set you free [2PM]
set you free
Junho | not quite Junho/Wooyoung
in which Junho and Wooyoung play pretend that they’ve grown up
(1,358)
Junho doesn't need to turn around to know who's looking for him. "I'll be back inside in a few minutes," he says preemptively. Not that he’s been outside for long, just… half an hour. Give or take.
Wooyoung doesn't respond right away. He levels with Junho. Shoulder to shoulder, hands in his coat pockets, breath misting in the heavy night air. Tries not to look surprised as something scurries by his feet. Waits for an opening in that strange beat that only he and Junho listened to. "It's chilly out here."
"It's supposed to rain tonight."
"Which is why you should go back in, remember the party inside? Remember fun?"
"Give me a few minutes."
Wooyoung doesn't say anything to that.
They're standing in an alley between a closed boutique where Minjun always gets his nails polished and a quaint little Italian restaurant that Wooyoung has always said he wanted to try but never found the occasion for. Before today, of course. Junho has one hand in his pocket, the other hand holding a cigarette that died out almost immediately after it was lit. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't know what he was thinking. He doesn't know why he hasn't thrown it away yet.
Junho waits. But he knows Wooyoung can always wait longer. "It's not a good idea to spend the night before your wedding trying to catch a cold."
"Maybe." Wooyoung stares up at the gray sliver of cloudy sky between the two walls. "But we're all having a great dinner inside. Leaving my best man alone when he's already feeling lonely is a much worse idea. Don't you think?"
A smoke would feel really good right about now. He puts the cigarette back in his mouth, trying to be as cool and nonchalant as he can pretend to be. "I don't have an opinion on the matter." Junho fumbles for the lighter in his pocket. It's only been used once. He raises it, ready to flick fire, but Wooyoung grabs his wrist before he can relight the cigarette.
You don’t smoke, Wooyoung doesn’t say. As if Junho needed the reminder.
He stares at Wooyoung's hand. Wooyoung will be wearing a ring there starting tomorrow, a tiny little change that will last for the rest of his life. "Fine." Junho loosens his fingers and lets the lighter fall to the ground. Not like he’ll be using it anymore. Or at all.
Wooyoung takes the cigarette from between Junho's lips and looks at it like he's never seen one before. "Sometimes I wonder about things."
"Things... as in?"
Wooyoung breathes in deeply. That's not a good sign. "Sometimes I wonder if I've been leading you on without meaning to." But then, there hasn't been a good sign for more than a year now. Reality has always been right in front of Junho's face, he's just too good at playing blind.
Junho tries not to laugh like it's the funniest thing in the world. "This isn't something I want to talk to you about."
"You don't talk about it with Chansung either," Wooyoung says. "He doesn't have to tell me. I just know. Because I know you. I get you. Like you get me."
"We're partners in crime."
"Too naive to know any better."
"You haven't been leading me on." Alright, so maybe Junho does want to talk about it a bit, maybe he's always wanted to for years but nobody has ever brought it up. And now someone did, bad luck that it's the last person Junho has in mind. "Just so you know. You can rest your pretty little head about it now."
Wooyoung nods, distracted. "So why did you...?" He sounds hurt. But he's not hurting for himself.
"Why did I what?" Junho leans back against the wall. Maybe he should have gotten a drink. Or two. Or twenty.
"I guess that's not really a fair question," Wooyoung admits. "Maybe what I want to know is... for how long? Because I never noticed anything different. I don't know when things changed."
Junho leers at him. He realizes that it's the first time he's looked at Wooyoung's face the whole night. He doesn't know how he's going to deal with tomorrow, but he has to. He owes Wooyoung a sober best man. "So we're finally having this conversation. Do you have any idea how many years I've been putting it off?"
That catches Wooyoung off guard. "Wow. Years? Really?"
This time, Junho does laugh. Wooyung looks uncertain but he doesn't look at Junho like he's crazy. "It took a lot of effort, I admit. Way too much. So I'm tired now. Tired of feeling things. And don't apologize, you didn't actually do anything to cause it."
Wooyoung grins playfully. "Am I just that irresistable?"
All in all, this is going better than Junho expects. It almost makes up for being afraid all this time. "No, I was just that much of an idiot. I don't know what I was thinking. Or whether I was thinking at all." He nudges Wooyoung's face gently with the back of his hand. "I mean, Chansung's right there and he's definitely hotter. Or Khun and all his charms, and I wouldn't have had to ask myself why over and over because everybody’s slightly in love with Khun. But you? I don't really know why. I'm obviously much dumber than they give me credit for."
