IMB 2012: Rain Rain Go Away (2/2)
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
He still had a bad feeling as he waited for Woohyun at the station, especially with Sungjong by his side. The younger had been mostly quiet all day and usually slept when he wasn't eating. He thought that he was probably stressed out from work and school and he needed the sleep. He was able to convince himself of that, at least.
Woohyun apparently took the late train as he arrived at 6 instead of the usual 5. Sunggyu noticed Woohyun's smile seemed off as he walked towards him, but any worry about his condition faded when he gawked at the man next to him.
"Is… Is that him? Is that the mysterious umbrella guy?" They both blushed at the other businessman's question, but Sunggyu hit Woohyun in the arm for asking.
"He has a name! It's Sungjong!" Woohyun rubbed his arm, pouting at the oldest in a useless attempt to get an apology. His "pain" disappeared, though, as he looked the youngest over.
"Wow. He sure is pretty. Are you sure he's not a girl though?" It was Sungjong's turn to punch Woohyun in the arm, but he also added a stomp to his foot. "Fuck! He's violent!"
"Hey, calm down. I know that was rude, but that's just Woohyun. You get used to it." Sunggyu reassured. Sungjong pouted and turned away. Seeing the youngest get so upset was cute as well. He really was like a child, despite his age.
After an apology, the three began to make their way to Woohyun's apartment. It took him a moment, but he realized that he hadn't seen Woohyun call Sungyeol yet. This was something Woohyun did every free second he had when he was away from Sungyeol. To see him walking quietly with them was too strange to ignore.
"Hey, aren't you gonna call Sungyeol? You usually do." Woohyun looked up when Sungyeol's name was mentioned. He didn't look as happy as he usually did and that worried the oldest even more. "Did… something happen?"
"No. Just woke him up while I was getting ready. Feel a little bad about that." The oldest sighed and shook his head. He should have known Woohyun was only concerned about his boyfriend.
"I'm sure he's not too mad about that. Don't worry. Everything will be fine." Woohyun nodded and gave him a smile, but it still felt off and forced to Sunggyu.
Once they reached their apartment, Sungjong clung to Sunggyu's arm as they walked in. The oldest was sure Sungjong was doing this because this was a new place and he was surrounded by people he didn't know, but that reasoning didn't make it any more comfortable. He blushed and stumbled a, but he didn't shake the other off of him until he saw Sungyeol. The tallest broke into a grin and laughed just as Sunggyu pulled his arm away.
"Come on! We won't judge you two."
"It's not like that! He's just a friend and nothing more!"
"Ouch. Looks like he thought otherwise." The oldest tilted his head in confusion and turned to Sungjong. Sungjong wasn't by his side anymore though. He was sitting on the couch alone, looking at one of the magazines on the table. Sunggyu was about to reassure Sungyeol that he'll be fine, but he pushed him towards the youngest, telling him to "kiss and make up with him.” With those two preoccupied, Sungyeol went into the kitchen, where Woohyun was getting the drinks ready. Sungyeol wrapped his arms around the other's waist, resting his head on his shoulder. It had been a full 24 hours since the walking in the rain incident and it seemed like Woohyun wasn't getting any better. He still appeared to be bitter and irritated.
"Baby, is anything wrong?"
"Everything's fine."
"You don't seem fine though. I'm worried."
"Don't be." Woohyun turned to him and gave him a kiss to calm down his nerves as he handed him a couple of glasses of wine. "Could you give these to Sunggyu and Sungjong?"
"Is Sungjong even old enough to drink?"
"I doubt Sunggyu would be interested in someone underage. I'm sure it's fine. Besides, it's just us." He grabbed the other two glasses and walked into the living room with Sungyeol trailing behind him. The wine might help him loosen up enough to ask him again and get an actual explanation for his behavior.
In the living room, Sunggyu sat next to Sungjong, but put a good amount of distance between them. He didn't want people to get the wrong idea that they were together together, but he didn't want to hurt Sungjong. He hoped the youngest didn't think that they were that close. They just met. There's no way strong feelings could form that quickly.
"Hey, you okay?" Sungjong nodded, focusing on the magazine instead of Sunggyu. "Really? Because if this is uncomfortable for you, Sungyeol can take you home. He has a car, so you wouldn't have to walk."
"I'm fine."
"Not hurt at all?"
"Not at all." The tone of his voice didn't sound so confident, but the couple coming back with wine distracted him. He took a glass, not realizing how much he needed it until he took a drink. He nearly drank the whole glass down in one go, but so did Woohyun. Woohyun had barely a third left in his glass as Sungyeol and Sungjong sipped at their drinks.
"Should I… get some more?" Sungyeol was a little hesitant to ask. Woohyun didn't drink much. Seeing him gulp down that drink wasn't a good sign.
"Yeah. Might need to grab some new bottles as well." Woohyun replied once he finished off his current glass.
"Okay, but I'm taking my time and getting food first." As the taller left, Woohyun stuck his tongue out at him childishly.
"He's no fun. Can't even get wasted on a weekend." Sunggyu couldn't hold back a giggle, but the younger laughed as well. "I know, right? Weekends were made for people to get wasted. I'm still young. I deserve to have a good time. Unlike you, grandpa."
"Watch it. I'm only a couple years older than you." He punched the other playfully for the grandpa comment, but that only made Woohyun laugh instead of whining. Sungjong continued to slowly drink his wine, but even with his attempts to keep quiet and stay out of the way, the two's attention turned to him.
"So, how is he in bed, Sungjong?"
"Fuck, Woohyun, I told you we're not like that!"
"He does snore pretty badly," Sungjong replied, causing Woohyun to burst out laughing and Sunggyu attempting to stop him by fake strangling him. It looked fake from Sungjong's point of view, at least.
Sungyeol came back with the wine, but he also brought out a big tray of various snacks for them. As he set them on the table, he had to smack Woohyun's hand away from the wine and shove a roll in his mouth.
"Food first, then you can have another glass."
