IMB 2012: Rain Rain Go Away (1/2)
Title: Rain Rain Go Away
Pairing/Focus: Sunggyu/Sungjong; Woohyun/Sungyeol
Rating: R
Warning(s): Sexual content and some strong language.
Summary: Sunggyu can't stop thinking about the person who gave him that umbrella on a rainy day.
Final word count: 16089
The next stop is Yongsan Station. Doors open to the right," the loud speaker announced. That, along with Woohyun nudging him in the side, woke Sunggyu from his quick nap. He blinked for a second, trying to sit up a little more, but Woohyun kept nudging him.
"Okay! Okay! I'm awake! You can stop doing that." Sunggyu snapped. It only got a small chuckle from the younger, but he did stop.
"Sorry. It's just hard to tell sometimes," Woohyun replied.
"Hey! I like my eyes, thank you very much!"
"I didn't say anything about your eyes." The older business man grumbled something, but was hard to hear over the sound of people leaving the train.
This was routine for Sunggyu. At the end of the day, he would get off at the same stop at the same time, say good bye to Woohyun, then walk back to his apartment. Nothing ever changed in that routine. It was always the same, even on holidays.
As they started walking towards the exit of the station, Sunggyu and Woohyun both sighed in despair. It was pouring down rain and neither of them had an umbrella to keep them dry on the way home.
"Why is it raining? I thought it was gonna be dry today," Woohyun whined. While Sunggyu would have loved to complain about the rain too, he knew that it wouldn't help their situation. "I'm gonna try calling Yeollie and see if he'll bring me an umbrella."
"Yeollie? You call him that now?"
"Yeah. What's wrong with it? Isn't that what couples do? They say the other's name in a cute way to show how much they care about them… right?"
"How would I know?"
"Poor Sunggyu." The older shot him a glare but didn't push it any farther. Woohyun would have better luck calling Sungyeol for an umbrella than waiting for the rain to stop.
Sunggyu zoned out staring at the rain as he really didn't want to hear Woohyun talk to Sungyeol. Every time he did, he would always throw in pathetic pet names and whine about how much he missed him. He wasn't sure if his annoyance towards it was jealousy or not, but he didn't think about the reason behind it. He knew it just bothered him.
His zoning out was interrupted by someone poking him in the side. He flinched and tried to smack that hand away.
"Yah! Woohyun! I told you not to-!" His sentence stopped short when he realized that it wasn't Woohyun poking him. It was a stranger with a hint of a worried look in his eyes, but his face was otherwise blank. He didn't seem bothered by Sunggyu trying to hit him. "Oh, uh… Sorry. Did you need something?" Sunggyu's face was covered in a light blush, but it didn't faze the stranger. He merely held out an umbrella for him. "Huh?"
"Take it,” the stranger said. He was a little puzzled at the oddly soft sounding voice. Then again, he did look pretty young.
"Why?"
"Because it's raining."
"Isn't it yours? You probably need it more than I do."
"I have an extra." He looked at the umbrella and then at the stranger, wondering why he would give up an umbrella for no reason. Hesitantly, though, he took the umbrella and bowed to him.
"T-Thank you. If you could tell me your name, I'd like to-" When he stood up straight again, he was gone. Sunggyu thought he must have disappeared into the crowd of business men, but he must have been fast as he would have stood out from the older men in suits.
"Sorry, Sunggyu. Looks like Yeollie's too busy to- Hey! Were you holding out on me?" Sunggyu turned to the younger when he yelled at him. He wasn't able to comprehend what he said since he was still surprised from the stranger disappearing.
"What?"
"That umbrella! Where did you get it?" Sunggyu looked down at the umbrella in his hands before shrugging. "What? Did it magically fall out of the sky?"
"N-No! It's just… some kid gave it to me."
"A kid?"
"Well… you know. Someone a little younger than us. He just came up and gave it to me. I don't know why, though." Woohyun frowned, not believing the story. The frown didn't last long as he clung to Sunggyu's arm and smiled at him.
"Hey. Do you want to be really nice today and share that umbrella with me?"
"You mean walk you home? But… I should really get home."
"So you can wallow in your loneliness more?" The older sighed and caved in. He didn't have anything to do at home and it would be nice to do something besides sit and watch the news. Although being with Woohyun after work sounded like a bad idea, but the other quickly dragged him off towards his place.
The walk to Woohyun's place was fairly noisy at first since he decided to call Sungyeol to tell him that Sunggyu was coming home with him and to talk about his day. To Sunggyu, it appeared the younger had to talk to Sungyeol whenever he had free time. He assumed this Sungyeol must be a huge romantic like Woohyun or had a lot of patience.
Not interested in hearing him proclaim his love for Sungyeol over and over, he spaced out again before his thoughts drifted to the stranger. He tried to think if he had met him before, but he couldn't think of a time where he saw him. He was surprised at how vivid the man was in his mind. His dark brown hair matched his large eyes perfectly, but contrasted with his pale, but nearly perfect skin. He resembled a doll in a way, right down to the blank look on his face.
He was attractive. Sunggyu would admit that, but even if he saw an attractive person, he wouldn't think about them for this long. Maybe it was because the stranger acted odd, Sunggyu thought. Normal people don’t just give out umbrellas. Normal people don't usually have an extra umbrella either. There were so many things odd about the event that Sunggyu kept thinking about it until Woohyun pulled him to a stop.
"Hey, you can stop now. We're here." He snapped out of his thoughts, blushing slightly at being so inattentive.
"S-Sorry. I was… just thinking about a presentation I need to work on," he lied.
"Come on. You're not ditching me now. You're gonna come in, have dinner with us, and actually have a social life."
"I didn't ask for a social life."
"But you need one." Woohyun dragged Sunggyu into the apartment building and straight to the elevator. Sunggyu was shocked at how high end this place was. Woohyun made just as much as Sunggyu, yet here he was, living in a place more suited for the upper class.
"What does Sungyeol do for a living again?"
"He's trying to get into the film business. I think he either wants to act or write screenplays. He's been doing a bit of both lately. Also, his parents help him out."
"I can see that." They stepped into the elevator and headed for the fifth floor. Sunggyu felt out of place, but he was comforted by having Woohyun with him to make sure he didn't stick out too much. "So, how long have you two been living here?"
"I think about seven months so far. It's a really nice place and it's not as expensive as you think it is. You could probably afford a studio apartment here."
"No thanks. I'm fine with my place."
"But it's so far away."
"It helps me get some exercise." Woohyun rolled his eyes as the elevator came to a stop. They stepped out and walked down to the end of the hall. Sunggyu's jaw dropped when Woohyun opened the door. Woohyun's apartment seemed even higher class than the whole apartment place. It was very modern and more suitable for a celebrity than a businessman and his boyfriend.
"Whoa… This is really nice," Sunggyu mumbled as he slipped off his shoes and stepped inside. He was so distracted by the place that he accidentally bumped into someone. "A-Ah! I'm sorry!" He immediately bowed to the person, but they only chuckled in response.
"Wow, he really is an awkward guy," the person spoke.
"He's getting better, Yeollie, but yeah. He needs a lot of work." Sunggyu looked up at the person who was laughing at him. He was taller than him and had a mischievous look in his eyes.
"Hey, I'm Sungyeol. Nice to meet you, Sunggyu." He held out his hand and Sunggyu shook it immediately. He bowed his head again, receiving another laugh from Woohyun's boyfriend. "Don't be so polite, Sunggyu. Just relax." This made Sunggyu blush more as he stepped away, running into Woohyun in the process.
"Seriously, just relax. We're not at work anymore. Don't have to be so uptight." Woohyun tossed his jacket on a nearby chair before walking up to Sungyeol and stealing a kiss.
"I missed you, Yeollie."
"Missed you too." The display of affection made Sunggyu fidget and twitch. Their relationship was more sickening to watch than to hear about it. He sat down while the two chatted about what to do for dinner and Sungyeol’s day. It gave him some more time to think about that stranger from earlier. He couldn't figure out why that happened. It couldn't have been only a random act of kindness. It was too odd for that.
"Then why did he give me that umbrella?"
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Sunggyu's head was pounding the next day at work. He could barely focus and Woohyun did nothing, but tease him about it.
"You're such a lightweight. Three drinks and you were already wasted," Woohyun chuckled.
"Shut up." He attempted to hit Woohyun with his briefcase, but missed badly, causing the other to laugh at him again. "I can't even remember anything after that second drink… Please don't put anything embarrassing online. I might get a promotion soon."
