The view from the window overlooks the sea and Taekwoon takes a moment to stare at it, “Our view isn’t so great.”
“Oh yeah? My sister paid for this room, probably more expensive,” Sanghyuk shouts from the bathroom.
Jisub makes a noise from the bed, his eyes glued onto Taekwoon, and Taekwoon takes the opportunity to go tickle at his stomach. Jisub laughs loudly and Sanghyuk pops his head out of the bathroom, toothbrush in mouth and peeks at the two. “You’re still here?” Sanghyuk asks, his words muffled.
Taekwoon looks over at his shoulder, noting shirtless Sanghyuk has more of a broader chest than him in clothes seem to tell. “Do you want me to watch Jisub while you shower? I don’t mind.”
“Sheroshly!?” Sanhyuk chokes on his brush and goes into the bathroom quick, all Taekwoon hears is water rushing, until Sanghyuk pops his head back out. “Seriously? That’d be great, I won’t be long.”
“No problem,” Taekwoon nods, and Sanghyuk is quick to disappear.
As Taekwoon looks down at Jisub, a finger tickling at his small nose, Taekwoon wonders where the familiarity around Sanghyuk comes from. It was becoming stronger the more he saw him, and therefore more irritating.
It doesn’t take long for Sanghyuk to come out of the shower, he walks out comfortably in nothing but a towel around his waist. Taekwoon, in turn, seems to set his jaw in attempt to act cool about it, it wasn’t as if he hasn’t seen Jaehwan wonder around the room naked, showing his ‘manhood’ (his words) as if it were something to be proud about. But like Taekwoon thought, it wasn’t any of his business. So really neither should be Sanghyuk walking around comfortably half naked, and leaving a practical stranger to look after his nine month old nephew.
“Aren’t you a little too trusting?” The words slip out of Taekwoon quicker than he thought them. He puts a conscience hand to his lips and looks away. Wasn’t his mouth a little too loose around Sanghyuk? “Sorry, that was rude.”
Sanghyuk looks at him between wet strands of hair and blinks, “I trust you, you just give off that feeling, you know?”
Taekwoon snorts, “You’re odd, Sanghyuk.”
“Really?”
“Jaehwan says I can look like a potential murderer,” Taekwoon bites his lip and looks down at Jisub quickly, he was seriously talking too much.
Sanghyuk grabs a towel and starts to ruffle with his hair, walking around to Taekwoon, he sits on the opposite side of Jisub, “Well, at this point it’s kind of odd to judge on appearances. Besides I know you’re a good person.”
“How?”
Sanghyuk pauses, as if caught doing something bad, and then he bursts out laughing. “Well, you know, you just get that feeling from some people, like I said.” He coughs and looks down at Jisub with a beaten down expression.
“Sanghyuk, do we know each other?” Taekwoon asks, tilting his head to stare at the details of Sanghyuk’s face.
“What!?” Sanghyuk squeaks.
“I don’t know, you just have this familiar atmosphere around you,” Taekwoon absentmindedly says.
Sanghyuk seems to brighten up all of a sudden and his lips twitch as if he wants to smile. Taekwoon doesn’t really get a response because the front door suddenly slams open, and Taekwoon feels uncharacteristically disappointed.
“Sanghyuk, you ready yet?” Hyojung walks into the room tutting, kicking things out of her way with her heels. “Is Jisub- oh, hello.” Hyojung’s smile graces her face in an instant.
“Hello, nice to see you again,” Taekwoon gets up and bows.
Hyojung looks between the two, “Am I interrupting something?”
“No, no, no” Sanghyuk is quick to deny, and Taekwoon watches him as he fidgets where he is, nervously going to pick up a bottle of water.
“I just came to pick up my friends suitcase,” Taekwoon explains.
“Ah, the one that got switched,” Hyojung nods and then looks towards her brother. “Well, you don’t have to be so nervous, I’m sure Taekwoon isn’t one to judge gay people, right?”
Sanghyuk spits out his water, literally sprays it all over himself and the wall in front of him. He chokes for a good minute before he can wheeze out any words, “What are you talking about?”
“Well I thought you must have told him,” Hyojung shrugs innocently.
“What? In what conversation would that come up in?” Sanghyuk squeaks.
“It doesn’t matter, right Taekwoon?” Hyojung asks, completely blanking her brother who sat there half naked and slowly turning to stone.
“Ah no, it’s okay, I’m interested in men too anyway,” Taekwoon bluntly replies.
A huge smile grows on Hyojung’s face and somehow Sanghyuk has managed to slip onto the floor, his head hanging, towel barely covering him at this point. Taekwoon bites back a smile of his own and then goes to grab the suitcase.
“Well, please enjoy your dinner,” Taekwoon bows once again and attempts to head out but Hyojung just stands there watching him.
“Wait, why don’t you join us for dinner?” She suggests. “If you don’t have anything going on tonight.”
Sanghyuk pops out from behind the bed, his wet hair an array mess, “Don’t you think you’ve done enough, woman!?”
“Ah no I wouldn’t want to disturb your dinner,” Taekwoon politely refuses.
“Of course it wouldn’t be!” Hyojung claps enthusiastically. “Besides it’s a bit awkward for my brother to sit around my husband and I, we’re still in the newly-wed phase.”
“That’s because you are in the newly-wed phase - had a shotgun wedding- oof!” Hyojung throws a pillow to shut Sanghyuk up.
“Like I said, if you want to, of course. Wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Hyojung says with a twinkle of her eyes.
“Done and dusted!” Sanghyuk squawks and quickly ducks behind the bed in case of incoming attacks.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I would love to,” Taekwoon replies smoothly.
“What!?” Sanghyuk screeches from behind. Taekwoon doesn't turn but he tries not to laugh at the sound of Sanghyuk struggling to get up onto his feet and shuffle his way towards the two of them. “Are you sure? Please don’t listen to her, she just likes causing trouble.”
Taekwoon looks down at Sanghyuk with a smirk, peeking at his pink cheeks. “No, I want to, my company isn’t nearly as entertaining.” Taekwoon says looking dead straight at Sanghyuk, who just makes a small type of whimpering noise.
“Perfect! Sanghyuk will text you the details, just give each other your numbers,” Hyojung slyly suggests.
Taekwoon laughs lightly as Sanghyuk sinks into himself with embarrassment.
✈
“I want to die.” Sanghyuk groans at the dinner table, the idea of cracking the china plate before him into his skull seeming more and more attractive as the minutes go by.