"Still no fun." The tallest rolled his eyes before returning to his seat. Sunggyu poured himself another drink and started drinking it fast. The rate he was drinking his wine was worrying Sungjong, but he made no comment about it. He only sipped his drink and watched the three talk, argue, and laugh.
The mostly peaceful get-together didn't last long. Sungjong was buzzed after two glasses of wine and a shot of vodka that Woohyun recommended. He was still quiet, but more hands on. He was touching some part of Sunggyu's body at all times, but the oldest didn't seem to mind. He was three glasses in along with a shot of vodka and he was talking up a storm, even if most of it was too slurred to make it out. Sungjong listened to him with as much focus as he could while a hand caressed his thigh.
Sungyeol was the soberest of them all with only a glass and a half of wine and lots of food to keep himself from getting wasted. Woohyun, however, was the drunkest of all. Three glasses of wine and two shots of vodka later, he was stumbling in the kitchen, using the counter to keep him upright. The older was angry and had begun throwing whatever he could at Sungyeol, screaming about betraying him.
"Woohyun, calm down! I didn't betray you!" He used a frying pan to protect himself as plates were thrown at him. Shards of ceramic still hit him, though, and left marks on his face and neck.
"Yes ya did! Wit dat stupid… Myungsoo guy! Ya want t' leave me fer him, don't cha?"
"What? No! I just let him borrow an umbrella! Nothing more!"
"Liar!" Woohyun tried to rush over and tackle him to the wall, but the alcohol in his system made him trip and land in the broken dishes on the floor. He cried out as some of the smaller broken pieces ended up in his eyes and other pieces left cuts on his face and arms.
"Oh, God! Woohyun!" He knelt down to the floor and tried to pull his hands away to check the damage, but he flailed and screamed at Sungyeol to go away. He did get hit pretty hard in the eye, but he eventually got a hold of the older and led him to the bathroom.
"Lemme go! Get th' fuck away from me!"
"You're hurt! There's no way I'm letting you just lay there and suffer!"
"Fuckin' liar! You just wanna hurt me more!"
"Why would I do that?"
"'Cuz you don't love me anymore!" Sungyeol dragged the other into the bathtub and started the shower above it. He tried to wash out the pieces of broken plates from the other's eyes, but he wouldn't stop struggling.
"Woohyun! Stop it! Let me help you!"
"Fuck off!"
"Woohyun!" He tried everything he could to calm him, but eventually, a hard enough self-inflicted hit on the tub floor with his head was enough to make him lose consciousness. He sighed in relief as Woohyun stopped struggling, but it didn't make anything better. He gripped his hair in frustration, wondering why Woohyun would think that. He had never betrayed the other. There were times when he thought Woohyun was with someone else behind his back because of how he tended to be extra friendly to everyone, but he trusted him. Woohyun couldn't trust him, though. The minute he saw him with someone else, he became enraged and jumped to conclusions. While some calm explanation could help things, there was a chance Woohyun would do this again. He wasn't sure if he could have any friends without Woohyun's approval now or even talk to anyone. He was afraid of him becoming possessive.
Holding back his sobs, he continued to try and wash away the leftover broken ceramic. Once he assumed that was good enough, he carried the older out of the bathroom and into their bedroom to dry him off and dress him in dry clothes. It was difficult, though. He wanted to scream and cry and throw things as well, but even with his boyfriend unconscious, he had to stay calm so he could take care of him. It was a struggle getting him dried and dressed along with taking care of his cuts, but the moment he finished along with getting himself into dry clothes, he collapsed on the bed. The physical exhaustion along with the emotional exhaustion from watching his boyfriend act this way was too much for him to handle and all he could do was lay there and sleep.
The other two were oblivious to the fighting and screaming as they moved into the guest room. Sungjong still clung to Sunggyu but, instead of caressing and touching his body, he started to rub his body against the other. His drunken giggling was contagious enough to make Sunggyu laugh with him.
"Stop dat." Trying to push him away wasn't effective when it came to removing the younger from his side, but it didn't bother him. It felt strangely good; maybe because of the alcohol. He might not think the same way if he was sober.
"Nooooope." Sungjong giggled again while his hands moved down to his pants. It took Sunggyu a moment to realize Sungjong's hands were somewhere that broke every personal space bubble he had set up.
"Sungjong. What're you doin'?" He didn't get an answer. Sungjong was more interested leaving kisses on his neck than talking. He thought it was a good idea if he wanted to make Sunggyu forget about those hands long enough to slip them under his pants.
"S-Sungjong!" He pulled those hands away before they could get too far down. "Seriously? What're you doin'? Ya can't just stick yer hands down my pants!" He turned to glare at Sungjong, but the pout was enough to soften his look. "What?"
"S-Sunggyu… I want you. I want you to… fuck me." He must have been hearing things wrong. There was no way Sungjong really meant what he said. Although, it would explain the touching and rubbing, Sunggyu thought. "Please." Sungjong moved closer and closer to Sunggyu's lips and he froze. Even in a drunken state, he knew that this was something he's never done before. He didn't have much confidence in doing this without hurting Sungjong or doing something extremely stupid.
His lips ended up against Sungjong's anyway. There wasn't time to go slow. It was heated and deep from the beginning. Time felt like it was on fast-forward. He blinked and he was on top of him. One more blink and Sunggyu's shirt was gone. The next, his hands were exploring the skin hidden beneath Sungjong's shirt. He couldn't keep up mentally, but his body moved on its own. The moans and whimpers that slipped from the younger man as he continued his kisses and touches were addicting. So soft and high pitched, but a perfect fit for Sungjong. Hearing anything else come out of his mouth would be awkward and abnormal.
Clothes were moved to the floor as Sungjong's moaning increased in volume. Nails were digging into the older's arm as his body was rocked by the increasingly harder thrusts. Sunggyu didn't feel like he was doing any of this. It was more like watching him fuck Sungjong into the bed than him performing the action. The surreal feeling of it almost caused him to stop, but he was too far in. He could hear Sungjong scream his name and feel him tighten around him, but he couldn't comprehend the fact that this happened. He experienced it, but his brain wouldn't accept it. Sunggyu did not just fuck someone he only met two days ago.