"Don't worry. I wasn't able to get your ramble about that umbrella guy on video." Sunggyu blushed bright red at that information. Hiding his face in his arms on the table seemed to be a good idea, but it didn't help with Woohyun's teasing. "Oh, you really like that guy, don't you? With his flawless pale skin and big beautiful eyes?"
"I don't like him! I don't even know his name or if I'll even see him again."
"You might today since it's raining." Sunggyu looked up and sure enough, it was raining hard. There was no way Sunggyu would be able to get home dry without an umbrella today. "You don't have an umbrella today, do you?"
"Shut up." Woohyun laughed as he returned to his desk to be productive instead of teasing the older. He could tease him more on the train ride home.
"I already called Yeollie and he's gonna meet me at the station. We're gonna walk home together in the rain, sharing an umbrella." The younger sighed in content at the thought, daydreaming before he began his work again.
Sunggyu had trouble getting back to work at the thought that maybe the stranger would show up again. If he did, he wanted to figure out who he was and why he acted like he did. He wanted questions answered so he could move on and get back to normal. For now, he had to deal with it and work through it, or at least try to.
His anxiousness about possibly meeting this man again showed on the train ride home as well. He normally slept on the ride, but he was fully awake. His leg shook as they were a few stations away from their stop. His behavior was enough to get Woohyun's attention.
"Sunggyu, are you okay?"
"Fine." He quickly replied. That only made Woohyun more suspicious.
"You're not really excited to see that guy again, are you? Even you said it yourself that he might not even show up this time."
"Who said I was excited to see him in the first place? Maybe I have something important to do at home."
"Like what? Reread your leadership books for the five hundredth time? Face it, Sunggyu. You like him." Sunggyu elbowed the younger in the side, but that didn't help with the blush on his face. He didn't like the guy, he thought. He was kind enough to give him his umbrella, but that didn't mean that he was suddenly head over heels in love with him.
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Sungyeol waited at the station with a few other women who waited for their husbands. He was obviously the odd one out of the bunch and the women took notice. They assumed he was waiting for his girlfriend so she wouldn't have to walk in the rain alone. Some of them shyly giggled and one of them said what a gentleman he was. He smiled back nervously, but he knew that once they found out the truth, they probably wouldn't be giggling and smiling much longer.
The loud speaker blared that one of the trains was going to be late due to an accident. Sungyeol was certain that it was Woohyun's train and it made him sigh. He already waited for a half hour for him and now he had to wait longer. He wasn't too happy about it, but he would continue waiting. He promised him, after all.
He did like Woohyun a lot. To Woohyun, Sungyeol was a flawless angel, even when he was sarcastic and acted like a tease. Despite that, Woohyun would never say a bad thing about him and, considering he had been rejected over and over for acting jobs, he appreciated that. However, the older clung to him and showered him with so much love that it was almost too much to handle. That's how Woohyun was and Sungyeol thought it balanced out in a strange way. Woohyun was overly romantic while Sungyeol was overly sarcastic. Neither of them were naïve about sarcasm, so it worked. At least he thought Woohyun wasn't naïve about sarcasm.
As he waited for that eventual flood of businessmen, there was a guy looking out at the rain worriedly. Since everyone ignored his worried looks, Sungyeol decided to walk over and make sure he was okay.
"Hey, is something wrong?" The man turned to him, fidgeting with his camera as he looked down.
"I need to get to my photography class, but it's raining and I don't want to ruin my camera. I don't have any more room in my bag for it, so I have to carry it." Sungyeol glanced outside and it looked like the rain wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. The other definitely wouldn’t make it to class in time. He knew Woohyun would whine about this later, but he handed the umbrella to the man.
"Here. You can use this." The man's eyes went wide as he took the umbrella.
"R-Really? You mean it?"
"Yeah, it's fine." He looked over the umbrella before he set down his bag and pulled out, with some struggling, a pen and a notebook.
"Could you write down your address so I can return it to you later?" Sungyeol was surprised at the action, but he smiled and nodded.
"Sure thing. I'm Sungyeol, by the way."
"I'm Myungsoo."
"Nice to meet ya, Myungsoo." He finished writing down his address and gave the notepad back to Myungsoo.
"Thank you so much. I'll return the favor someday."
"Don't worry about it. Have fun in photography." Myungsoo bowed quickly to him as he ran off to class. Sungyeol felt good about himself, even if Woohyun would throw a fit about walking in the rain. Maybe the older would even forgive him if he explained what happened.
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As soon as the two stepped off the train, Sunggyu began to frantically search for that stranger, making Woohyun sigh at first, then laugh.
"Wow, you're so obvious sometimes," Woohyun mumbled under his breath. He was about to tell Sunggyu that he wouldn't find him, but Sunggyu disappeared before he could. "Sunggyu? Sunggyu, where did you go?" He searched for him, catching sight of Sungyeol instead. He smiled at first, but when he saw Sungyeol talking to someone else that had their umbrella, and then write something down for him, he could have sworn his heart stopped. He had never seen the guy Sungyeol was talking to. He didn't know if they were friends or old classmates or something more.
He tried to shake that thought out of his head as he approached Sungyeol after the other man left. Sungyeol turned to him and smiled.
"Hey. Sorry about the umbrella. That guy needed it more than we did." Woohyun pouted at Sungyeol, but he took his hand and looked away. "Woohyun, are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just a long day at work, Yeollie." Sungyeol frowned at him as he pulled his hand away to wrap an arm around his shoulders.
"Come on. Let's go out to eat tonight. My treat." Woohyun only nodded as Sungyeol led him out into the rain, trying to use Woohyun's briefcase as a way to keep them somewhat dry.
While Woohyun left, Sunggyu was still at the station, waiting for the stranger to appear. He thought Woohyun could be right. There wasn't any proof that the stranger would appear a second time with an umbrella for him.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and there he was again. The doll-like stranger stared at him blankly while Sunggyu smiled at him.
"Oh, hi again. Is that umbrella for me again?" Sunggyu asked, disappointed when the stranger shook his head.
"No, I don't have an extra today." Sunggyu's face dropped for a moment, but then realized that if the stranger didn't have an umbrella for him, he must have another reason to bug him.
"Oh, well, did you need something?"
"I was wondering… since you don't have one, would you like to share mine?" He gulped, nervous about sharing an umbrella with someone he met only yesterday. He was tempted to say no or explain that he lived far away, but he couldn't stop his head from nodding.
"If you don't mind… sure." The stranger nodded and a very small smile appeared on his face. The two walked outside and the stranger opened the umbrella for them.
"Lead the way." Sunggyu nodded and began walking towards his apartment. The walk felt extremely awkward to Sunggyu. It was okay with Woohyun since they were friends and they've known each other for awhile, but he knew next to nothing about this person who seemed to know Sunggyu, or at least had some reason to be this kind to him.
"So… I'm Sunggyu, in case you didn't know. What's your name?" Sunggyu asked, figuring now would be a good time to learn about him.
"Sungjong." He replied. The name didn't ring a bell in Sunggyu's head, no matter how hard he thought about it.
"That's a nice name. Uh, what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a student, but I do some small deliveries for money." Sunggyu didn’t take notice of Sungjong’s nervous fidgeting. He instead wondered if Sungjong did deliveries to his office and that's how he knew him. "What about you?"
"Me? Uh, I do office work. It's not very fun, but it pays the bills,” he responded, laughing a little in embarrassment. Sungjong only nodded in understanding. Their conversation died down and the walk was quiet and still awkward the rest of the way. Sunggyu was still trying to figure out what Sungjong's motivation was for this, but the man was unreadable. He could only assume that he wanted to be a nice person.
Once they arrived at Sunggyu's apartment, Sungjong turned to leave, but Sunggyu grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Hey, why don't you stay for a bit? At least let me get you something to drink." Sungjong turned back to him, looking surprised as a light blush covered his cheeks. It made Sunggyu smile as he gestured for the other to come into his apartment. He stepped inside, suddenly becoming very shy and fidgety. He removed his shoes, but didn't venture into the living room.
"Go ahead. Come in and take a seat at the table. I'll make some tea for us. Is that okay?" Sungjong nodded as he quickly took a seat. Sunggyu tossed his jacket on an empty chair and began filling the kettle with water.
"So, you're a student, huh? College, right?"
"Yeah… first year in college." Sungjong's voice was more quiet and nervous than before while Sunggyu's became more confident from being at home. Sunggyu turned the stove on and set the kettle on it as he nodded to show he heard Sungjong, even though Sungjong wasn't looking at him.
"Wow, first year. What are you majoring in?"
"I might major in art, but I'm not sure yet."
"Art? Do you paint or something?"