“Oh get over yourself,” Hyojung waves him off. “You’re so attracted to him, it was painful, I had to do something.”
“Why bother him?”
“What’s the problem? He’s gay anyway,” Hyojung shrugs, taking a sip of her wine.
"That's not the point," Sanghyuk hisses, and although he seems irritant about the whole situation, Sanghyuk couldn't help but feel elated. It wasn't as if he'd ever have hope, about someone like Taekwoon being interested in him but the fact he was into men too, it made Sanghyuk feel closer to him, as if he weren't the senior he had to sneak around for three years.
"Oh, oh, oh, here he comes," Hyojung squeals.
Sanghyuk nervously looks up to find Taekwoon walking through the restaurant's door casually in nothing but simple dark jeans and a white button up top, and yet he seems so ethereal, and beautiful and Sanghyuk is glad he's got a cup of wine in front of him he could blame the pink of his cheeks on.
"Nice to see you again," Taekwoon bows, and gives Sanghyuk a quick look.
Sanghyuk was about to make a pathetic greeting until Hyojung charges in with one of her high pitched gasps, "Oh my god you're so good looking! Your hair is so black, so pretty!" She cries and get's a little too excited in her chair. "Look Jisub, isn't he so good-looking?" Hyojung says to her child in the baby seat beside her. Jisub responds with a little giggle.
Taekwoon looks around the table as he sits down and spots the empty seat, "Your husband?"
"Ah he was taking a while to get ready so we came without him, he'll join us soon," Hyojung explains before calling over a waiter.
Sanghyuk nervously goes to reach for the cup of water before him, and so does Taekwoon, their hands meeting for a brief moment until Sanghyuk snatches it away. "S-sorry."
"No, it's my fault, thought it was my cup," Taekwoon says and let's his hand linger on the table for a moment before he puts it back on his lap.
"So, Taekwoon, tell us a bit about yourself," Hyojung begins, and honestly, Sanghyuk gives up on trying. In all fairness, he was curious about Taekwoon after he graduated, it'd been seven years.
"What would you like to know?"
"What do you do for a living?"
"I work in a university lab, studying uh- in simple terms, we study plants," Taekwoon says with a lick of his lips, and Sanghyuk finds himself staring.
"Oh thats unique, Sanghyuk here studying to be a vet," Hyojung unnessarily adds.
"Seriously?" Taekwoon's eyes suddenly light up and he's leaning in closer to Sanghyuk. "You like animals?"
Sanghyuk looks down bashful and nods, "Yeah, I'd always wanted to be a doctor but the thought of working a hospital seemed a bit tiresome. And I love animals so..."
"Me too, I mean- kind of embarrassing for a grown man but-"
"No, not at all!" Sanghyuk quickly interrupts. "Animals are kind, there's nothing wrong with liking them." Sanghyuk defends, looking straight into Taekwoon's eyes with determination, and then he quickly falters, balling into himself with embarrassment.
Taekwoon chuckles a little, "You're right."
Sanghyuk feels his face burning even more as he takes a large sip of his wine. He remembers the one rainy day after school in middle school, walking home he'd seen Taekwoon leave an umbrella for an abandoned puppy. Maybe that's what started it off, his obsession with animals. And Taekwoon.
"I was never allowed pets because we lived in a flat," Taekwoon says, a wistful smile on his face as he takes a sip of water.
"You can always come over to my university you know, loads of students find stress relief in petting the animals, so I'm sure it would be- I mean, I'm sorry, that was a weird suggestion," Sanghyuk was getting ahead of himself, as far as Taekwoon was concerned they'd only just met yesterday.
"Really? I'd love to," Taekwoon quickly accepts, and Sanghyuk tries not to show the happiness on his face.
"What is taking him so long?" Hyojung mumbles to herself, checking the time on her phone. "I'm going to go check on my stupid husband, you guys just order what you want for now, okay?" Hyojung states firmly, picking up Jisub from his chair and head out back to the hotel lobby.
Sanghyuk is both relieved and frightened to be left alone with Taekwoon. "So are you based in Seoul?" Sanghyuk hopefully asks, and to his joy, he nods. "S-same here, I haven't moved anywhere since high school."
"High school?" Taekwoon repeats.
Sanghyuk bites his lip, "Yeah...about your question earlier, if we knew each other? I-"
"We went to high school together didn't we?" Taekwoon interrupts.
"Wait what? You knew?"
"No...I couldn't remember at all, you just had this sense of familiarity, and when you mentioned being a vet I remembered who you were. You were in the grade below, taking care of the rabbit cages, right?" Taekwoon smiles as if the memories were fond and Sanghyuk feels like his face turned into the surface of an inferno. He was happy, so ecstatically happy that he couldn't even try to bite away the smile on his lips, so he just ducks his head down and fidgets with the cutlery.
"Yeah..." Sanghyuk pathetically mumbles. "How did you know I tended the rabbits?"
"Well...people thought you had a thing for Nana, it got pretty big in our class, I just sort of started noticing you every time you were around her is all," Taekwoon shrugs and jumps when he hears Sanghyuk squeak.
"Who is Nana?"
"Huh?" Taekwoon blinks, confused. "Nana, she was a friend?"
Sanghyuk shook his head, the memory of any type of person around Taekwoon completely blurred. "I have no clue."
"So, you didn't have a crush on her?"
"No, of course not, I don't even know who she is," Sanghyuk sighs and settles deep into his chair.
"I'm sorry, it's just a lot of people came to see Nana often, but you were always persistent in being near our classes so people just assumed," Taekwoon says with an apologetic face and Sanghyuk looks at him through the parting in his fingers and sighs heavily.
"I wasn't looking at her, if you could please clear that misunderstanding whenever you can get the chance," Sanghyuk weakly asks and Taekwoon clears his throat in a horrible way of not laughing.
"No problem...so why were you always around our classroom?" Taekwoon slyly asks and Sanghyuk looks up at him with a questioning glance as to whether the question was a tease because he knows, or if he just genuinely asking. Sanghyuk has no clue.
"Hello, gentlemen, may I take your order?" The waiter suddenly appears and Sanghyuk couldn't have asked for a more perfectly timed intervention.
"Yes please," Sanghyuk eagerly smiles, as he tells the waiter what he wants, he feels incredibly conscious of the way Taekwoon leans back in his chair, his lean body stretching and disappearing under the table cloth.