By the time his brain caught up with the present, Sungjong was asleep and curled up against him. Sunggyu couldn't easily slip off to sleep after all that happened like Sungjong. Judgment disappears the more a person drinks, but he didn't expect it to be so far gone that he would do that. But it still happened. The lack of clothes and the stain on the sheets was proof enough of that. Sunggyu couldn’t acknowledge it now, but in the morning with his pounding headache, he would be forced to accept this moment as fact and try to fix things. That was for tomorrow. Tonight, he wanted to sleep and escape reality and responsibilities for a moment.
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Even after exhausting himself to the point of passing out, that night of sleep did nothing to give him some energy back. Sungyeol rolled off the bed with a groan. His eye still throbbed from the hit and his arms ached from carrying Woohyun around the house. The older man was thankfully still asleep. Trying to explain last night to him would probably make his eventual headache even worse.
He already had a good idea about how bad he looked, but he stumbled into the bathroom anyway to make himself look presentable to society. The black eye wasn't flattering at all along with the scars, but being an actor had its benefits for moments like this. It was only stage make-up, but it would be enough to cover up most of the scars and hide the black eye. He kept his make-up kit close after finishing. He grabbed his toiletries out of the bathroom and took them to the closet. Pulling out his suitcase, he packed only the necessities. He wasn't sure when he was coming back or if he would enter this building again, but he had to leave for now. He loved Woohyun, but he was too afraid to stick around and see if Woohyun really was the extremely possessive type. His health had to be first, no matter what.
With his suitcase packed, he started heading for the door, but stopped at the sound of whimpering from the hall bathroom. He walked down to that bathroom and looked inside. Sungjong sat in the tub, soaking wet and lacking any clothes. He wasn't sure what brought on this behavior, but leaving the other behind wasn't an option. He walked towards him slowly, but Sungjong noticed him immediately. Caught sneaking in, Sungyeol chuckled nervously to lighten the mood.
"S-Sorry. I heard you and I wanted to make sure you were okay." Sungjong shook his head before hiding his face in his hands. This wasn't looking good, but it didn't stop him from sitting on the edge of the tub next to Sungjong.
"Do you need to get out of here? I can give you a ride home if you want-"
"I made Sunggyu fuck me."
"… What?" Sungyeol couldn't believe it. This man forcing Sunggyu to have sex with him didn't sound like something that would happen in reality. It sounded like it came from some crazy dream.
"We were drunk… but he was really drunk and I told him to fuck me, so he did and… Why did I take advantage of him like that?" Tears fell down Sungjong's face as he curled up into a ball. Sungyeol tried his best at comforting him with back rubs. It didn’t work as the sobs continued.
"I don't know why. Maybe because you were drunk too or-"
"… I love him." Another surprise for the day; he was sure that Sunggyu only met this guy a few days ago. "I've loved him for awhile now. Ever since I saw him in his office during one of my deliveries…" He couldn't finish. He broke out into more sobs while pounding the tub floor. Sungyeol stopped Sungjong from hitting the tub by grabbing his arms, but the other kept crying.
"Hey hey hey. It's okay. I'm sure you didn't force him. Maybe he really wanted it too and it took a few drinks to get him to admit it." Sungjong shook his head, but didn't argue his reasoning vocally. "Do you wanna go home?" It was a long moment before Sungjong nodded and slowly stood up. Sungyeol handed him a towel to dry off while he retrieved his clothes.
Sunggyu was passed out on the bed when Sungyeol walked in. He tried to imagine Sunggyu doing anything sexual as he picked up Sungjong's clothes. He couldn't have been wasted enough to be convinced to sleep with the other if he didn't want it. From what Woohyun told him, he wasn't someone to be easily persuaded to do anything he was uncomfortable with, even when he's drunk. He talked a lot when drunk, but that was it.
Once Sungjong was dried and dressed, he led him out of the apartment quietly to not wake up the two businessmen. Sungjong noticed the suitcase Sungyeol carried, though, and his curiosity got the best of him.
"Why do you have a suitcase with you?"
"I got a job to do out of town." He replied too quickly to be the truth, but Sungjong didn't question it further. He had his own problems to deal with.
It wasn't long before Sunggyu woke up. His head throbbed with intense pain as his punishment for drinking so much. While he would have loved to go back to sleep, he was still at Woohyun's place and overstayed his welcome by at least 7 hours. He should also get Sungjong home and-
That memory from last night intensified the pain in his head. While the stains on the bed and the appearance of his clothes on the floor were physical reminders of last night, the lack of Sungjong in the bed made him question if it really happened. He could have been delusional. He would accept that theory. Until Sungjong came up to him and told him they had sex, he could remain in this ignorant state.
But he couldn't say he hated it if it did happen.
It was a painful and almost not worth it struggle to get out of bed, but he needed to get home. He was sure the lovey dovey couple would soon be making out, like Woohyun mentions every Monday when talking about his weekend. He had just gotten his pants on when he heard Woohyun's voice echo through the apartment.
"Sungyeol? Sungyeolie? Where are you, baby?" He walked out of the guest room while in the middle of putting his shirt on and saw Woohyun limping through the living room.
"Woohyun, you look like a fucking mess." He was cut up all over his face and arms. His eyes looked even worse, but the younger either didn't care or wasn't aware of his current condition.
"Sunggyu, have you seen Sungyeol? I can't find him and his things are gone," Woohyun mumbled as he reached for the older. He gripped onto his arm to steady himself, but Sunggyu tried to get him to sit down.
"No, I haven't. That doesn't matter, though. You need to go see a doctor."
"Sungyeol. Sungyeolie sweetie. Stop playing hide and seek please. Come out." Sunggyu sighed as Woohyun moved into the kitchen and ignored Sunggyu's concern. Seeing Woohyun act this way wasn't too surprising with Sungyeol gone, but Sungyeol not being here was worrying. He had no reason to leave unless he got into a fight.