"Nah, you're an unrecognized genius." Wooyoung sighs deeply. "I don't know what's going to happen after tomorrow, Junho. It's like my brain isn't allowing me to think of anything else. Sorry, I'm being selfish here, we were talking about-"
"We were talking about how you're going to make Jieun the happiest girl in the world," Junho continues for him. "And how you're going to carry her away to a fairytale honeymoon in Paris and have all these crazy romantic adventures straight out of the movies. And when you get back, you're going to tell me all these exciting stories about unassuming French cafes and how you can barely talk to anyone and it's a miracle you survived for a whole month."
It takes that much effort to make Wooyoung laugh genuinely. "And you're going to pretend like you're bored stiff but you'll keep berating me for not taking decent pictures and the lighting is off and my photos are a travesty to the wonderful scenery."
Wooyoung lays a hand on Junho’s shoulder and rests his head there. He leans on Junho for support, something he’s done for years. It’s something that forced Junho to learn how not to be intoxicated with Wooyoung’s proximity.
But it’s Junho’s turn to remind Wooyoung of something important. "I've never let my stupidness get in the way of things. I never will. You're not losing your friend. You can't get rid of me that easily."
"I'm not that naïve, don't worry." Wooyoung checks his watch. "Come on, let's go back in. Can’t let Taec and Minjun have all the fun at my party."
"Of course, you're the one getting married."
Wooyoung pauses right in front of the door. “Wow. When you say it like that, suddenly it feels so… big.”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t realize that this is a life-changing decision.”
“Maybe not as much as I’m appreciating it now.” Wooyoung turns on his heels and Junho almost jumps back, afraid that Wooyoung would- but all Wooyoung does is to punch him lightly on the shoulder.
“Promise me one thing?” Junho asks. The theme for tonight seems to be cashing in promises that they never made.
Wooyoung stands straighter. Presenting himself at his proudest because Junho never saw him as anything less.
Junho fights the reflex to stare at his feet. “Promise me you won’t forget that I was there for you first?”
Wooyoung cups the back of Junho’s head and presses their foreheads together. “Nobody can forget you, Lee Junho. Now come on in, before Taec blows my budget out of the water.”
They go back to their table, and Junho finds the feeling of finally having been set free.
Junho | not quite Junho/Wooyoung
in which Junho and Wooyoung play pretend that they’ve grown up
(1,358)
Junho doesn't need to turn around to know who's looking for him. "I'll be back inside in a few minutes," he says preemptively. Not that he’s been outside for long, just… half an hour. Give or take.
Wooyoung doesn't respond right away. He levels with Junho. Shoulder to shoulder, hands in his coat pockets, breath misting in the heavy night air. Tries not to look surprised as something scurries by his feet. Waits for an opening in that strange beat that only he and Junho listened to. "It's chilly out here."
"It's supposed to rain tonight."
"Which is why you should go back in, remember the party inside? Remember fun?"
"Give me a few minutes."
Wooyoung doesn't say anything to that.
They're standing in an alley between a closed boutique where Minjun always gets his nails polished and a quaint little Italian restaurant that Wooyoung has always said he wanted to try but never found the occasion for. Before today, of course. Junho has one hand in his pocket, the other hand holding a cigarette that died out almost immediately after it was lit. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't know what he was thinking. He doesn't know why he hasn't thrown it away yet.
Junho waits. But he knows Wooyoung can always wait longer. "It's not a good idea to spend the night before your wedding trying to catch a cold."
"Maybe." Wooyoung stares up at the gray sliver of cloudy sky between the two walls. "But we're all having a great dinner inside. Leaving my best man alone when he's already feeling lonely is a much worse idea. Don't you think?"
A smoke would feel really good right about now. He puts the cigarette back in his mouth, trying to be as cool and nonchalant as he can pretend to be. "I don't have an opinion on the matter." Junho fumbles for the lighter in his pocket. It's only been used once. He raises it, ready to flick fire, but Wooyoung grabs his wrist before he can relight the cigarette.
You don’t smoke, Wooyoung doesn’t say. As if Junho needed the reminder.
He stares at Wooyoung's hand. Wooyoung will be wearing a ring there starting tomorrow, a tiny little change that will last for the rest of his life. "Fine." Junho loosens his fingers and lets the lighter fall to the ground. Not like he’ll be using it anymore. Or at all.
Wooyoung takes the cigarette from between Junho's lips and looks at it like he's never seen one before. "Sometimes I wonder about things."