Taekwoon is staring as the waiter explains to Sanghyuk the ingredients and flavours of every dish he asks about. He looks flustered and confused, but the crease in his eyebrows says he is concentrating hard nonetheless. Taekwoon found him cute, really cute. Which would come to a surprise to anyone, considering Taekwoon's interests hardly ever adheres to any kind of human with a decent vocabulary.
But Taekwoon had thought that way since high school too. The only reason he remembers Sanghyuk anyway was because of how much his small frame attracted Taekwoon's eyes back then. Maybe not in the romantic way, but back in high school when everything was as dull as grey and the school halls always seemed to close in on you, fluffy things like Sanghyuk tending to rabbits always managed to relax Taekwoon.
He hadn't known his name back then, he never really tried to strike a conversation, there wasn't a point. Everyone had thought Sanghyuk's interest was purely on Nana, that his chubby pink cheeks glowed for every time she flicked her hair, that he hid around corners just to see her smile. But now knowing Sanghyuk's interest in men and how irrelevant Nana was to him all this time, Taekwoon couldn't help but feel curious. As detached and cold as Taekwoon may seem, he could ever hardly control himself.
And now watching Sanghyuk, jitter and shift his eyes back and forth from the menu to Taekwoon, he ponders at the chance laid before him. Should he bite?
PART TWO
Recipient: rokeby
Pairing: Taekwoon x Sanghyuk
Rating: (NC-17)
Wordcount: 10k
Summary: A wrong suitcase, several texts, and a baby later, Sanghyuk meets the one person he was least expecting to.
Taekwoon drops onto the bed as if it were clouds and he’s been falling for days. He breathes in the fresh smell of clean sheets and shoves his face into the satin pillows and his eyes flutter so quick, he knows sleep is going to take him soon. Until the hotel room’s front door bangs loudly, followed by the ungodly sound of broken wheels rattling against the rough carpet. Takewoon flinches violently at the sound of a suitcase hitting a bed frame and for a moment there’s silence, and he relaxes, only for the sound of the suitcase being opened, rattled with and scuffled in to berate at him incessantly.
“Jaehwan…” Taekwoon mumbles.
Jaehwan continues rattling.
“Jaehwan,” Taekwoon tries to call out again, lifting his mouth away from the pillow.
No response.
“Jaehwan!” Taekwoon shouts, and Jaehwan jumps so hard the contents within the suitcase seem to jump out as if they too were scared of Taekwoon.
“What, what!?” Jarhwan cries out as if he could not possibly comprehend Taekwoon's irritance right now.
"I'm trying to sleep," Taekwoon groans and let's his head drop back down. "We just had a ten hour flight."
"And I slept like a baby," Jaehwan grins. "Speaking of babies, I think I have the wrong suitcase."
"Babies? What?" Taekwoon mumbles half asleep.
"Taekwoon! I'm serious, there’s a bunch of briefs and baby clothes in here and unless I have a child I don't know about, these aren't mine."
"That's nice..." Taekwoon trails off.
"Forget it, I'm going to make a call, hopefully whoever has my suitcase is close by." Jaehwan continues on, mostly to himself.
He hears the distant sound of Jaehwan's voice jabbering on in panic as the darkness softly takes Taekwoon away into a slumber.
The next time Taekwoon wakes up he doesn't see Jaehwan on the bed beside him, in fact the bed is so neatly laid out Taekwoon thinks Jaehwan hasn't gone to bed yet. But he doesn't really care, Taekwoon too content with the sleep he just had, he decides to revel in it as much as possible, snuggling the pillow as if to suffocate it.
He lays there for a couple of moments, drinking in the soft ray of sunshine seeping through the translucent white curtains of the hotel room. He doesn't really want to get up...ever but the dryness to his mouth is too uncomfortable so eventually he goes to the bathroom to freshen up.
It's whilst he's brushing his teeth does he hear a light knock coming from the front door. He’s about to step out of the bathroom, toothpaste all smeared around his mouth and brush bobbing between his lips, before he catches himself and quickly goes to rinse it away. He answers the door with a damp face, and towel in his hands, his hair brushed back.
“Hi,” A small, pleasant face greets him. Taekwoon blinks down at the man unsure; he wasn’t room service because he hadn’t ordered any nor was he in uniform. “I’m Sanghyuk.” The man introduces himself with a smile, and Taekwoon blinks again.
“Uh, can I help you?” Taekwoon asks awkwardly, dabbing the towel around his neck.
“Oh, I was called here?”
“Wrong room maybe?”
“Room 86, right?” He smiles the question and it makes Taekwoon’s own lips twitch as if it return it. “Your voice seems different than it was on the phone, maybe I did get the wrong room.”
“What is it you need?”
“Ah, I came to switch a suitcase with a...Lee Jaehwan?”
Then Taekwoon remembers the conversation he had with Jaehwan before he passed out. “Oh, right. The suitcase...yeah, Jaehwan isn’t here, right now. You want to wait inside?” Taekwoon offers, although slightly reluctant, he could hardly handle being alone with friends, let alone a stranger.
“That’d be great, thanks,” Sanghyuk bows slightly and steps foot into the hotel room awkwardly. He goes towards the window, where the view includes half an apartment building and the car park.
“Do you want anything? Water? Coffee?” Taekwoon asks, uncomfortable in his pair of boxers and vest.
“No, I’m fine thanks,” Sanghyuk refuses politely, and let’s his eyes linger a moment on Taekwoon before looking away.
“I’m just going to go dry my hair, real quick,” Taekwoon says, and all Sanghyuk can respond with is an awkward nod.
As the hairdryer blares away, stuffing the awkward atmosphere into a tiny box in the corner of the room, Taekwoon thinks about one thing. Where the fuck Jaehwan is, because for definite, this wasn’t the first time he’d ever abandoned Taekwoon. Especially on their trip to Jeju, it was meant to be a birthday gift from Jaehwan’s girlfriend, for him to spend a weekend away with his friends. But instead, Jaehwan chose Taekwoon, the one friend that was so quiet and isolated, he wouldn’t be the one to especially blabber if Jaehwan was to be even the slightest hint of unfaithful. Which is why he worries now over just how long Jaehwan might be, because chances are he’s managed to catch another female too drunk to realise she’s leaving with a greasy, constantly in-heat guy with a questionable haircut.