Rushing into the bathroom, he grabbed the first pain killer he found and took a dose of it to calm his headache. If he wanted to take care of Woohyun, he would have to at least make his own problem more bearable. The disappearance of that annoying pain helped him think clearer, but it brought back another memory. He did hear the couple screaming and fighting before he was dragged into the guest room. It was something about cheating.
"Woohyun, did you think Sungyeol was cheating on you?" It must have triggered something in Woohyun's memory as Sunggyu heard a thud in the kitchen followed by loud sobbing. Running back to the kitchen, he saw Woohyun on his knees in the mess of broken dishes crying loudly and shaking. "Woohyun! What's wrong?"
"I told him! I told him I thought he was cheating on me! So he left me! Sungyeol left me!" Sunggyu shook his head as he held the other close.
"No, you're probably just jumping to conclusions. He didn't leave. I'm sure he didn't."
"Sungyeol! Sungyeol, come back! I'm sorry!" Woohyun was gone. Caught up in his emotions, he wasn't aware of anything outside of himself and Sungyeol. Sunggyu sighed again at his friend having a complete mental break down. Grabbing the house key off of the counter, he picked up Woohyun and carried him out of there to get to a hospital. He tried to offer him comforting words, but he couldn't stop thinking the worst. He kept saying how he lost the best thing in his life. He calmed down some by the time they got in the taxi, but the other couldn't stop crying and mumbling for Sungyeol to come back.
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It had been almost a week since the get together. Woohyun's eyes weren't permanently damaged, but they were scarred up enough that healing would take time. He had also slipped into a severe depression to the point where he was unable to work. Psychiatrists tried to remind him that he had a life before Sungyeol, but Woohyun was stubborn. He didn't want to live without Sungyeol in his life. He refused to take any medicine or go to therapy to help with his depression, but with enough vacation time to cover two weeks, he could miss work without getting fired for now.
No one could get a hold of Sungyeol to ask him to come back and talk this out with Woohyun, so Sunggyu took it upon himself to take care of Woohyun. Neither of them had enough to pay for someone to watch him, but a neighbor was kind enough to watch over him during the day while Sunggyu was at worked. He decided that he would stay with Woohyun at night and on the weekends to make sure he wouldn't do anything drastic. With the constant watch over him he never tried to hurt himself, but he mentioned many times that life wasn't worth living without Sungyeol.
Sunggyu had his own problems with someone as well, but he never brought up or tried to deal with them. He hadn't seen Sungjong since that night. Even on rainy days, he would end up walking to Woohyun's without an umbrella. He had no idea where he lived, which college he went to, what his number was; nothing. He only knew his name. He looked for the young man at the station every day, but never spotted him. If he did find him, he wouldn't know what to say. That was the problem. He didn't know if he should apologize to him or question him about that night. Neither of them felt like the right thing to do, but he couldn't think of another option.
It was a Friday when Woohyun decided to try to work for a day after some persuading from Sunggyu. He convinced him it would help him get his mind off of Sungyeol for awhile and it was okay for the most part. There were times when he panicked and ran off to the bathroom, usually during breaks where he had nothing to do and typically called Sungyeol to cure his boredom. He survived the day, though, and even smiled a little more than usual.
"That… wasn't too bad," Woohyun mumbled on their train ride as he adjusted his sunglasses. He didn't want anyone to see the scars around his eyes, even if it looked odd on a rainy day.
"I told you. I think if you keep this up, you'll get better in no time," Sunggyu reassured him.
"I still miss Sungyeol."
"I know you do… but you'll be okay. I know you will." Wrapping an arm around Woohyun, he pulled him closer and comforted him. There was a soft smile on his face, but it didn't last long.
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Sungyeol waited for the light to change so he could cross the street and get to the station before Woohyun arrived. He had a bouquet of flowers with a card that said it was for Woohyun.
He spent a lot of time alone outside of the city in a hotel room to think over everything. He thought getting away from Woohyun would be the best, but it only made him want Woohyun even more. He missed him more than he thought he would and he worried about his health a lot. He should have talked to him instead of running away, but he never claimed to be the brightest and emotions don't help with thinking clearly either. He wasn't sure about Woohyun being a possessive person after he thought about it. He did have other male friends and Woohyun was okay with them after introducing them to him. He thought maybe he was scared of Sungyeol leaving him. Woohyun never had the best self-esteem since he always worried about his work and appearance. Flowers probably wouldn’t help that much, but it was worth a try.
As he waited for the light, someone stood next to him with a bike in hand. Sungyeol wasn't sure why this person decided to stand right next to him until he looked at them.
"S-Sungjong?" Sungjong gave him a forced smile, but let it fade to focus on the crosswalk light. "What are you doing here? Visiting Sunggyu?" The younger looked down at the ground, gripping the handles of his bike tight enough to turn his knuckles white. "Have you even talked to him since that night?" Sungjong shook his head slowly. He couldn't face Sunggyu anymore. The guilt of what he did still haunted him. He didn't deserve Sunggyu after doing that, he thought. "You should."
"I can't."
"Why not? I think he would be willing to talk this out. He might not be mad at you."
"Why wouldn't he be mad at me? I forced him to… you know. Why would he be okay with that?"
"I'm sure you didn't force him. I'm sure he was okay with it." Sungjong shook his head, trying to fight back the tears that were stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. "Sungjong, you're overreacting. You should just talk to him."
"I can't! I fucked everything up and now he'll never love me!" Sungjong jumped on his bike and started riding across the street, even though the light hadn't change.
"Sungjong! Wait!" Sungyeol ran after the other to stop him. He was able to stop him and was about to pull him back until he heard the sound of a car horn getting louder.
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Woohyun and Sunggyu were surprised to see the station mostly empty on a Friday evening. The place usually had lots of people meeting up with others, but it wasn't as busy as usual. Outside of the station was a different story. They could see a crowd of people and a couple of ambulances and police cars blocking the road.