"Things... as in?"
Wooyoung breathes in deeply. That's not a good sign. "Sometimes I wonder if I've been leading you on without meaning to." But then, there hasn't been a good sign for more than a year now. Reality has always been right in front of Junho's face, he's just too good at playing blind.
Junho tries not to laugh like it's the funniest thing in the world. "This isn't something I want to talk to you about."
"You don't talk about it with Chansung either," Wooyoung says. "He doesn't have to tell me. I just know. Because I know you. I get you. Like you get me."
"We're partners in crime."
"Too naive to know any better."
"You haven't been leading me on." Alright, so maybe Junho does want to talk about it a bit, maybe he's always wanted to for years but nobody has ever brought it up. And now someone did, bad luck that it's the last person Junho has in mind. "Just so you know. You can rest your pretty little head about it now."
Wooyoung nods, distracted. "So why did you...?" He sounds hurt. But he's not hurting for himself.
"Why did I what?" Junho leans back against the wall. Maybe he should have gotten a drink. Or two. Or twenty.
"I guess that's not really a fair question," Wooyoung admits. "Maybe what I want to know is... for how long? Because I never noticed anything different. I don't know when things changed."
Junho leers at him. He realizes that it's the first time he's looked at Wooyoung's face the whole night. He doesn't know how he's going to deal with tomorrow, but he has to. He owes Wooyoung a sober best man. "So we're finally having this conversation. Do you have any idea how many years I've been putting it off?"
That catches Wooyoung off guard. "Wow. Years? Really?"
This time, Junho does laugh. Wooyung looks uncertain but he doesn't look at Junho like he's crazy. "It took a lot of effort, I admit. Way too much. So I'm tired now. Tired of feeling things. And don't apologize, you didn't actually do anything to cause it."
Wooyoung grins playfully. "Am I just that irresistable?"
All in all, this is going better than Junho expects. It almost makes up for being afraid all this time. "No, I was just that much of an idiot. I don't know what I was thinking. Or whether I was thinking at all." He nudges Wooyoung's face gently with the back of his hand. "I mean, Chansung's right there and he's definitely hotter. Or Khun and all his charms, and I wouldn't have had to ask myself why over and over because everybody’s slightly in love with Khun. But you? I don't really know why. I'm obviously much dumber than they give me credit for."
"Nah, you're an unrecognized genius." Wooyoung sighs deeply. "I don't know what's going to happen after tomorrow, Junho. It's like my brain isn't allowing me to think of anything else. Sorry, I'm being selfish here, we were talking about-"
"We were talking about how you're going to make Jieun the happiest girl in the world," Junho continues for him. "And how you're going to carry her away to a fairytale honeymoon in Paris and have all these crazy romantic adventures straight out of the movies. And when you get back, you're going to tell me all these exciting stories about unassuming French cafes and how you can barely talk to anyone and it's a miracle you survived for a whole month."
It takes that much effort to make Wooyoung laugh genuinely. "And you're going to pretend like you're bored stiff but you'll keep berating me for not taking decent pictures and the lighting is off and my photos are a travesty to the wonderful scenery."
Wooyoung lays a hand on Junho’s shoulder and rests his head there. He leans on Junho for support, something he’s done for years. It’s something that forced Junho to learn how not to be intoxicated with Wooyoung’s proximity.
But it’s Junho’s turn to remind Wooyoung of something important. "I've never let my stupidness get in the way of things. I never will. You're not losing your friend. You can't get rid of me that easily."
"I'm not that naïve, don't worry." Wooyoung checks his watch. "Come on, let's go back in. Can’t let Taec and Minjun have all the fun at my party."
"Of course, you're the one getting married."
Wooyoung pauses right in front of the door. “Wow. When you say it like that, suddenly it feels so… big.”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t realize that this is a life-changing decision.”
“Maybe not as much as I’m appreciating it now.” Wooyoung turns on his heels and Junho almost jumps back, afraid that Wooyoung would- but all Wooyoung does is to punch him lightly on the shoulder.
“Promise me one thing?” Junho asks. The theme for tonight seems to be cashing in promises that they never made.
Wooyoung stands straighter. Presenting himself at his proudest because Junho never saw him as anything less.
Junho fights the reflex to stare at his feet. “Promise me you won’t forget that I was there for you first?”
Wooyoung cups the back of Junho’s head and presses their foreheads together. “Nobody can forget you, Lee Junho. Now come on in, before Taec blows my budget out of the water.”
They go back to their table, and Junho finds the feeling of finally having been set free.