When Taekwoon enters the bedroom again, Sanghyuk is sitting on the edge of Jaehwan’s bed, flicking through his phone. “You sure you don’t want anything?” Taekwoon asks out of sheer loss from what do. Sanghyuk doesn’t answer however. “Um, excuse me?”
“Oh, what? Sorry?” Sanghyuk jumps and turns to look at Taekwoon with a slightly bashful expression.
“I was just asking if I should get you something to drink?”
“Oh no, it’s okay, thanks,” He clears his throat, his posture suddenly fidgety. “I think I should go, maybe come by tomorrow when Jaehwan is here.”
“I could just give it to you?” Taekwoons says, pointing towards the suitcase peeking out from under Jaehwan’s bed.
“No, no, it’s fine, I only came to make sure it was mine, I didn’t bring his with me,” Sanghyuk says with a clear of his throat.
“Well, why don’t we check it then?” Taekwoon isn’t sure why he’s being so pushy. Since he could talk, he hardly ever chose to, but despite the unpleasantries, he hated burdening others. So he goes to grab the suitcase and throws it onto the bed to flick it open.
“Ah, it’s okay you don’t have to open-” But Taekwoon’s already swinging it open, and despite his naturally cool composure even Taekwoon was a little thrown off by the variety of underwear and baby clothes folded neatly inside. “Hmmmm.”
“These yours?” Taekwoon asks, a little amused as he looks up to Sanghyuk staring deep into his suitcase with a palm pressed to his lips.
“Yeah- mm, yeah,” Sanghyuk clears his throats and flings his hand around in a pathetic way of saying ‘yes’.
“You can take it,” Taekwoon says and goes to shut it again.
“What?”
“Take it.”
“But what about Jaehwans?”
“Just bring it tomorrow, he probably won’t be back for a while,” Taekwoon offers a small smile and Sanghyuk makes a little noise in his throat. “You okay?”
“Hmmm yeah, yeah, thanks a lot.” Sanghyuk nods frantically and takes the suitcase from Taekwoon, dragging it quickly to the door. Taekwoon follows him out, staring at the small of Sanghyuk’s back as a faint sense of familiarity washes over him all of a sudden.
Just as Taekwoon is about to wave him goodbye, Sanghyuk seem’s to fidget at the entrance for a bit, “Um...Taekwoon...yeah?”
“Yes?”
Sanghyuk gives Taekwoon a long determined look, his eyebrows creases together before they falter all of a sudden. “No...nevermind, thanks again.” Sanghyuk quickly bows and skitters down the hallway. Taekwoon pokes his head out a bit to watch him until he turns a corner.
✈
The next time Jaehwan returns to the hotel room it’s five in the morning, and Taekwoon is up reading a book, fully prepared for his drunken mess. Except when he does finally walk through that door, Taekwoon is greeted with a solemn, sad mop of a Jaehwan he instantly wishes he was asleep right now. But it was too late, Jaehwan looks up then and meets eyes with Taekwoon, and the tremble in his lips means Taekwoon wasn’t going to sleep for a while.
"Get rejected?" Taekwoon starts and Jaehwan responds with a simple sigh as he trudges towards his bed. "It's just your first night in Jeju, you can try again tomorrow?"
"No Taekwoon, you're not meant to condone this!" Jaehwan cries and flops back into his bed.
"I...don't really care."
"And that's exactly why I picked you!" Jaehwan shouts with a point of his finger. Taekwoon decides he's definitely drunk. "You mind your own business and go about your way! That's why you're hereeeee."
Taekwoon rolls his eyes, fully prepared to get back to his book.
"No I didn't meant that..." Jaehwan mumbles, his pout so far out it was basically poking Taekwoon to give it attention. "It's just I got rejected so many times tonight it made me think, you know?"
"Shocking."
"It made me realise just how much I care about Heeyoun, and how much she cares about me. She's with someone like me, me ." Jaehwan squeaks, his eyes tearing up.
Taekwoon nods, "Yes just as...shocking."
"Taekwoon what do I do man," Jaehwan cries and proceeds to throw a tantrum on the bed.
"Just stop hitting on girls...?" Taekwoon pathetically made the attempt at helping but in all honesty he just wanted to get to bed.
"You're right, you're right-"
Taekwoon relaxes.
"I'm going to try my best not to flirt and enjoy this trip with you," Jaehwan smiles, and it's the kind of pained smile that helps Taekwoon realise this trip was more effort than he had originally planned.
"Anyway, since that's resolved, some Sanghyuk came and took his suitcase," Taekwoon says nodding towards the empty space under the bed.
"What!?" Jaehwan jumps up and goes to bend between his legs, shuffling at the covers to look down below. "You gave it to him!? Why would you do that?"
"It had baby stuff in it, what if his kid needs it?" Taekwoon shrugs, the image of Sanghyuk's thin shoulders resurfacing in his mind.
"Taekwoon," Jaehwan groans his name. "That was like my collateral, my hostage! What if he runs away with my stuff now?"
"He's not the type, don't worry."
"What? How can you be so sure? It's not like you know him," Jaehwan pouts and goes to start stripping in frustration.
Taekoon opens his mouth to refute Jaehwan's point but he was right, he didn't know Sanghyuk but there was something about him that made Taekwoon easily put his trust in him. Maybe it was the baby clothes, fathers couldn't be that conniving? Could they?
✈
When Sanghyuk's sister had invited him to her family trip to a Jeju resort, he could hardly say no. But if he had known that his sole purpose for coming here was to look after the baby, then maybe possibly he would have said no. But because his sister is the evil selfish witch she is, he evidently didn't have a choice in the matter as he watched his sister and husband play around in the pool while he sat back cuddling the baby to sleep.
It wasn't all bad, he could sleep for long periods of time and bathe in the sun but he also has to feed the baby, burp the baby, rock the baby, care for the baby so much he smells like baby even after an hour of scrubbing himself in the shower.
Thankfully today little Jisub is having a calm day, he's sleeping on Sanghyuk's chest as he lays down on a sunbed beneath a large umbrella. The sun was bright but it wasn't smoldering hot, so Sanghyuk was tempted to fall asleep too, until his phone begins to buzz.
"Hello?"
"Oh yes hi! This is Jaehwan, with the suitcase?" The voice on the other end says. Sanghyuk shifts slightly thinking it was Taekwoon for a moment, but then hears the name.
"Ah yes, I came over yesterday but you weren't there?"