"A little. I mostly draw. I'm not that good yet though." Sunggyu tried to find something they could snack on while waiting for the tea, but he wasn't a snack person and rarely kept them around. He eventually found chips Woohyun gave him a week ago, saying that it might encourage him to have people over for a little get together to help eat all these snacks while "gaining a social life".
"Well, they help for when I have people over." He thought as he poured some into a bowl. He returned to the table with the chips, watching Sungjong play with the zipper on his bag.
"Do you have any drawings with you?" Sungjong tensed up at not only the question, but at Sunggyu sitting next to him rather than across from him.
"Uh… I have my sketchbook."
"Could I take a look at your drawings? I'm interested to see what you draw." Sungjong immediately shook his head as his face grew redder. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, I can't draw at all. I'm sure your drawings are way better than anything I can do." Sungjong still shook his head before he began eating chips, as if that would keep Sunggyu from questioning it more. He was going to try anyway until the kettle's whistling distracted him. He sighed and returned to the kitchen to get the tea ready.
"Any preference on the tea?"
"Something sweet if you have any teas like that." Sunggyu couldn't help but smile. He always associated sweet things with youth. He might be a college student, but there was still something child-like about him. Sunggyu really liked that for some reason.
He returned with the tea, handing Sungjong his cup and warning him that it was still pretty hot before sitting down.
"Thanks. You didn't have to do this, though."
"You gave me your umbrella and then walked me home. It's the least I could do for you." Sungjong nodded, blowing softly on the drink to cool it down. The action seemed child-like as well to him, especially with the way he held it with hands instead of using the handle. "Do you live by yourself as well or do you have a roommate?"
"By myself, but I have a nice neighbor who spends some time with me. So it's not too lonely."
"Heh, you're pretty lucky. I don't even know my neighbors. Then again, they never bothered to get to know me."
"Why?" The question was odd considering the tone in Sungjong's voice. Sungjong sounded honestly surprised that none of his neighbors were interested in getting to know Sunggyu. Sunggyu looked up in thought before sighing.
"Well, I'm not a social person. I'm pretty awkward around people. I'm only friends with this one guy because he wouldn't leave me alone. Besides him, I just avoid people. It's not like I hate them. I just… don't know how to interact with them." Sunggyu tried to read Sungjong's face, but from what he could see in his eyes, he couldn't tell if the other was happy, disappointed, or a mix of both. "Honestly, you're the first person I've willingly interacted with. So maybe I'm making progress." He laughed to himself as he noticed that Sungjong smiled a little more than before.
"Sunggyu… can I spend more time with you?" It took a moment for the older to think about it, but he eventually nodded.
"Sure. Guess that's okay with me." The smile on Sungjong's face was stunning to Sunggyu. He knew that Sungjong was pretty, but when he smiled, he looked beautiful. He had to turn away when he felt his face heat up and decided to focus on his tea.
"Thanks!"
"N-Not a problem." He wasn't sure why his heart was racing or why he was stuttering, but he hoped this tea would calm him down or help him think clearly again.
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The couple returned to their apartment soaked to the bone. Sungyeol immediately headed for the linen closet for some towels while Woohyun made sure the papers in his briefcase weren't ruined.
"Well, that was a refreshing walk." Sungyeol laughed as he tossed a towel to Woohyun.
"Yeah, until we get sick." Catching the towel, he tried to dry off as much as he could before stepping inside. Sungyeol frowned at the bitter tone in Woohyun's voice. It wasn't like Woohyun to be bitter about almost anything. There was something definitely wrong with him.
"Woohyunnie, are you okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It's just… you sound upset about something."
"I'm not upset. I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
"You don't sound fine."
"Guess that means I'm getting sick. Awesome."
"Woohyun!" He grabbed Woohyun's arm and turned him so they were facing each other. He was even more surprised at the angry look on Woohyun's face. It was like his boyfriend was replaced by someone else. "Woohyun… you'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"
"Of course."
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing… except for the fact that I'm cold and wet." Sungyeol mentally sighed, knowing that Woohyun was hiding something, but there was no point trying to figure it out now. It would only anger the other more.
"Okay… let's go take a bath and warm up together, okay?" Woohyun nodded and let Sungyeol lead him to the bathroom, hanging his head the entire way there. Sungyeol started to fill the tub as the older removed his clothes.
"Sungyeol… you would tell me if you didn't love me anymore, right?" The younger shot Woohyun a confused look, wondering where that question came from.
"I guess, but I still love you. So you don't have to worry about that."
"Really? You don't love anyone else?" Sungyeol stopped the water when the tub was filled, then walked over to hug the other tightly. The question came from out of the blue and Sungyeol couldn't think of why he would ask that.
"Of course not, Woohyun. I only love you. There's no one else." Woohyun eventually hugged him back, but the way he was acting worried Sungyeol. Woohyun had never questioned whether Sungyeol loved him back or not. He's not sure what happened, but he obviously had to do something that would prove that Woohyun was the only one he cared about.
He removed his own clothes and pulled Woohyun into the tub with him. They both sighed in content at the warmth of the water. Woohyun wasted no time curling up close to Sungyeol, making the younger laugh.
"So, how did your day really go? Did Sunggyu have a terrible hangover like we thought?"
"Definitely. Also, he really does like that mysterious umbrella guy. I could tell by the blush on his face when I talked about him." They both laughed as Sungyeol ran a hand down the other's side.
"That's cute. It's like his first crush. Did the guy show up?"
"I'm not sure. He left me as soon as we got off the train. I wanted to see this guy for myself."
"You're not thinking about running off with some stranger, are you?" Sungyeol laughed, but Woohyun could only chuckle lightly in response.
"No, I have you. That's all I need in my life. No stranger could replace you." Sungyeol smiled at that, thinking that Woohyun was cheering up at last. Woohyun leaned up and placed a kiss on Sungyeol's lips. The younger returned the kiss, running a hand through his hair as his other arm wrapped around his waist to pull him closer. Woohyun's arms wrapped around his neck as their kiss deepened. There was a soft moan from one of them, but neither of them cared who it came from. Some of the water spilled out of the bath as the kiss became more intense. Hands trying to feel every inch of the other's skin while lips left light kisses and bites on each other's necks. Everything felt normal to Sungyeol and he thought that Woohyun was just in a bad mood for no reason. As the bathroom filled with moans and sweet nothings, Sungyeol thought this was the end of their little fight and everything was alright. Everything was back to the way it should be.
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The two stared out the window, watching the rain fall even harder as the day grew darker. Sunggyu sighed, thinking that inviting Sungjong inside was a bad idea, but the younger didn't seem worried.
"Guess I should head home now," Sungjong stated, immediately standing up and heading for the door.
"What? No way. Not in this weather and not when it's this dark." Sunggyu stood in front of the other to stop him from leaving. Sungjong was starting to get fidgety again, looking away from the older.
"I'll be fine. It's not a big deal."
"I would feel better if you stayed here." He could hear a small gasp from Sungjong before he tilted his head up at him.
"R-Really? Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."
"You're not a bother. I would be happy to have you stay." Before Sungjong could protest it more, Sunggyu led him to his room and over to his dresser. He pulled out a regular t-shirt and sweatpants and handed them to Sungjong.
"Here, you can wear these tonight and I'll wash these clothes for you." Sungjong blushed brightly as he nodded. "And… well, I don't have an extra bed you can sleep on, but you can sleep on the couch or… you can… sleep with me in my bed." Sunggyu looked away as he talked about the younger sharing a bed with him, but when he turned back to him, Sungjong had already disappeared into the bathroom to change.
"… Guess he wants the couch." Sunggyu mumbled to himself, sighing in relief. He was sure the younger man wouldn't harm him or do something unpleasant to him if he slept in his bed with him, but they had known each other for barely a day. Sleeping in the same bed with Sungjong now would be too uncomfortable, although letting him stay the night was enough to make Sunggyu feel on edge.
Sungjong came out of the bathroom wearing the t-shirt Sunggyu gave him and carrying the sweatpants in his arms. Because of how big the shirt was on Sungjong, it looked like that was the only thing he was wearing. Sunggyu covered his eyes with a hand and tried to cover his blush at the same time.
"S-Sungjong. Please tell me you're wearing underwear."
"Huh?" He looked down at himself and blushed as well. He pulled the shirt up just enough to show his boxers. "I-I am. Sorry. Your clothes are a little big on me."
"Your boxers are a little small, then…" Sunggyu thought as he pulled his hand away. Even with the reassurance, it was hard to think that there was something under that shirt.
"W-Well, um… let me go get you a blanket and get you set up on the couch."