"Must have been a car accident. Wanna go check it out?" Sunggyu asked. Woohyun shrugged in response as they walked towards the crowd. Sunggyu asked someone in the crowd what was going on and they explained that two guys got hit by a car, but they're both alive along with the driver. Sunggyu's stomach twisted into a knot for some reason. The two guys could be anyone. It didn't necessarily mean it was Sungjong, but he had to get a closer look to confirm his suspicions. Taking Woohyun's wrist, he dragged him towards the front of the crowd, pushing people aside. Once they reached the police tape, they both dropped their briefcases and stared at the scene in horror.
It was Sungjong, but he wasn't the only one they knew in that wreck. There was Sungyeol. The bouquet had been thrown far from Sungyeol, but the card with Woohyun's name on it was readable from where Sunggyu and Woohyun stood. While Sunggyu wanted to cry and run towards Sungjong, he was distracted by Woohyun, who tried to hold back his sobs.
"Woohyun… It's okay. They said they're alive. He'll be o-"
"Sungyeol!" The younger ducked under the police tape and tried to rush towards him, but the police stopped him before he could get any closer. They yelled at him to get back behind the tape, but Woohyun couldn't stop screaming for Sungyeol. Sunggyu wanted to help. He could have gone out there and calmed him down, but he stood still instead, watching the police pin him to the ground and handcuff him. He still cried and sobbed for Sungyeol, but his whole world went silent as he turned his attention to Sungjong. It was only a week since he last saw him. His mind flashed back to feeling Sungjong's bare skin under his hands, hearing those soft whimpers slip from his mouth, and watching him fall apart beneath him. His feelings about Sungjong were still uncertain since he didn't know how the young man felt about him. Lying next to Sungjong was his sketchbook. The page was a little bent, but he could see a couple of drawings of himself. Sungjong never showed him the sketchbook that day because it had drawings of Sunggyu in it. There was even a little speech bubble next to it saying "I love you".
He didn’t remember what happened between seeing those drawings and joining Woohyun on the ground, being handcuffed himself. Tears fell from his eyes and he assumed that he did something similar to Woohyun. As they were both put into the police car, Sunggyu watched Sungjong being put on that stretcher before leaning against Woohyun and crying with him.
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The ticking of the clock was the only thing Sunggyu could focus on in the police station. He could have focused on Woohyun's fidgeting and sniffling or the weird looks from the other officers, but the clock was the only thing he could stare at and not feel terrible about himself.
The two were sitting at an officer's desk, waiting for them to come by and tell them if they could be released or not. Considering the worst they did was walking into a taped off area, Sunggyu wasn't expecting any jail time. Woohyun probably didn't care as long as he got to see Sungyeol. He hadn't stopped asking that question since he got to the station. Every person who he made eye contact heard the same question. "When can I see Sungyeol?"
The officer they waited for sat at his desk with a big smile on his face. It was the first time Sunggyu saw someone in the station smile at them.
"Hello! I'm Officer Dongwoo. Well, not like the officers who drive around the police cars, but I still get the title." He laughed as he set down the files he had and opened one up. "So, let's see… Kim Sunggyu and…" He opened up the other file, scanning for the name, "… Nam Woohyun. I see you've been crossing some police tape at a car crash. Wanna explain yourselves?"
"We knew the two that were hurt in the wreck and… well, Woohyun's been suffering from depression over one of the people that was in the wreck." The smile on Dongwoo's face faded. He shut the files and pulled out a notepad.
"Well, nothing got damaged at the scene and no one got hurt, so I can let you two off with a warning. And if Woohyun's related to that person you mentioned earlier, I can tell you which hospital he's staying at."
"He's not related. He's… He's Sungyeol's boyfriend." Dongwoo's hand became still as he looked up at Woohyun. Woohyun didn't look up at him. He kept his eyes focused on the floor, tugging at the bottom of his shirt. Dongwoo smiled as he picked up the phone.
"If that's the case, then that won't be a problem. I'll give the hospital a call and ask for his room number." As he looked up the hospital's number, Woohyun's head snapped up and he joined Sunggyu in staring at Dongwoo in shock.
"Really? That's not against the rules or anything?" Sunggyu asked, since he was sure Woohyun wanted to ask that question.
"Technically, it is against the rules, but I can bend them for him. I mean, if my boyfriend was in the hospital, I would want to go see him."
"Oh, you have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah. His name is Myungsoo. Sweetest guy ever. That's another thing I'm not supposed to do, but I don't mind if you know who my boyfriend is. I doubt you'll try to kill him or something." He turned the picture of Myungsoo on his desk around before calling the hospital so Sunggyu and Woohyun could see him. Woohyun's eyes widened and he gasped the moment he saw the picture.
"Woohyun, do you know him?" The younger nodded and covered his mouth to muffle any sobs that might escape. Sunggyu didn’t push it. He put an arm around him for comfort as they waited to hear from Dongwoo.
"Hey, this is Jang Dongwoo from the police station. I have a relative of Lee Sungyeol's here who wants to go visit him in the hospital. Could you give me his room number and the visiting hours? …… Uh huh…… Great. Thanks so much. Bye!" He wrote down the information and hung up the phone. His smile was still bright as he handed the paper to Woohyun. "There you go. All the info you need. If they ask who you are, just tell them you were that relative I mentioned. You should be able to get in just fine." His hands couldn't stop trembling, but the smile on Woohyun's face was thanks enough to Dongwoo. "One of the officers can take you to the hospital if you want. It's faster and more private than a bus."
"I think that would be best," Sunggyu answered for him. Woohyun nodded in agreement and stood up. He wanted to see Sungyeol so badly and waiting anymore wasn't an option.
"Sure thing. We can do that." He turned to the desk behind him and asked the man sitting there to take Woohyun to the hospital. He nodded and guided Woohyun outside. Dongwoo gave him the slip showing that he was free to go before he left, laughing to himself about how he always forgets that.
"Um, Dongwoo. Could I ask about Sungjong?"
"Hmm? Sungjong? What about him?"