"Sorry about that, I was busy and lost track of time," Jaehwan awkwardly laughs and then clears his throat. "About my suitcase, will I be able to pick it up today?"
"Yes of course, what time?"
"Let's make it six pm if that's okay with you?"
"Okay...I'll text you my room details, bye." Sanghyuk hangs up the phone with a tinge of disappointment. He was hoping somehow he'd be able to meet Taekwoon again, if only he'd had taken Taekwoon's suitcase instead of Jaehwan's by accident.
Jaehwan's stops himself and thinks about how ridiculous the thought was. He doesn't have much time to brood over himself since a shadow comes to cover the entirety of the sun and Sanghyuk squints up to find Taekwoon looking down at him.
"T-T-Taekwoon?" Sanghyuk stutters and has to bite his tongue to force the rest of his name out.
"Sanghyuk, right?" Taekwoon bows a little. "I thought I recognized you."
"Ah yes, it's nice to see you again," Sanghyuk says and shifts to sit up right, the baby sliding slightly down his chest.
Taekwoon makes his way to sit down on the sun bed beside Sanghyuk, "Is this taken?"
"No, no, no, please sit."
Taekwoon does, he lays out a towel and sits on the edge, shuffling out of his flip flops. Sanghyuk looks away and awkwardly pats Jisub as he tries to think of a conversation starter.
"Is that the baby?" Taekwoon asks, beating Sanghyuk to the punch.
"Baby?" He remembers the baby clothes in the suitcase and how mortified he was to have his underwear on display."Oh yes! This is little Jisub." Sanghyuk introduces with a small pat on his bum.
Taekwoon leans in with a small smile on his face and goes to stroke at the babies plump cheek, "Cute." Taekwoon murmurs, and Sanghyuk feels the heat in his face burn up as if Taekwoon was talking to him. "How old is he?"
"I'm twenty four- and you weren't asking me, wow, okay," Sanghyuk clears his throat, the blush in his cheeks turning into embarrassment too quickly as Taekwoon looks at him. "Jisub is nine months next week."
"He's so small..." Taekwoon says softly, and Sanghyuk doesn't know if that's just how he usually speaks or he's lowering it for the baby, either way it raises goosebumps up Sanghyuk's arms.
You still like small things Sanghyuk thinks to himself, the fond memory bringing a small smile to his lips.
“What did you say?” Taekwoon looks up and Sanghyuk squirms, had he said it out loud?
“Well, what do we have? Little Hyukkie making friends,” A female’s voice interrupts the two and Sanghyuk looks up to find his sister looking down at the two of them. She was dripping wet, the sun glistening off her curves and Sanghyuk eyed Taekwoon a little to see if he was staring. He wasn’t, at least Sanghyuk didn’t think so, he just seemed to give an acknowledging smile.
“Taekwoon, this is Hyojung, mother of Jisub.” Sanghyuk reluctantly introduces. “Hyojung, this is the man that gave me my suitcase yesterday.”
Taekwoon gets up to politely shake her hand and asks, “Your wife?”
Sanghyuk’s choking, he wanted to gasp but the shock got to him so much it just got caught in his throat. “No, no, no!” Sanghyuk aggressively denies. “No, god, no, she’s my sister.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought the child was yours,” Taekwoon bashfully says and scratches the back of his neck. “Sorry.” He then bows to Hyojung who just stands there bellowing out in laughter.
Hyojung clears her throat, “No, my husbands in the pool right now, trying not to drown.”
“Jesus,” Sanghyuk sighs and then feels Jisub scuffle around on his chest. “Oh god he’s awake.”
And then the baby starts crying, the kind of screech that could wake up the dead and Sanghyuk is too caught up in his embarrassment and shock to remember what to do to silence him so he looks up to his sister for help. But she just raises her palms up and indicates to her wet body, and Sanghyuk is already mortified enough he’d wish Taekwoon would just disappear.
“Do you mind?” Taekwoon slides in, bending over Sanghyuk too close, indicating to the baby.
“Y-yes please do.” Sanghyuk stutters and hands the wailing baby to Taekwoon. Who in turn happily takes the baby and rocks him into his arms, the screeching almost stops immediately and both Sanghyuk and his sister stare in amazement.
“No one has ever been able to do that so quickly,” Hyojung gasps, a perfectly manicured hand settles upon her mouth. “Do you want to marry me?”
“Your husband is right behind you, Hyojung,” Sanghyuk groans and peeks at Taekwoon who’s grinning down as Jisung makes little bubbly noises.
“Right you are, and I’m jumping back into the pool,” She declares but not before she throws a wink at Sanghyuk as if to suggest something he really was hoping she wasn’t suggesting, and walks away.
“You don’t have to hold him if you don’t want to, it’s okay,” Sanghyuk says, and nervously lays out his hands, wondering too hard about whether or not he was bothering Taekwoon.
“Hm?” Taekwoon looks up absentmindedly. “I don’t mind, he’s cute.”
Sanghyuk kind of wants to say ’no, you are’ but then he remembers, Taekwoon doesn’t even remember him. He was just a boy in the grade below him in high school, they never spoke, Sanghyuk just staring at him from afar for three years until he graduated. If anything the fact he doesn’t remember him means that he didn’t come off a total stalker back then. Sanghyuk lies back into his sunbed, mortified with his teenage self.
“Does he have any food? He seems hungry?” Taekwoon asks, his eyes never leaving Jisubs.
“Yeah, sure,” Sanghyuk quickly rummages around the baby bag beside him and pulls out a bottle to hand to Taekwoon.
“Thanks,” Taekwoon says and blindly takes the bottle.
“Um, sorry to trouble you,” Sanghyuk awkwardly mumbles. “I can’t believe I’m bothering a stranger.”
“No bother,” Taekwoon smiles down, and starts to feed the baby.
Sanghyuk feels slightly saddened by the fact Taekwoon doesn’t say anything to refute the stranger comment, maybe somewhere in the back of his head he was hoping he made some sort of impression. No matter how creepy a guy staring at another guy in high school might have come off.
“Ah, he fell asleep,” Taekwoon says and looks up at Sanghyuk with a small smile, and Sanghyuk makes a little whimpering noise in his throat as his heart squeezes. He’s still so good looking.
“Let me take him off you, you probably want to enjoy your holiday,” Sanghyuk offers but Taekwoon’s arms seem to grow tighter around Jisub ever so slightly. Sanghyuk blinks at him.