"I wanna sleep in the bed with you." Sunggyu froze on the spot. He wasn't sure if he heard that right. It was a joke, he thought. Sungjong has a crazy sense of humor; that's all. He tried to convince himself that, but Sungjong never brought up the punch line.
"A-Are you sure? I mean-… I toss and turn a lot and I snore really loudly too. You don't want to sleep in the same room as me."
"I don't mind." That was the last thing he wanted to hear. He should have realized he wasn't even close to normal when he gave him the umbrella. He mentally sighed before he nodded to the other.
"Okay… Just give me a minute." He still had a way to make this somewhat bearable so he could have his sanity in the morning. Going through closets and cabinets, he created a divide down the bed. It was almost like a fence, but made of towels, pillows, and empty boxes. Sungjong only tilted his head at it. "Just so… you know. In case you're afraid I'll hurt you in your sleep or something."
"But you can always go around the bed." He was right, but Sunggyu never admitted it vocally. He didn't trust his mouth with all the worries going on in his head. He laid down on the bed without another word, turning off the lamp on his nightstand. He could hear Sungjong laying down on the other side and getting comfortable. It was a long moment before Sungjong was asleep, but eventually got to let out a sigh of relief. This Sungjong was strange; almost too strange to the older. This shouldn't have been surprising to Sunggyu since he has never met anyone he would call normal, but Sungjong's strangeness was unique to him. Most people he met were either loud and partiers, or quiet and only talked if necessary. Sungjong was quiet, but seemed to be curious and had a better social life than Sunggyu most likely. At least he knew one of his neighbors. There was something awkward about him as well, but it was cute in a way. His awkwardness seemed to add to his cute appearance rather than make him someone uncomfortable to be around.
He shouldn't be thinking this much about him. He's just a guy who was nice to Sunggyu. That's all. Nothing more than that. That's what he tried to tell himself as he attempted to sleep.
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Woohyun was doing the last minute preparations for work as quietly as possible. Sungyeol was still sleeping and he didn't want to wake him up, even if there was some bitterness still lingering from the day before. He knew he should trust Sungyeol and believe that nothing's going on between him and someone else. He should, but he couldn’t shake away that image of Sungyeol smiling at that stranger.
A knock at the door interrupted Woohyun's thoughts. With it being so early in the morning, he couldn't think of who could be here. It couldn't be Sunggyu. He lived too far away from him to be here now and he was too lazy to get up early enough to get here. Maybe it was a neighbor.
He opened the door and his face dropped. The man Sungyeol was talking to yesterday was at his front door now with their umbrella in his hand.
"Hi… Is Sungyeol here?" He asked. Woohyun was surprised he didn’t slam the door in his face the moment he spoke.
"Yeah, but he's sleeping. Can I help you with something?"
"Oh, I'm Myungsoo and I borrowed an umbrella from him yesterday so I could get to class. I came to return it." Woohyun swallowed hard as he reached out for their umbrella.
"I'll let him know you stopped by."
"Thanks, um… could you tell me your name?"
"Woohyun." He was surprised by his own voice. It was deeper than usual. The bitterness he felt slipped into his voice as well, making Myungsoo move away from the door slowly.
"Well, it was nice to meet you, Woohyun. Thank Sungyeol for me. I really appreciate his help."
"Will do." He slammed the door in his face, forgetting that Sungyeol was sleeping. He didn't care. His emotions were too messed up to care about anything other than himself for the moment. With a groan, he threw the umbrella to the ground and grabbed his suitcase and tie. He could fix up his tie on the train or at the office. The sound of their bedroom door opening stopped Woohyun before he could storm out of the apartment.
"Hey, Woohyunnie. Why are you being so loud this morning?" Sungyeol groaned as he approached the older. Yesterday was already unpleasant. Two days in a row of an annoyed Woohyun was too much.
"Myungsoo came by."
"Oh, to return the umbrella? That was nice of him." Woohyun was sure that gripping the handle of the front door any longer would make it break.
"Yeah. Nice." He finally opened the door and slammed it shut, storming down the hallway to the elevator. Sungyeol only stood there with a mix of worry and confusion on his face. The way Woohyun was acting was too odd, but he didn't think once that it had something to do with Myungsoo. It wasn't as if they made out or something.
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The buzzing of his alarm woke up Sunggyu, despite the fact it had been going off for almost an hour. He didn't bother to check the time yet. He turned it off and rolled over. He wasn't sure why his head was hurting. He didn't drink last night or hit his head against anything, but when he saw the sleeping face of Sungjong, he knew where his headache came from. He really needed to stop thinking about him so much. The "fence" he made between the two had fallen and he could see Sungjong with nothing blocking his vision. He couldn't look away from him. Even with his hair messy from tossing and turning, he still looked more attractive than most. He reached out and touched Sungjong's cheek, surprised at the smoothness of his skin. He knew this was rude and could probably get slapped for it, but he was so curious about if his face was as smooth as it looked. It wasn't glass smooth, but it felt good under his thumb.
The younger stirred long enough for Sunggyu to pull his hand away and pretend like nothing happened. He rubbed at his eyes before he opened them, not entirely aware of where he was and why he wasn't in his bed.
"Um… Good morning." It took the other a moment to fully wake up and acknowledge the greeting. He nodded, but then moved past the broken "fence" to cling to Sunggyu and curl up against him. The older became a statue at those arms wrapping around his torso. Sungjong was warm and having someone attached to him wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, but it was still a little too close for comfort. He gently nudged him, hoping he would realize what he was doing.
"S-Sungjong… please let me go. I have to get to work. I only have…" He turned to back to the alarm and jumped out of bed. With how tightly Sungjong was clinging to him, he ended up being dragged out of bed and landed on the floor. "S-Sorry! But I'm so late! I'm gonna get killed or worse! I could get fired!" His phone vibrated on his desk during his panic. He grabbed it as quickly as he could and checked to see who it was.
Woohyun: Hey, where are you? You missed the train.
He sighed and typed up a reply as Sungjong returned to the bed, groaning.
Me: I know. My alarm didn't wake me up in time.
As he waited for a reply, he went over to Sungjong. The younger rubbed his lower back, a few whimpers escaping him.
"Sorry about that, but you were clinging to me and-"
"I was what?" Sungjong's eyes had gone wide and his face slowly turned red.
"You were clinging to me…" Besides being reluctant to show Sunggyu his drawings, this was the first time Sungjong seemed to be embarrassed about something he did in front of the businessman. He stood up and rushed into the bathroom, ignoring Sunggyu asking him if he needed water or something.
He couldn't try to figure out what's wrong with him yet as his phone buzzed in his hand.
Woohyun: Call in sick then. You have enough sick days to do it. Also, could you come over tonight?
Sunggyu wasn't sure why he invited him over, but when he realized it was Friday, it made sense.
Me: I guess I could.
Woohyun: At the station. 6pm. Don't be late.
The reply seemed too quick for Woohyun. He must have assumed that Sunggyu was going to say yes, which was actually odd. He always invited him over on Fridays and this wasn’t any different, but usually Woohyun begged him to come rather than assume he'd accept. Too many weird things were going on in his life at once and he was not happy about it. He had one more weird thing to take care of. He walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door.
"Sungjong… do you need anything? If you're embarrassed about the clinging, it's okay. I know you didn't mean it. You seemed out of it anyway." There was no response and after a few minutes, Sunggyu gave up. He had to come out of the bathroom sooner or later. At least he didn't have to worry about work today, even if he felt guilty for lying about being sick. "Well, if you need anything, let me know." He didn't wait for a reply as he called his work to claim he was sick. At least his weekend was coming up soon. He needed a few days to relax and let everything calm down.
Once he finished convincing his boss he was sick, Sungjong walked out of the bathroom. His eyes seemed a little redder to Sunggyu, but he thought he just needed some more sleep.
"Hey, doing okay now?" Sungjong nodded as he sat on the bed. His gaze was focused on the floor below him. He looked tense to Sunggyu, but he didn’t push it, not wanting to make things worse. "Um, do you have any classes or work today?" Thankfully, Sungjong shook his head. "Okay, well… do you have any plans tonight?" The younger snapped his head up, surprised by the question. Sunggyu didn't think that was such a bad question, but maybe it was. "I-It's just that my friend invited me to his place and I really don't want to go alone. Do you want to go with me?" The shock faded from Sungjong's face as quickly as it came. He played with the hem of his shirt for a second before nodding.
"Sure. I'll go."
"Great. We'll leave at 5. Does that work for you?" Sungjong nodded again. Sunggyu sighed and mumbled "good" as the younger laid back down; his back facing Sunggyu. He ran a hand through his hair as he left the other to sleep by himself. He had a bad feeling about this, but it was too late to change his mind. He had to go through with it and hoped everything would turn out fine.