"Well… I want to go visit him."
"That should be okay as well. Let me check the report to be sure." Grabbing the clipboard on the side of his desk, he flipped through the pages and scanned them quickly. He stopped at one page, tilting his head in confusion after reading it over. "That's odd…"
"What is?"
"Sungjong requested to have no visitors during his hospital stay except for immediate family members… I don't suppose you're a step-brother."
"Well, you can tell them I am."
"Can't. With these restrictions, they would need your name and then use that to check the database to make sure you are who you claimed to be. Even if you knew his brother's name, they would check your ID. Sorry, but you're not getting in there." Sunggyu's face looked calm, but inside, he was a complete mess. He needed to see Sungjong again. He wanted to make sure he was alright and ask why he disappeared. With him restricting visitors, he didn't know when he would be able to see Sungjong again or if he ever would. It hurt him more than he would admit.
Dongwoo was about to speak, but a man with a bright purple hoodie walked to the desk and tapped Dongwoo's shoulder. The officer looked up at him as the man gave a small bow.
"Hello. I'm Lee Howon. I'm here for Sungjong's things," Howon said. Dongwoo smiled and laughed as he stood up from his chair.
"That's right. Forgot about that. Let me go get that. Please, take a seat." Dongwoo rushed to the back while Howon sat in the empty seat next to Sunggyu. They exchanged nods before Howon extend his hand to Sunggyu.
"Hi there. I'm Lee Howon."
"Kim Sunggyu. Nice to meet you." Sunggyu took his hand and shook it, but was startled by how quick the other went from smiling to gawking at Sunggyu.
"No way… Kim Sunggyu? Do you know a Lee Sungjong?"
"Yeah, actually. He gave me an umbrella one day." Howon gasped, but his smile returned in record time.
"Wow! Can't believe I'm actually meeting you! Sungjong can't stop talking about you." Sunggyu's face went blank. Even though it had been almost a week since he last saw him, Sungjong was still talking about him. That wasn't what really shocked him. What surprised him was that Howon seemed to know a lot about Sungjong. He must have considering he was here to pick up Sungjong's things.
"R-Really? Well, I haven't talked to him in awhile."
"Yeah, neither have I, actually. We used to talk a lot, but he's been really busy since Monday with school and work. When he does have time, though, he only talks about you." Sunggyu blushed, not used to having someone talk about him so much. "Things should settle down soon, though. He usually has these periods of time where he's working a lot, but then has a lot of free time for awhile." He smiled at his assumptions being correct.
"Yeah, I'm sure they will settle down soon." Dongwoo returned with a box that had Sungjong's name written on it. He handed it to Howon and apologized again for forgetting.
"Say, do you want a ride home? Sungjong said you live pretty far."
"Oh, yeah, if you don't mind. I'll pay for the gas."
"Don't worry about that. This ride's for free. I'll wait for you by my car." Sunggyu nodded and thanked him as he left.
"You two know each other?" Dongwoo asked.
"No. Just met him, but he knows me thanks to Sungjong talking about me."
"Ah, I see. Anyway, here's your get out of jail free card." Sunggyu chuckled along with Dongwoo's laugh as he took the paper. "Hope I never have to see you here again."
"Hope I never have to be in here again unwillingly."
"That too! Have a good day!" Sunggyu bowed to him and left the station. It was easy to spot Howon's bright purple hoodie among the neutral colored cars thankfully and he rushed over to him. He was excited to spend time with Howon. If the other really did talk to Sungjong that much, he must know a lot about the other.
Once they were in the car, Sunggyu began to question him about Sungjong. Things about his family, his interests, his dislikes, his goals, his dreams; anything Howon knew about Sungjong.
"I don't think I can tell you everything in one car ride."
"What if I came over this weekend and we talk then?"
"Depends. Why do you want to know so much?" Sunggyu stared out the window, briefly lost in thought about why he really wanted to know so much about Sungjong.
"I think he loves me." The lack of an immediate answer worried Sunggyu. The long silence was almost too much, but a chuckle soon broke it.
"Sungjong picked a good one this time."
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Woohyun walked through the hospital slowly, turning around and fidgeting every time he heard someone behind him. A nurse eventually got his attention with a tap on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, are you looking for someone?" She asked with a kind smile.
"S-Sungyeol…" He mumbled, the paper in his hand shaking from him trembling.
"Oh, were you the one Dongwoo mentioned?" Woohyun nodded and was immediately led down the hall. He looked between the room number on the paper and the numbers by each door. The nurse eventually stopped and gestured to the room that matched the number on his paper.
"He's awake now, but he needs to be relaxed as possible. Please don't do anything to raise his heart rate a lot or anything like that." Woohyun nodded once more and walked inside. Sungyeol was mindlessly watching the TV in the corner of his room, unaware that someone was in the room with him. Woohyun's heart hurt seeing his forearm in a cast and a huge bandage on his face. He hoped that would heal up nicely so he could still get some acting jobs.
He moved cautiously towards him, uncertain if he wanted to be noticed by the younger. Eventually, Sungyeol took notice of his presence and turned to him. Woohyun stopped as they stared at each other. Woohyun had trouble reading Sungyeol's expression. He couldn't tell if he was happy to see him or angered by him coming here.
"… Woohyunnie." The nickname made Woohyun break. He broke out into tears and ran to Sungyeol's side. As if he was expecting it, Sungyeol held his arms out for the older to run into. Woohyun clung to Sungyeol as the younger wrapped his arms around him as best as he could with an IV in one arm and a cast on the other.
"I'm sorry for leaving you. I shouldn't have done that." Woohyun shook his head. He knew Sungyeol had nothing to apologize for.
"I'm s-sorry… I should have believed you. Y-You really didn't cheat on me and… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Sungyeol rubbed his back gently to try and calm the other.
"I forgive you. You'll trust me more now, right?" Woohyun nodded, unable to talk with all of his crying. "Also, you should calm down before the nurse gets here. You'll get kicked out if you get too worked up." The older nodded and took some shaky deep breaths, enough to make him stop sobbing and pull away from Sungyeol.