“It’s fine, I like kids, besides I came here out of force,” Taekwoon explains, stroking Jisub’s hair.
“With Jaehwan?”
Taekwoon nods, “He wanted the friend that would bother him the least to come.”
“That’s harsh.”
“It’s Jaehwan. I was free anyway.” Taekwoon shrugs, and then looks up at Sanghyuk. “What about you?”
“Was offered a holiday, then realised I was in fact the babysitter,” Sanghyuk says, playing with the strings of his swimming shorts. He looks up at Taekwoon when he hears him chuckle, and feels kind of soft inside. He’d never seen him smile so much before, not in all three years they went to high school together. “You look good smiling.” Sanghyuk says without thinking and it isn’t till he realises Taekwoon’s questioning stare does he finally note what he says.
“That was so creepy, wasn’t it? What am I doing?” Sanghyuk groans and contemplates drowning himself right there and then.
“No, no,” Taekwoon snorts. “I’m just surprised...no ones ever said that before."
"Really?"
"Mmm, I'm apparently scary."
“No, you aren't!” Sanghyuk says too enthusiastically. “I mean...I mean you didn’t scare me so...yeah.”
Taekwoon grins, teeth on display and eyes rising a little at the corners, and Sanghyuk think’s if you if it's possible to fall for the same person twice in one lifetime, then he’s fucking screwed.
✈
“I have no clothes!” Jaehwan cries and flings himself onto the bed. “I need to look fresh tonight.”
“Go get your suitcase then,” Taekwoon says flatly as he brushes out his wet hair in the mirror.
“I don’t want to,” Jaehwan moans and crawls under the cover.
Taekwoon turns back to give the lump of useless that was Jaehwan a look. “Why not?” Jaehwan pokes his head out and pouts at Taekwoon.
“I’ve got a date in half an hour, I don’t have time, can I borrow some of your clothes?” Jaehwan blinks and smiles cheekily.
“Date? What happened to appreciating Heeyoun?” Taekwoon can hardly hide the look of disgust on his face but Jaehwan does a perfect job in ignoring it.
“Look man, I’ll go back to appreciating after this trip, she knows I need to let off some steam, be with someone else before I propose to her,” Jaehwan nods to himself.
“You’re going to propose- you know what, none of my business,” Taekwoon shakes his head and goes to throw on a t shirt. “Do what you want.” Taekwoon says and points to his suitcase.
“I love you,” Jaehwan cheers.
“That hardly means anything,” Taekwoon mumbles.
“So I’ve got a favour to ask,” Jaehwan grins, his body sprawled across Taekwoon’s suitcase.
“Now what?”
“Can you go pick up my suitcase? Please? Please? Pretty please?” Jaehwan begs, rolling around and kicking his legs like a ten year old on withdrawal from sugar.
Taekwoon was about to flat out refuse but then he remembers Sanghyuk has Jaehwan’s suitcase, and the thought doesn’t seem so daunting anymore. “Fine.” Taekwoon agrees, a little confused by the decision but maybe he’ll get to see Jisub again.
“Seriously!? Great! I’ll write down the room number and floor, you can’t back out now!” Jaehwan cheers, flinging himself across the room for his phone.
Taekwoon watches Jaehwan skip and dancing around as he taps away at his phone and wonders how no one has decided to murder him yet.
✈
Taekwoon’s palms are sweaty for some reason when he comes to Sanghyuk’s door, six on the dot. He brushes a few fingers through his jet black hair and makes sure his fringe is spread out evenly before he knocks at the door. There wasn’t an answer, so he knocks again.
“C-coming!” A voice cries out, followed by several loud thumps and a groan.
The door opens to Sanghyuk, a rather messy Sanghyuk. Bed hair parted naturally in the middle, little baby hairs sticking up as if electrified, he’s wearing a vest with a damp spot and a stain, and a pair of striped boxers. The second Sanghyuk locks eyes with Taekwoon, he slips instantly, and falls to the floor on his side.
“Fuck!” Sanghyuk squeaks from below, Taekwoon watching him from the little crack on the door. He presses it open as far as he can and goes to bend on his knees.
“You okay?” Taekwoon asks and grabs Sanghyuk’s arm to help him up.
“Y-yeah...it’s just everything’s a real mess in here, I wasn’t expecting you,” Sanghyuk mumbles quickly, looking around and tapping away at his body as if it would distract Taekwoom from the mess that he was.
“Sorry to bother you, I just came to pick up Jaehwan’s suitcase,” Taekwoon says, taking an awkward step into Sanghyuk’s room behind.
“Ah, uh yes, yes his suitcase, his suitcase,” Sanghyuk hops in one place, looking around the hell-stricken room. There were clothes everywhere, most noted were baby clothes, and toys scattered across the floor. “I’m sorry it’s a mess, I’m trying to both get ready for a dinner and look after Jisung, but there’s no bath for me to take Jisung in with me- and I’m rambling, I’m sorry his suitcase is by the window.” Sanghyuk points.
Taekwoon hops over open suitcases and tries not to slip on the sheets now slid off the bed. The view from the window overlooks the sea and Taekwoon takes a moment to stare at it, “Our view isn’t so great.”
“Oh yeah? My sister paid for this room, probably more expensive,” Sanghyuk shouts from the bathroom.
Jisub makes a noise from the bed, his eyes glued onto Taekwoon, and Taekwoon takes the opportunity to go tickle at his stomach. Jisub laughs loudly and Sanghyuk pops his head out of the bathroom, toothbrush in mouth and peeks at the two. “You’re still here?” Sanghyuk asks, his words muffled.
Taekwoon looks over at his shoulder, noting shirtless Sanghyuk has more of a broader chest than him in clothes seem to tell. “Do you want me to watch Jisub while you shower? I don’t mind.”
“Sheroshly!?” Sanhyuk chokes on his brush and goes into the bathroom quick, all Taekwoon hears is water rushing, until Sanghyuk pops his head back out. “Seriously? That’d be great, I won’t be long.”
“No problem,” Taekwoon nods, and Sanghyuk is quick to disappear.
As Taekwoon looks down at Jisub, a finger tickling at his small nose, Taekwoon wonders where the familiarity around Sanghyuk comes from. It was becoming stronger the more he saw him, and therefore more irritating.