2/2
Pairing/Focus: Sunggyu/Sungjong; Woohyun/Sungyeol
Rating: R
Warning(s): Sexual content and some strong language.
Summary: Sunggyu can't stop thinking about the person who gave him that umbrella on a rainy day.
Final word count: 16089
The next stop is Yongsan Station. Doors open to the right," the loud speaker announced. That, along with Woohyun nudging him in the side, woke Sunggyu from his quick nap. He blinked for a second, trying to sit up a little more, but Woohyun kept nudging him.
"Okay! Okay! I'm awake! You can stop doing that." Sunggyu snapped. It only got a small chuckle from the younger, but he did stop.
"Sorry. It's just hard to tell sometimes," Woohyun replied.
"Hey! I like my eyes, thank you very much!"
"I didn't say anything about your eyes." The older business man grumbled something, but was hard to hear over the sound of people leaving the train.
This was routine for Sunggyu. At the end of the day, he would get off at the same stop at the same time, say good bye to Woohyun, then walk back to his apartment. Nothing ever changed in that routine. It was always the same, even on holidays.
As they started walking towards the exit of the station, Sunggyu and Woohyun both sighed in despair. It was pouring down rain and neither of them had an umbrella to keep them dry on the way home.
"Why is it raining? I thought it was gonna be dry today," Woohyun whined. While Sunggyu would have loved to complain about the rain too, he knew that it wouldn't help their situation. "I'm gonna try calling Yeollie and see if he'll bring me an umbrella."
"Yeollie? You call him that now?"
"Yeah. What's wrong with it? Isn't that what couples do? They say the other's name in a cute way to show how much they care about them… right?"
"How would I know?"
"Poor Sunggyu." The older shot him a glare but didn't push it any farther. Woohyun would have better luck calling Sungyeol for an umbrella than waiting for the rain to stop.
Sunggyu zoned out staring at the rain as he really didn't want to hear Woohyun talk to Sungyeol. Every time he did, he would always throw in pathetic pet names and whine about how much he missed him. He wasn't sure if his annoyance towards it was jealousy or not, but he didn't think about the reason behind it. He knew it just bothered him.
His zoning out was interrupted by someone poking him in the side. He flinched and tried to smack that hand away.
"Yah! Woohyun! I told you not to-!" His sentence stopped short when he realized that it wasn't Woohyun poking him. It was a stranger with a hint of a worried look in his eyes, but his face was otherwise blank. He didn't seem bothered by Sunggyu trying to hit him. "Oh, uh… Sorry. Did you need something?" Sunggyu's face was covered in a light blush, but it didn't faze the stranger. He merely held out an umbrella for him. "Huh?"
"Take it,” the stranger said. He was a little puzzled at the oddly soft sounding voice. Then again, he did look pretty young.
"Why?"
"Because it's raining."
"Isn't it yours? You probably need it more than I do."
"I have an extra." He looked at the umbrella and then at the stranger, wondering why he would give up an umbrella for no reason. Hesitantly, though, he took the umbrella and bowed to him.
"T-Thank you. If you could tell me your name, I'd like to-" When he stood up straight again, he was gone. Sunggyu thought he must have disappeared into the crowd of business men, but he must have been fast as he would have stood out from the older men in suits.
"Sorry, Sunggyu. Looks like Yeollie's too busy to- Hey! Were you holding out on me?" Sunggyu turned to the younger when he yelled at him. He wasn't able to comprehend what he said since he was still surprised from the stranger disappearing.
"What?"
"That umbrella! Where did you get it?" Sunggyu looked down at the umbrella in his hands before shrugging. "What? Did it magically fall out of the sky?"
"N-No! It's just… some kid gave it to me."
"A kid?"
"Well… you know. Someone a little younger than us. He just came up and gave it to me. I don't know why, though." Woohyun frowned, not believing the story. The frown didn't last long as he clung to Sunggyu's arm and smiled at him.
"Hey. Do you want to be really nice today and share that umbrella with me?"
"You mean walk you home? But… I should really get home."
"So you can wallow in your loneliness more?" The older sighed and caved in. He didn't have anything to do at home and it would be nice to do something besides sit and watch the news. Although being with Woohyun after work sounded like a bad idea, but the other quickly dragged him off towards his place.
The walk to Woohyun's place was fairly noisy at first since he decided to call Sungyeol to tell him that Sunggyu was coming home with him and to talk about his day. To Sunggyu, it appeared the younger had to talk to Sungyeol whenever he had free time. He assumed this Sungyeol must be a huge romantic like Woohyun or had a lot of patience.
Not interested in hearing him proclaim his love for Sungyeol over and over, he spaced out again before his thoughts drifted to the stranger. He tried to think if he had met him before, but he couldn't think of a time where he saw him. He was surprised at how vivid the man was in his mind. His dark brown hair matched his large eyes perfectly, but contrasted with his pale, but nearly perfect skin. He resembled a doll in a way, right down to the blank look on his face.
He was attractive. Sunggyu would admit that, but even if he saw an attractive person, he wouldn't think about them for this long. Maybe it was because the stranger acted odd, Sunggyu thought. Normal people don’t just give out umbrellas. Normal people don't usually have an extra umbrella either. There were so many things odd about the event that Sunggyu kept thinking about it until Woohyun pulled him to a stop.
"Hey, you can stop now. We're here." He snapped out of his thoughts, blushing slightly at being so inattentive.
"S-Sorry. I was… just thinking about a presentation I need to work on," he lied.
"Come on. You're not ditching me now. You're gonna come in, have dinner with us, and actually have a social life."
"I didn't ask for a social life."
"But you need one." Woohyun dragged Sunggyu into the apartment building and straight to the elevator. Sunggyu was shocked at how high end this place was. Woohyun made just as much as Sunggyu, yet here he was, living in a place more suited for the upper class.
"What does Sungyeol do for a living again?"
"He's trying to get into the film business. I think he either wants to act or write screenplays. He's been doing a bit of both lately. Also, his parents help him out."
"I can see that." They stepped into the elevator and headed for the fifth floor. Sunggyu felt out of place, but he was comforted by having Woohyun with him to make sure he didn't stick out too much. "So, how long have you two been living here?"
"I think about seven months so far. It's a really nice place and it's not as expensive as you think it is. You could probably afford a studio apartment here."
"No thanks. I'm fine with my place."
"But it's so far away."
"It helps me get some exercise." Woohyun rolled his eyes as the elevator came to a stop. They stepped out and walked down to the end of the hall. Sunggyu's jaw dropped when Woohyun opened the door. Woohyun's apartment seemed even higher class than the whole apartment place. It was very modern and more suitable for a celebrity than a businessman and his boyfriend.
"Whoa… This is really nice," Sunggyu mumbled as he slipped off his shoes and stepped inside. He was so distracted by the place that he accidentally bumped into someone. "A-Ah! I'm sorry!" He immediately bowed to the person, but they only chuckled in response.
"Wow, he really is an awkward guy," the person spoke.
"He's getting better, Yeollie, but yeah. He needs a lot of work." Sunggyu looked up at the person who was laughing at him. He was taller than him and had a mischievous look in his eyes.
"Hey, I'm Sungyeol. Nice to meet you, Sunggyu." He held out his hand and Sunggyu shook it immediately. He bowed his head again, receiving another laugh from Woohyun's boyfriend. "Don't be so polite, Sunggyu. Just relax." This made Sunggyu blush more as he stepped away, running into Woohyun in the process.
"Seriously, just relax. We're not at work anymore. Don't have to be so uptight." Woohyun tossed his jacket on a nearby chair before walking up to Sungyeol and stealing a kiss.
"I missed you, Yeollie."
"Missed you too." The display of affection made Sunggyu fidget and twitch. Their relationship was more sickening to watch than to hear about it. He sat down while the two chatted about what to do for dinner and Sungyeol’s day. It gave him some more time to think about that stranger from earlier. He couldn't figure out why that happened. It couldn't have been only a random act of kindness. It was too odd for that.
"Then why did he give me that umbrella?"
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Sunggyu's head was pounding the next day at work. He could barely focus and Woohyun did nothing, but tease him about it.
"You're such a lightweight. Three drinks and you were already wasted," Woohyun chuckled.
"Shut up." He attempted to hit Woohyun with his briefcase, but missed badly, causing the other to laugh at him again. "I can't even remember anything after that second drink… Please don't put anything embarrassing online. I might get a promotion soon."
"Don't worry. I wasn't able to get your ramble about that umbrella guy on video." Sunggyu blushed bright red at that information. Hiding his face in his arms on the table seemed to be a good idea, but it didn't help with Woohyun's teasing. "Oh, you really like that guy, don't you? With his flawless pale skin and big beautiful eyes?"