"I'm… I'm so happy you forgave me. I thought you would never come back."
"I almost didn't. I'm still hurt from that night, physically and emotionally. After all this time we've been together, you still don't trust me?" The anxious feeling returned at Sungyeol's question. He did trust him. He really did.
"I'm… afraid I'm not good enough."
"If you weren't good enough for me, then this relationship would have ended a long time ago. You wouldn't even be living with me right now." Woohyun looked down to keep himself from bursting into sobs. Sungyeol sighed and took Woohyun's hand in his.
"Hey, it's okay. I love you, Woohyun. I'm not gonna leave you, but you need to remember that. I'm not gonna leave you ever. If you think you're gonna have trouble with that… go get my bag." The sudden request was odd, but Woohyun did as he was asked, grabbing the bag from the other side of the room and giving it to Sungyeol. He reached into it and pulled out a small ring box. He put it in Woohyun's hand before he opened it, showing the silver ring inside. Woohyun's breath caught in his throat and his mind went blank. Out of everything he expected to happen while he was here, this wasn't on the list.
"It's yours, but if you throw another plate at me, I get to take it away." Woohyun nodded, failing to hold his emotions back as tears began to fall. Sungyeol took the ring out and slipped it on Woohyun's finger just in time for the other to crush his lips against his own. He laughed at first, but soon returned the kiss, breaking it before the nurse came back to wonder why Sungyeol's heart rate suddenly spiked.
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It was a couple of weeks before Sungjong could be discharged from the hospital. Sungyeol's attempt at rescuing him reduced the damage he received just slightly. He still wasn't allowed to walk without some sort of crutch for more than an hour, but the doctors said he could walk on his own as soon as a month from now. Sungjong was neutral to the news. He treated his current condition as another thing to deal with.
Howon picked him up from the hospital and drove him home after Sungjong requested it. The ride was quiet and awkward. Any question Howon asked him earned him short answers. He kept trying in an attempt to cheer the younger up, but his face remained blank and his focus was always out the window.
Heading up to the apartment didn't change much. Sungjong was still quiet and focused on everything except Howon, but Howon had a strange smile on his face. It was strange to Sungjong, at least after that car ride. Once Sungjong walked into his apartment, he had a good idea of why Howon was smiling. His bike was damaged badly in the crash, but a brand new one was in the entrance way.
"Howon… Did you buy this for me?" Sungjong asked, approaching the bike slowly, afraid it was like a dream and the bike would disappear the minute he touched it.
"Nope. I love ya, Sungjong, but I don't have the money for that." He noticed Howon was still smiling. He knew this bike would be here, so Sungjong's first thought was he was lying. The bike was too expensive for Howon to buy though after looking it over. It was one he had been looking at for awhile and now it was here in his apartment. A tag hung from one of the handlebars with a message on it.
"Consider this my thank you for the umbrella," the tag read. There was no name, but Sungjong knew exactly who this came from.
"What else did he get me?"
"He got you two bags of your favorite lemon candy and a new teddy bear. It's huge! It takes up like half of your bed." Sungjong fidgeted, staring down at the bike for a long moment. He soon slowly made his way past the bike and into the kitchen.
"Mind helping me with dinner?"
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"The next stop is Yongsan Station. Doors open to the right," Sunggyu looked out the window quickly, trying to figure out if he had enough time to load the photo Woohyun sent him on his phone. He didn't, but he tried anyway. The photo loaded enough to show Woohyun and Sungyeol posing for the camera with the beach behind them. It looked like a sunny day where they were while the rain poured heavily where he was. He had an umbrella with him this time, though. He wasn't going to get soaked today.
As he was leaving the station, he spotted someone he hadn't seen in awhile. Sungjong stood at the giant windows in front of the station, staring outside and frowning at the gloomy weather. Sunggyu couldn't stop himself from approaching him. Sungjong turned to him, immediately tensing up.
"Need an umbrella?" Sunggyu asked. Sungjong looked away, playing with the strap of his shoulder bag. Sunggyu didn't wait for an answer. He held his arm out and Sungjong took it, still avoiding eye contact.
The two walked through the streets in silence, but it didn't feel awkward. It was oddly comforting and made the walk more relaxing. Sungjong tried to ask something, but each time he opened his mouth, he'd close it before saying anything. Sunggyu was happy about that. He had a lot to say to Sungjong as well, but time and place were important.
Sunggyu stopped at Woohyun and Sungyeol's apartment building and headed inside, ignoring Sungjong's confused look.
"Why are we going this way? My apartment is still a few blocks away." Sungjong asked, tugging at Sunggyu's arm.
"I want to show you my new apartment. I moved here a week ago. Do you mind if I show you?" Sungjong shook his head as he gripped Sunggyu's arm firmly.
They walked past Woohyun and Sungyeol's apartment before arriving at Sunggyu's. It took a lot of negotiating to get this particular one, but it worked out in the end and he became their neighbor. When Sungjong walked in, he noticed the apartment wasn't as fancy as the couple's, but it was still somewhat high class. It was more practical and functional than stylish.
"Go ahead and take a seat. I'll make some sweet tea for you." Leaving his coat on a chair, he headed into the kitchen while Sungjong took a seat on the couch. It took him a moment to notice the lemon candy on the coffee table and he couldn't help taking a piece. Sunggyu's behavior was strange to Sungjong. Why he knew so much about Sungjong all of a sudden puzzled him. He must have talked to Howon, but how they met in the first place was still a mystery.
Sunggyu returned with a cup of tea for Sungjong and one for himself. He gave Sungjong his before sitting across from him.
"Thanks."
"No problem. So how are you these days? It's been awhile…"
"Six weeks."
"Six weeks?"
"Since we last saw each other."
"Really? It's been that long?" Sungjong nodded as he sipped on his tea. "Guess it has. So how have you been doing? Looks like you have a bit of a limp."
"Got in a car accident, but I'm almost better."