It doesn’t take long for Sanghyuk to come out of the shower, he walks out comfortably in nothing but a towel around his waist. Taekwoon, in turn, seems to set his jaw in attempt to act cool about it, it wasn’t as if he hasn’t seen Jaehwan wonder around the room naked, showing his ‘manhood’ (his words) as if it were something to be proud about. But like Taekwoon thought, it wasn’t any of his business. So really neither should be Sanghyuk walking around comfortably half naked, and leaving a practical stranger to look after his nine month old nephew.
“Aren’t you a little too trusting?” The words slip out of Taekwoon quicker than he thought them. He puts a conscience hand to his lips and looks away. Wasn’t his mouth a little too loose around Sanghyuk? “Sorry, that was rude.”
Sanghyuk looks at him between wet strands of hair and blinks, “I trust you, you just give off that feeling, you know?”
Taekwoon snorts, “You’re odd, Sanghyuk.”
“Really?”
“Jaehwan says I can look like a potential murderer,” Taekwoon bites his lip and looks down at Jisub quickly, he was seriously talking too much.
Sanghyuk grabs a towel and starts to ruffle with his hair, walking around to Taekwoon, he sits on the opposite side of Jisub, “Well, at this point it’s kind of odd to judge on appearances. Besides I know you’re a good person.”
“How?”
Sanghyuk pauses, as if caught doing something bad, and then he bursts out laughing. “Well, you know, you just get that feeling from some people, like I said.” He coughs and looks down at Jisub with a beaten down expression.
“Sanghyuk, do we know each other?” Taekwoon asks, tilting his head to stare at the details of Sanghyuk’s face.
“What!?” Sanghyuk squeaks.
“I don’t know, you just have this familiar atmosphere around you,” Taekwoon absentmindedly says.
Sanghyuk seems to brighten up all of a sudden and his lips twitch as if he wants to smile. Taekwoon doesn’t really get a response because the front door suddenly slams open, and Taekwoon feels uncharacteristically disappointed.
“Sanghyuk, you ready yet?” Hyojung walks into the room tutting, kicking things out of her way with her heels. “Is Jisub- oh, hello.” Hyojung’s smile graces her face in an instant.
“Hello, nice to see you again,” Taekwoon gets up and bows.
Hyojung looks between the two, “Am I interrupting something?”
“No, no, no” Sanghyuk is quick to deny, and Taekwoon watches him as he fidgets where he is, nervously going to pick up a bottle of water.
“I just came to pick up my friends suitcase,” Taekwoon explains.
“Ah, the one that got switched,” Hyojung nods and then looks towards her brother. “Well, you don’t have to be so nervous, I’m sure Taekwoon isn’t one to judge gay people, right?”
Sanghyuk spits out his water, literally sprays it all over himself and the wall in front of him. He chokes for a good minute before he can wheeze out any words, “What are you talking about?”
“Well I thought you must have told him,” Hyojung shrugs innocently.
“What? In what conversation would that come up in?” Sanghyuk squeaks.
“It doesn’t matter, right Taekwoon?” Hyojung asks, completely blanking her brother who sat there half naked and slowly turning to stone.
“Ah no, it’s okay, I’m interested in men too anyway,” Taekwoon bluntly replies.
A huge smile grows on Hyojung’s face and somehow Sanghyuk has managed to slip onto the floor, his head hanging, towel barely covering him at this point. Taekwoon bites back a smile of his own and then goes to grab the suitcase.
“Well, please enjoy your dinner,” Taekwoon bows once again and attempts to head out but Hyojung just stands there watching him.
“Wait, why don’t you join us for dinner?” She suggests. “If you don’t have anything going on tonight.”
Sanghyuk pops out from behind the bed, his wet hair an array mess, “Don’t you think you’ve done enough, woman!?”
“Ah no I wouldn’t want to disturb your dinner,” Taekwoon politely refuses.
“Of course it wouldn’t be!” Hyojung claps enthusiastically. “Besides it’s a bit awkward for my brother to sit around my husband and I, we’re still in the newly-wed phase.”
“That’s because you are in the newly-wed phase - had a shotgun wedding- oof!” Hyojung throws a pillow to shut Sanghyuk up.
“Like I said, if you want to, of course. Wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Hyojung says with a twinkle of her eyes.
“Done and dusted!” Sanghyuk squawks and quickly ducks behind the bed in case of incoming attacks.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I would love to,” Taekwoon replies smoothly.
“What!?” Sanghyuk screeches from behind. Taekwoon doesn't turn but he tries not to laugh at the sound of Sanghyuk struggling to get up onto his feet and shuffle his way towards the two of them. “Are you sure? Please don’t listen to her, she just likes causing trouble.”
Taekwoon looks down at Sanghyuk with a smirk, peeking at his pink cheeks. “No, I want to, my company isn’t nearly as entertaining.” Taekwoon says looking dead straight at Sanghyuk, who just makes a small type of whimpering noise.
“Perfect! Sanghyuk will text you the details, just give each other your numbers,” Hyojung slyly suggests.
Taekwoon laughs lightly as Sanghyuk sinks into himself with embarrassment.
✈
“I want to die.” Sanghyuk groans at the dinner table, the idea of cracking the china plate before him into his skull seeming more and more attractive as the minutes go by.
“Oh get over yourself,” Hyojung waves him off. “You’re so attracted to him, it was painful, I had to do something.”
“Why bother him?”
“What’s the problem? He’s gay anyway,” Hyojung shrugs, taking a sip of her wine.
"That's not the point," Sanghyuk hisses, and although he seems irritant about the whole situation, Sanghyuk couldn't help but feel elated. It wasn't as if he'd ever have hope, about someone like Taekwoon being interested in him but the fact he was into men too, it made Sanghyuk feel closer to him, as if he weren't the senior he had to sneak around for three years.
"Oh, oh, oh, here he comes," Hyojung squeals.
Sanghyuk nervously looks up to find Taekwoon walking through the restaurant's door casually in nothing but simple dark jeans and a white button up top, and yet he seems so ethereal, and beautiful and Sanghyuk is glad he's got a cup of wine in front of him he could blame the pink of his cheeks on.
"Nice to see you again," Taekwoon bows, and gives Sanghyuk a quick look.
Sanghyuk was about to make a pathetic greeting until Hyojung charges in with one of her high pitched gasps, "Oh my god you're so good looking! Your hair is so black, so pretty!" She cries and get's a little too excited in her chair. "Look Jisub, isn't he so good-looking?" Hyojung says to her child in the baby seat beside her. Jisub responds with a little giggle.