"I don't like him! I don't even know his name or if I'll even see him again."
"You might today since it's raining." Sunggyu looked up and sure enough, it was raining hard. There was no way Sunggyu would be able to get home dry without an umbrella today. "You don't have an umbrella today, do you?"
"Shut up." Woohyun laughed as he returned to his desk to be productive instead of teasing the older. He could tease him more on the train ride home.
"I already called Yeollie and he's gonna meet me at the station. We're gonna walk home together in the rain, sharing an umbrella." The younger sighed in content at the thought, daydreaming before he began his work again.
Sunggyu had trouble getting back to work at the thought that maybe the stranger would show up again. If he did, he wanted to figure out who he was and why he acted like he did. He wanted questions answered so he could move on and get back to normal. For now, he had to deal with it and work through it, or at least try to.
His anxiousness about possibly meeting this man again showed on the train ride home as well. He normally slept on the ride, but he was fully awake. His leg shook as they were a few stations away from their stop. His behavior was enough to get Woohyun's attention.
"Sunggyu, are you okay?"
"Fine." He quickly replied. That only made Woohyun more suspicious.
"You're not really excited to see that guy again, are you? Even you said it yourself that he might not even show up this time."
"Who said I was excited to see him in the first place? Maybe I have something important to do at home."
"Like what? Reread your leadership books for the five hundredth time? Face it, Sunggyu. You like him." Sunggyu elbowed the younger in the side, but that didn't help with the blush on his face. He didn't like the guy, he thought. He was kind enough to give him his umbrella, but that didn't mean that he was suddenly head over heels in love with him.
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Sungyeol waited at the station with a few other women who waited for their husbands. He was obviously the odd one out of the bunch and the women took notice. They assumed he was waiting for his girlfriend so she wouldn't have to walk in the rain alone. Some of them shyly giggled and one of them said what a gentleman he was. He smiled back nervously, but he knew that once they found out the truth, they probably wouldn't be giggling and smiling much longer.
The loud speaker blared that one of the trains was going to be late due to an accident. Sungyeol was certain that it was Woohyun's train and it made him sigh. He already waited for a half hour for him and now he had to wait longer. He wasn't too happy about it, but he would continue waiting. He promised him, after all.
He did like Woohyun a lot. To Woohyun, Sungyeol was a flawless angel, even when he was sarcastic and acted like a tease. Despite that, Woohyun would never say a bad thing about him and, considering he had been rejected over and over for acting jobs, he appreciated that. However, the older clung to him and showered him with so much love that it was almost too much to handle. That's how Woohyun was and Sungyeol thought it balanced out in a strange way. Woohyun was overly romantic while Sungyeol was overly sarcastic. Neither of them were naïve about sarcasm, so it worked. At least he thought Woohyun wasn't naïve about sarcasm.
As he waited for that eventual flood of businessmen, there was a guy looking out at the rain worriedly. Since everyone ignored his worried looks, Sungyeol decided to walk over and make sure he was okay.
"Hey, is something wrong?" The man turned to him, fidgeting with his camera as he looked down.
"I need to get to my photography class, but it's raining and I don't want to ruin my camera. I don't have any more room in my bag for it, so I have to carry it." Sungyeol glanced outside and it looked like the rain wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. The other definitely wouldn’t make it to class in time. He knew Woohyun would whine about this later, but he handed the umbrella to the man.
"Here. You can use this." The man's eyes went wide as he took the umbrella.
"R-Really? You mean it?"
"Yeah, it's fine." He looked over the umbrella before he set down his bag and pulled out, with some struggling, a pen and a notebook.
"Could you write down your address so I can return it to you later?" Sungyeol was surprised at the action, but he smiled and nodded.
"Sure thing. I'm Sungyeol, by the way."
"I'm Myungsoo."
"Nice to meet ya, Myungsoo." He finished writing down his address and gave the notepad back to Myungsoo.
"Thank you so much. I'll return the favor someday."
"Don't worry about it. Have fun in photography." Myungsoo bowed quickly to him as he ran off to class. Sungyeol felt good about himself, even if Woohyun would throw a fit about walking in the rain. Maybe the older would even forgive him if he explained what happened.
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As soon as the two stepped off the train, Sunggyu began to frantically search for that stranger, making Woohyun sigh at first, then laugh.
"Wow, you're so obvious sometimes," Woohyun mumbled under his breath. He was about to tell Sunggyu that he wouldn't find him, but Sunggyu disappeared before he could. "Sunggyu? Sunggyu, where did you go?" He searched for him, catching sight of Sungyeol instead. He smiled at first, but when he saw Sungyeol talking to someone else that had their umbrella, and then write something down for him, he could have sworn his heart stopped. He had never seen the guy Sungyeol was talking to. He didn't know if they were friends or old classmates or something more.
He tried to shake that thought out of his head as he approached Sungyeol after the other man left. Sungyeol turned to him and smiled.
"Hey. Sorry about the umbrella. That guy needed it more than we did." Woohyun pouted at Sungyeol, but he took his hand and looked away. "Woohyun, are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just a long day at work, Yeollie." Sungyeol frowned at him as he pulled his hand away to wrap an arm around his shoulders.
"Come on. Let's go out to eat tonight. My treat." Woohyun only nodded as Sungyeol led him out into the rain, trying to use Woohyun's briefcase as a way to keep them somewhat dry.
While Woohyun left, Sunggyu was still at the station, waiting for the stranger to appear. He thought Woohyun could be right. There wasn't any proof that the stranger would appear a second time with an umbrella for him.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and there he was again. The doll-like stranger stared at him blankly while Sunggyu smiled at him.
"Oh, hi again. Is that umbrella for me again?" Sunggyu asked, disappointed when the stranger shook his head.
"No, I don't have an extra today." Sunggyu's face dropped for a moment, but then realized that if the stranger didn't have an umbrella for him, he must have another reason to bug him.
"Oh, well, did you need something?"
"I was wondering… since you don't have one, would you like to share mine?" He gulped, nervous about sharing an umbrella with someone he met only yesterday. He was tempted to say no or explain that he lived far away, but he couldn't stop his head from nodding.
"If you don't mind… sure." The stranger nodded and a very small smile appeared on his face. The two walked outside and the stranger opened the umbrella for them.
"Lead the way." Sunggyu nodded and began walking towards his apartment. The walk felt extremely awkward to Sunggyu. It was okay with Woohyun since they were friends and they've known each other for awhile, but he knew next to nothing about this person who seemed to know Sunggyu, or at least had some reason to be this kind to him.
"So… I'm Sunggyu, in case you didn't know. What's your name?" Sunggyu asked, figuring now would be a good time to learn about him.
"Sungjong." He replied. The name didn't ring a bell in Sunggyu's head, no matter how hard he thought about it.
"That's a nice name. Uh, what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a student, but I do some small deliveries for money." Sunggyu didn’t take notice of Sungjong’s nervous fidgeting. He instead wondered if Sungjong did deliveries to his office and that's how he knew him. "What about you?"
"Me? Uh, I do office work. It's not very fun, but it pays the bills,” he responded, laughing a little in embarrassment. Sungjong only nodded in understanding. Their conversation died down and the walk was quiet and still awkward the rest of the way. Sunggyu was still trying to figure out what Sungjong's motivation was for this, but the man was unreadable. He could only assume that he wanted to be a nice person.
Once they arrived at Sunggyu's apartment, Sungjong turned to leave, but Sunggyu grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Hey, why don't you stay for a bit? At least let me get you something to drink." Sungjong turned back to him, looking surprised as a light blush covered his cheeks. It made Sunggyu smile as he gestured for the other to come into his apartment. He stepped inside, suddenly becoming very shy and fidgety. He removed his shoes, but didn't venture into the living room.
"Go ahead. Come in and take a seat at the table. I'll make some tea for us. Is that okay?" Sungjong nodded as he quickly took a seat. Sunggyu tossed his jacket on an empty chair and began filling the kettle with water.
"So, you're a student, huh? College, right?"
"Yeah… first year in college." Sungjong's voice was more quiet and nervous than before while Sunggyu's became more confident from being at home. Sunggyu turned the stove on and set the kettle on it as he nodded to show he heard Sungjong, even though Sungjong wasn't looking at him.
"Wow, first year. What are you majoring in?"
"I might major in art, but I'm not sure yet."
"Art? Do you paint or something?"
"A little. I mostly draw. I'm not that good yet though." Sunggyu tried to find something they could snack on while waiting for the tea, but he wasn't a snack person and rarely kept them around. He eventually found chips Woohyun gave him a week ago, saying that it might encourage him to have people over for a little get together to help eat all these snacks while "gaining a social life".
"Well, they help for when I have people over." He thought as he poured some into a bowl. He returned to the table with the chips, watching Sungjong play with the zipper on his bag.
"Do you have any drawings with you?" Sungjong tensed up at not only the question, but at Sunggyu sitting next to him rather than across from him.
"Uh… I have my sketchbook."
"Could I take a look at your drawings? I'm interested to see what you draw." Sungjong immediately shook his head as his face grew redder. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, I can't draw at all. I'm sure your drawings are way better than anything I can do." Sungjong still shook his head before he began eating chips, as if that would keep Sunggyu from questioning it more. He was going to try anyway until the kettle's whistling distracted him. He sighed and returned to the kitchen to get the tea ready.
"Any preference on the tea?"
"Something sweet if you have any teas like that." Sunggyu couldn't help but smile. He always associated sweet things with youth. He might be a college student, but there was still something child-like about him. Sunggyu really liked that for some reason.
He returned with the tea, handing Sungjong his cup and warning him that it was still pretty hot before sitting down.
"Thanks. You didn't have to do this, though."
"You gave me your umbrella and then walked me home. It's the least I could do for you." Sungjong nodded, blowing softly on the drink to cool it down. The action seemed child-like as well to him, especially with the way he held it with hands instead of using the handle. "Do you live by yourself as well or do you have a roommate?"
"By myself, but I have a nice neighbor who spends some time with me. So it's not too lonely."
"Heh, you're pretty lucky. I don't even know my neighbors. Then again, they never bothered to get to know me."
"Why?" The question was odd considering the tone in Sungjong's voice. Sungjong sounded honestly surprised that none of his neighbors were interested in getting to know Sunggyu. Sunggyu looked up in thought before sighing.
"Well, I'm not a social person. I'm pretty awkward around people. I'm only friends with this one guy because he wouldn't leave me alone. Besides him, I just avoid people. It's not like I hate them. I just… don't know how to interact with them." Sunggyu tried to read Sungjong's face, but from what he could see in his eyes, he couldn't tell if the other was happy, disappointed, or a mix of both. "Honestly, you're the first person I've willingly interacted with. So maybe I'm making progress." He laughed to himself as he noticed that Sungjong smiled a little more than before.
"Sunggyu… can I spend more time with you?" It took a moment for the older to think about it, but he eventually nodded.
"Sure. Guess that's okay with me." The smile on Sungjong's face was stunning to Sunggyu. He knew that Sungjong was pretty, but when he smiled, he looked beautiful. He had to turn away when he felt his face heat up and decided to focus on his tea.
"Thanks!"
"N-Not a problem." He wasn't sure why his heart was racing or why he was stuttering, but he hoped this tea would calm him down or help him think clearly again.
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The couple returned to their apartment soaked to the bone. Sungyeol immediately headed for the linen closet for some towels while Woohyun made sure the papers in his briefcase weren't ruined.
"Well, that was a refreshing walk." Sungyeol laughed as he tossed a towel to Woohyun.
"Yeah, until we get sick." Catching the towel, he tried to dry off as much as he could before stepping inside. Sungyeol frowned at the bitter tone in Woohyun's voice. It wasn't like Woohyun to be bitter about almost anything. There was something definitely wrong with him.
"Woohyunnie, are you okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It's just… you sound upset about something."
"I'm not upset. I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
"You don't sound fine."
"Guess that means I'm getting sick. Awesome."
"Woohyun!" He grabbed Woohyun's arm and turned him so they were facing each other. He was even more surprised at the angry look on Woohyun's face. It was like his boyfriend was replaced by someone else. "Woohyun… you'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"
"Of course."
"Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing… except for the fact that I'm cold and wet." Sungyeol mentally sighed, knowing that Woohyun was hiding something, but there was no point trying to figure it out now. It would only anger the other more.
"Okay… let's go take a bath and warm up together, okay?" Woohyun nodded and let Sungyeol lead him to the bathroom, hanging his head the entire way there. Sungyeol started to fill the tub as the older removed his clothes.
"Sungyeol… you would tell me if you didn't love me anymore, right?" The younger shot Woohyun a confused look, wondering where that question came from.
"I guess, but I still love you. So you don't have to worry about that."
"Really? You don't love anyone else?" Sungyeol stopped the water when the tub was filled, then walked over to hug the other tightly. The question came from out of the blue and Sungyeol couldn't think of why he would ask that.
"Of course not, Woohyun. I only love you. There's no one else." Woohyun eventually hugged him back, but the way he was acting worried Sungyeol. Woohyun had never questioned whether Sungyeol loved him back or not. He's not sure what happened, but he obviously had to do something that would prove that Woohyun was the only one he cared about.
He removed his own clothes and pulled Woohyun into the tub with him. They both sighed in content at the warmth of the water. Woohyun wasted no time curling up close to Sungyeol, making the younger laugh.
"So, how did your day really go? Did Sunggyu have a terrible hangover like we thought?"
"Definitely. Also, he really does like that mysterious umbrella guy. I could tell by the blush on his face when I talked about him." They both laughed as Sungyeol ran a hand down the other's side.
"That's cute. It's like his first crush. Did the guy show up?"
"I'm not sure. He left me as soon as we got off the train. I wanted to see this guy for myself."
"You're not thinking about running off with some stranger, are you?" Sungyeol laughed, but Woohyun could only chuckle lightly in response.
"No, I have you. That's all I need in my life. No stranger could replace you." Sungyeol smiled at that, thinking that Woohyun was cheering up at last. Woohyun leaned up and placed a kiss on Sungyeol's lips. The younger returned the kiss, running a hand through his hair as his other arm wrapped around his waist to pull him closer. Woohyun's arms wrapped around his neck as their kiss deepened. There was a soft moan from one of them, but neither of them cared who it came from. Some of the water spilled out of the bath as the kiss became more intense. Hands trying to feel every inch of the other's skin while lips left light kisses and bites on each other's necks. Everything felt normal to Sungyeol and he thought that Woohyun was just in a bad mood for no reason. As the bathroom filled with moans and sweet nothings, Sungyeol thought this was the end of their little fight and everything was alright. Everything was back to the way it should be.
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The two stared out the window, watching the rain fall even harder as the day grew darker. Sunggyu sighed, thinking that inviting Sungjong inside was a bad idea, but the younger didn't seem worried.
"Guess I should head home now," Sungjong stated, immediately standing up and heading for the door.
"What? No way. Not in this weather and not when it's this dark." Sunggyu stood in front of the other to stop him from leaving. Sungjong was starting to get fidgety again, looking away from the older.
"I'll be fine. It's not a big deal."
"I would feel better if you stayed here." He could hear a small gasp from Sungjong before he tilted his head up at him.
"R-Really? Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."
"You're not a bother. I would be happy to have you stay." Before Sungjong could protest it more, Sunggyu led him to his room and over to his dresser. He pulled out a regular t-shirt and sweatpants and handed them to Sungjong.
"Here, you can wear these tonight and I'll wash these clothes for you." Sungjong blushed brightly as he nodded. "And… well, I don't have an extra bed you can sleep on, but you can sleep on the couch or… you can… sleep with me in my bed." Sunggyu looked away as he talked about the younger sharing a bed with him, but when he turned back to him, Sungjong had already disappeared into the bathroom to change.
"… Guess he wants the couch." Sunggyu mumbled to himself, sighing in relief. He was sure the younger man wouldn't harm him or do something unpleasant to him if he slept in his bed with him, but they had known each other for barely a day. Sleeping in the same bed with Sungjong now would be too uncomfortable, although letting him stay the night was enough to make Sunggyu feel on edge.
Sungjong came out of the bathroom wearing the t-shirt Sunggyu gave him and carrying the sweatpants in his arms. Because of how big the shirt was on Sungjong, it looked like that was the only thing he was wearing. Sunggyu covered his eyes with a hand and tried to cover his blush at the same time.
"S-Sungjong. Please tell me you're wearing underwear."
"Huh?" He looked down at himself and blushed as well. He pulled the shirt up just enough to show his boxers. "I-I am. Sorry. Your clothes are a little big on me."
"Your boxers are a little small, then…" Sunggyu thought as he pulled his hand away. Even with the reassurance, it was hard to think that there was something under that shirt.
"W-Well, um… let me go get you a blanket and get you set up on the couch."
"I wanna sleep in the bed with you." Sunggyu froze on the spot. He wasn't sure if he heard that right. It was a joke, he thought. Sungjong has a crazy sense of humor; that's all. He tried to convince himself that, but Sungjong never brought up the punch line.