Taekwoon looks around the table as he sits down and spots the empty seat, "Your husband?"
"Ah he was taking a while to get ready so we came without him, he'll join us soon," Hyojung explains before calling over a waiter.
Sanghyuk nervously goes to reach for the cup of water before him, and so does Taekwoon, their hands meeting for a brief moment until Sanghyuk snatches it away. "S-sorry."
"No, it's my fault, thought it was my cup," Taekwoon says and let's his hand linger on the table for a moment before he puts it back on his lap.
"So, Taekwoon, tell us a bit about yourself," Hyojung begins, and honestly, Sanghyuk gives up on trying. In all fairness, he was curious about Taekwoon after he graduated, it'd been seven years.
"What would you like to know?"
"What do you do for a living?"
"I work in a university lab, studying uh- in simple terms, we study plants," Taekwoon says with a lick of his lips, and Sanghyuk finds himself staring.
"Oh thats unique, Sanghyuk here studying to be a vet," Hyojung unnessarily adds.
"Seriously?" Taekwoon's eyes suddenly light up and he's leaning in closer to Sanghyuk. "You like animals?"
Sanghyuk looks down bashful and nods, "Yeah, I'd always wanted to be a doctor but the thought of working a hospital seemed a bit tiresome. And I love animals so..."
"Me too, I mean- kind of embarrassing for a grown man but-"
"No, not at all!" Sanghyuk quickly interrupts. "Animals are kind, there's nothing wrong with liking them." Sanghyuk defends, looking straight into Taekwoon's eyes with determination, and then he quickly falters, balling into himself with embarrassment.
Taekwoon chuckles a little, "You're right."
Sanghyuk feels his face burning even more as he takes a large sip of his wine. He remembers the one rainy day after school in middle school, walking home he'd seen Taekwoon leave an umbrella for an abandoned puppy. Maybe that's what started it off, his obsession with animals. And Taekwoon.
"I was never allowed pets because we lived in a flat," Taekwoon says, a wistful smile on his face as he takes a sip of water.
"You can always come over to my university you know, loads of students find stress relief in petting the animals, so I'm sure it would be- I mean, I'm sorry, that was a weird suggestion," Sanghyuk was getting ahead of himself, as far as Taekwoon was concerned they'd only just met yesterday.
"Really? I'd love to," Taekwoon quickly accepts, and Sanghyuk tries not to show the happiness on his face.
"What is taking him so long?" Hyojung mumbles to herself, checking the time on her phone. "I'm going to go check on my stupid husband, you guys just order what you want for now, okay?" Hyojung states firmly, picking up Jisub from his chair and head out back to the hotel lobby.
Sanghyuk is both relieved and frightened to be left alone with Taekwoon. "So are you based in Seoul?" Sanghyuk hopefully asks, and to his joy, he nods. "S-same here, I haven't moved anywhere since high school."
"High school?" Taekwoon repeats.
Sanghyuk bites his lip, "Yeah...about your question earlier, if we knew each other? I-"
"We went to high school together didn't we?" Taekwoon interrupts.
"Wait what? You knew?"
"No...I couldn't remember at all, you just had this sense of familiarity, and when you mentioned being a vet I remembered who you were. You were in the grade below, taking care of the rabbit cages, right?" Taekwoon smiles as if the memories were fond and Sanghyuk feels like his face turned into the surface of an inferno. He was happy, so ecstatically happy that he couldn't even try to bite away the smile on his lips, so he just ducks his head down and fidgets with the cutlery.
"Yeah..." Sanghyuk pathetically mumbles. "How did you know I tended the rabbits?"
"Well...people thought you had a thing for Nana, it got pretty big in our class, I just sort of started noticing you every time you were around her is all," Taekwoon shrugs and jumps when he hears Sanghyuk squeak.
"Who is Nana?"
"Huh?" Taekwoon blinks, confused. "Nana, she was a friend?"
Sanghyuk shook his head, the memory of any type of person around Taekwoon completely blurred. "I have no clue."
"So, you didn't have a crush on her?"
"No, of course not, I don't even know who she is," Sanghyuk sighs and settles deep into his chair.
"I'm sorry, it's just a lot of people came to see Nana often, but you were always persistent in being near our classes so people just assumed," Taekwoon says with an apologetic face and Sanghyuk looks at him through the parting in his fingers and sighs heavily.
"I wasn't looking at her, if you could please clear that misunderstanding whenever you can get the chance," Sanghyuk weakly asks and Taekwoon clears his throat in a horrible way of not laughing.
"No problem...so why were you always around our classroom?" Taekwoon slyly asks and Sanghyuk looks up at him with a questioning glance as to whether the question was a tease because he knows, or if he just genuinely asking. Sanghyuk has no clue.
"Hello, gentlemen, may I take your order?" The waiter suddenly appears and Sanghyuk couldn't have asked for a more perfectly timed intervention.
"Yes please," Sanghyuk eagerly smiles, as he tells the waiter what he wants, he feels incredibly conscious of the way Taekwoon leans back in his chair, his lean body stretching and disappearing under the table cloth.
Taekwoon is staring as the waiter explains to Sanghyuk the ingredients and flavours of every dish he asks about. He looks flustered and confused, but the crease in his eyebrows says he is concentrating hard nonetheless. Taekwoon found him cute, really cute. Which would come to a surprise to anyone, considering Taekwoon's interests hardly ever adheres to any kind of human with a decent vocabulary.
But Taekwoon had thought that way since high school too. The only reason he remembers Sanghyuk anyway was because of how much his small frame attracted Taekwoon's eyes back then. Maybe not in the romantic way, but back in high school when everything was as dull as grey and the school halls always seemed to close in on you, fluffy things like Sanghyuk tending to rabbits always managed to relax Taekwoon.
He hadn't known his name back then, he never really tried to strike a conversation, there wasn't a point. Everyone had thought Sanghyuk's interest was purely on Nana, that his chubby pink cheeks glowed for every time she flicked her hair, that he hid around corners just to see her smile. But now knowing Sanghyuk's interest in men and how irrelevant Nana was to him all this time, Taekwoon couldn't help but feel curious. As detached and cold as Taekwoon may seem, he could ever hardly control himself.
And now watching Sanghyuk, jitter and shift his eyes back and forth from the menu to Taekwoon, he ponders at the chance laid before him. Should he bite?
PART TWO