"A-Are you sure? I mean-… I toss and turn a lot and I snore really loudly too. You don't want to sleep in the same room as me."
"I don't mind." That was the last thing he wanted to hear. He should have realized he wasn't even close to normal when he gave him the umbrella. He mentally sighed before he nodded to the other.
"Okay… Just give me a minute." He still had a way to make this somewhat bearable so he could have his sanity in the morning. Going through closets and cabinets, he created a divide down the bed. It was almost like a fence, but made of towels, pillows, and empty boxes. Sungjong only tilted his head at it. "Just so… you know. In case you're afraid I'll hurt you in your sleep or something."
"But you can always go around the bed." He was right, but Sunggyu never admitted it vocally. He didn't trust his mouth with all the worries going on in his head. He laid down on the bed without another word, turning off the lamp on his nightstand. He could hear Sungjong laying down on the other side and getting comfortable. It was a long moment before Sungjong was asleep, but eventually got to let out a sigh of relief. This Sungjong was strange; almost too strange to the older. This shouldn't have been surprising to Sunggyu since he has never met anyone he would call normal, but Sungjong's strangeness was unique to him. Most people he met were either loud and partiers, or quiet and only talked if necessary. Sungjong was quiet, but seemed to be curious and had a better social life than Sunggyu most likely. At least he knew one of his neighbors. There was something awkward about him as well, but it was cute in a way. His awkwardness seemed to add to his cute appearance rather than make him someone uncomfortable to be around.
He shouldn't be thinking this much about him. He's just a guy who was nice to Sunggyu. That's all. Nothing more than that. That's what he tried to tell himself as he attempted to sleep.
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Woohyun was doing the last minute preparations for work as quietly as possible. Sungyeol was still sleeping and he didn't want to wake him up, even if there was some bitterness still lingering from the day before. He knew he should trust Sungyeol and believe that nothing's going on between him and someone else. He should, but he couldn’t shake away that image of Sungyeol smiling at that stranger.
A knock at the door interrupted Woohyun's thoughts. With it being so early in the morning, he couldn't think of who could be here. It couldn't be Sunggyu. He lived too far away from him to be here now and he was too lazy to get up early enough to get here. Maybe it was a neighbor.
He opened the door and his face dropped. The man Sungyeol was talking to yesterday was at his front door now with their umbrella in his hand.
"Hi… Is Sungyeol here?" He asked. Woohyun was surprised he didn’t slam the door in his face the moment he spoke.
"Yeah, but he's sleeping. Can I help you with something?"
"Oh, I'm Myungsoo and I borrowed an umbrella from him yesterday so I could get to class. I came to return it." Woohyun swallowed hard as he reached out for their umbrella.
"I'll let him know you stopped by."
"Thanks, um… could you tell me your name?"
"Woohyun." He was surprised by his own voice. It was deeper than usual. The bitterness he felt slipped into his voice as well, making Myungsoo move away from the door slowly.
"Well, it was nice to meet you, Woohyun. Thank Sungyeol for me. I really appreciate his help."
"Will do." He slammed the door in his face, forgetting that Sungyeol was sleeping. He didn't care. His emotions were too messed up to care about anything other than himself for the moment. With a groan, he threw the umbrella to the ground and grabbed his suitcase and tie. He could fix up his tie on the train or at the office. The sound of their bedroom door opening stopped Woohyun before he could storm out of the apartment.
"Hey, Woohyunnie. Why are you being so loud this morning?" Sungyeol groaned as he approached the older. Yesterday was already unpleasant. Two days in a row of an annoyed Woohyun was too much.
"Myungsoo came by."
"Oh, to return the umbrella? That was nice of him." Woohyun was sure that gripping the handle of the front door any longer would make it break.
"Yeah. Nice." He finally opened the door and slammed it shut, storming down the hallway to the elevator. Sungyeol only stood there with a mix of worry and confusion on his face. The way Woohyun was acting was too odd, but he didn't think once that it had something to do with Myungsoo. It wasn't as if they made out or something.
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The buzzing of his alarm woke up Sunggyu, despite the fact it had been going off for almost an hour. He didn't bother to check the time yet. He turned it off and rolled over. He wasn't sure why his head was hurting. He didn't drink last night or hit his head against anything, but when he saw the sleeping face of Sungjong, he knew where his headache came from. He really needed to stop thinking about him so much. The "fence" he made between the two had fallen and he could see Sungjong with nothing blocking his vision. He couldn't look away from him. Even with his hair messy from tossing and turning, he still looked more attractive than most. He reached out and touched Sungjong's cheek, surprised at the smoothness of his skin. He knew this was rude and could probably get slapped for it, but he was so curious about if his face was as smooth as it looked. It wasn't glass smooth, but it felt good under his thumb.
The younger stirred long enough for Sunggyu to pull his hand away and pretend like nothing happened. He rubbed at his eyes before he opened them, not entirely aware of where he was and why he wasn't in his bed.
"Um… Good morning." It took the other a moment to fully wake up and acknowledge the greeting. He nodded, but then moved past the broken "fence" to cling to Sunggyu and curl up against him. The older became a statue at those arms wrapping around his torso. Sungjong was warm and having someone attached to him wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, but it was still a little too close for comfort. He gently nudged him, hoping he would realize what he was doing.
"S-Sungjong… please let me go. I have to get to work. I only have…" He turned to back to the alarm and jumped out of bed. With how tightly Sungjong was clinging to him, he ended up being dragged out of bed and landed on the floor. "S-Sorry! But I'm so late! I'm gonna get killed or worse! I could get fired!" His phone vibrated on his desk during his panic. He grabbed it as quickly as he could and checked to see who it was.
Woohyun: Hey, where are you? You missed the train.
He sighed and typed up a reply as Sungjong returned to the bed, groaning.
Me: I know. My alarm didn't wake me up in time.
As he waited for a reply, he went over to Sungjong. The younger rubbed his lower back, a few whimpers escaping him.
"Sorry about that, but you were clinging to me and-"
"I was what?" Sungjong's eyes had gone wide and his face slowly turned red.
"You were clinging to me…" Besides being reluctant to show Sunggyu his drawings, this was the first time Sungjong seemed to be embarrassed about something he did in front of the businessman. He stood up and rushed into the bathroom, ignoring Sunggyu asking him if he needed water or something.
He couldn't try to figure out what's wrong with him yet as his phone buzzed in his hand.
Woohyun: Call in sick then. You have enough sick days to do it. Also, could you come over tonight?
Sunggyu wasn't sure why he invited him over, but when he realized it was Friday, it made sense.
Me: I guess I could.
Woohyun: At the station. 6pm. Don't be late.
The reply seemed too quick for Woohyun. He must have assumed that Sunggyu was going to say yes, which was actually odd. He always invited him over on Fridays and this wasn’t any different, but usually Woohyun begged him to come rather than assume he'd accept. Too many weird things were going on in his life at once and he was not happy about it. He had one more weird thing to take care of. He walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door.
"Sungjong… do you need anything? If you're embarrassed about the clinging, it's okay. I know you didn't mean it. You seemed out of it anyway." There was no response and after a few minutes, Sunggyu gave up. He had to come out of the bathroom sooner or later. At least he didn't have to worry about work today, even if he felt guilty for lying about being sick. "Well, if you need anything, let me know." He didn't wait for a reply as he called his work to claim he was sick. At least his weekend was coming up soon. He needed a few days to relax and let everything calm down.
Once he finished convincing his boss he was sick, Sungjong walked out of the bathroom. His eyes seemed a little redder to Sunggyu, but he thought he just needed some more sleep.
"Hey, doing okay now?" Sungjong nodded as he sat on the bed. His gaze was focused on the floor below him. He looked tense to Sunggyu, but he didn’t push it, not wanting to make things worse. "Um, do you have any classes or work today?" Thankfully, Sungjong shook his head. "Okay, well… do you have any plans tonight?" The younger snapped his head up, surprised by the question. Sunggyu didn't think that was such a bad question, but maybe it was. "I-It's just that my friend invited me to his place and I really don't want to go alone. Do you want to go with me?" The shock faded from Sungjong's face as quickly as it came. He played with the hem of his shirt for a second before nodding.
"Sure. I'll go."
"Great. We'll leave at 5. Does that work for you?" Sungjong nodded again. Sunggyu sighed and mumbled "good" as the younger laid back down; his back facing Sunggyu. He ran a hand through his hair as he left the other to sleep by himself. He had a bad feeling about this, but it was too late to change his mind. He had to go through with it and hoped everything would turn out fine.
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