"Well, at least you're getting better." Sungjong nodded again, taking another piece of lemon candy to keep himself from talking more. "Just got a promotion. That's why I moved here. It's closer to the station as well and I get to be neighbors with Woohyun. It works out pretty well."
"I noticed." That calm smile on Sunggyu's face was unnerving. He was about to grab another piece, but Sunggyu pulled the bowl away.
"That tea has enough sugar in it already. You shouldn't be eating anymore of these-"
"Sunggyu, I love you!" Sunggyu looked up at him, showing no surprise in his face while Sungjong was on the verge of tears.
"How long?"
"I think six months… I made a delivery to your company one day and I saw you. I thought you were pretty attractive, so I tried to make sure only I got to make deliveries just to see you. I asked a bunch of other employees about you, but they didn't know that much about you except that you were a hard worker and fairly loyal. You… also gave me an umbrella one day." Sunggyu tried to think back when he gave Sungjong an umbrella. The only thing he could think of was when a coworker of his left their umbrella behind. He kept it in his desk to give it back to them the next day, but they said they bought a new one and he could have it. He didn't need it, so he gave it to the delivery boy when he walked in soaking wet.
It was Sungjong. He was a little embarrassed that it took him this long to remember that, but Sungjong continued.
"S-So, I gave you one back, but you didn't recognize me. So I tried to talk to you again and hoped that you would remember, but then… I spent the night with you and then the following night… I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that! I should have never made you do that! I'm sure you hate me now, so I'm gonna go and get out of your life." Sungjong stood up and limped to the door, but Sunggyu stopped him and pulled him close. The younger's mind went blank at the sudden hug and he couldn't fight it.
"You're just as bad as Woohyun when it comes to jumping to conclusions." Sungjong gripped onto Sunggyu's shirt tightly, trembling in his arms. He wasn't sure how long he could keep up with holding his emotions back. He used to be good at it around Sunggyu. Now it felt impossible.
"I never said I didn't like it. Would have been better if you asked me when I was sober… and when we knew each other better."
"I'm sorry…"
"I know you are. So let's just erase that event and continue from here on, okay?" Sungjong felt the tears running down his face and nodded after a long moment of silence.
"Does that mean… you love me too?"
"… No, but I'm sure a few dates could fix that." Sungjong smiled as he clung to Sunggyu tighter. "So, would you like to have dinner with me tonight? Figured we could eat here and just talk. Sound good?"
"It sounds perfect."
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
He still had a bad feeling as he waited for Woohyun at the station, especially with Sungjong by his side. The younger had been mostly quiet all day and usually slept when he wasn't eating. He thought that he was probably stressed out from work and school and he needed the sleep. He was able to convince himself of that, at least.
Woohyun apparently took the late train as he arrived at 6 instead of the usual 5. Sunggyu noticed Woohyun's smile seemed off as he walked towards him, but any worry about his condition faded when he gawked at the man next to him.
"Is… Is that him? Is that the mysterious umbrella guy?" They both blushed at the other businessman's question, but Sunggyu hit Woohyun in the arm for asking.
"He has a name! It's Sungjong!" Woohyun rubbed his arm, pouting at the oldest in a useless attempt to get an apology. His "pain" disappeared, though, as he looked the youngest over.
"Wow. He sure is pretty. Are you sure he's not a girl though?" It was Sungjong's turn to punch Woohyun in the arm, but he also added a stomp to his foot. "Fuck! He's violent!"
"Hey, calm down. I know that was rude, but that's just Woohyun. You get used to it." Sunggyu reassured. Sungjong pouted and turned away. Seeing the youngest get so upset was cute as well. He really was like a child, despite his age.
After an apology, the three began to make their way to Woohyun's apartment. It took him a moment, but he realized that he hadn't seen Woohyun call Sungyeol yet. This was something Woohyun did every free second he had when he was away from Sungyeol. To see him walking quietly with them was too strange to ignore.
"Hey, aren't you gonna call Sungyeol? You usually do." Woohyun looked up when Sungyeol's name was mentioned. He didn't look as happy as he usually did and that worried the oldest even more. "Did… something happen?"
"No. Just woke him up while I was getting ready. Feel a little bad about that." The oldest sighed and shook his head. He should have known Woohyun was only concerned about his boyfriend.
"I'm sure he's not too mad about that. Don't worry. Everything will be fine." Woohyun nodded and gave him a smile, but it still felt off and forced to Sunggyu.
Once they reached their apartment, Sungjong clung to Sunggyu's arm as they walked in. The oldest was sure Sungjong was doing this because this was a new place and he was surrounded by people he didn't know, but that reasoning didn't make it any more comfortable. He blushed and stumbled a, but he didn't shake the other off of him until he saw Sungyeol. The tallest broke into a grin and laughed just as Sunggyu pulled his arm away.
"Come on! We won't judge you two."
"It's not like that! He's just a friend and nothing more!"
"Ouch. Looks like he thought otherwise." The oldest tilted his head in confusion and turned to Sungjong. Sungjong wasn't by his side anymore though. He was sitting on the couch alone, looking at one of the magazines on the table. Sunggyu was about to reassure Sungyeol that he'll be fine, but he pushed him towards the youngest, telling him to "kiss and make up with him.” With those two preoccupied, Sungyeol went into the kitchen, where Woohyun was getting the drinks ready. Sungyeol wrapped his arms around the other's waist, resting his head on his shoulder. It had been a full 24 hours since the walking in the rain incident and it seemed like Woohyun wasn't getting any better. He still appeared to be bitter and irritated.
"Baby, is anything wrong?"
"Everything's fine."
"You don't seem fine though. I'm worried."
"Don't be." Woohyun turned to him and gave him a kiss to calm down his nerves as he handed him a couple of glasses of wine. "Could you give these to Sunggyu and Sungjong?"
"Is Sungjong even old enough to drink?"
"I doubt Sunggyu would be interested in someone underage. I'm sure it's fine. Besides, it's just us." He grabbed the other two glasses and walked into the living room with Sungyeol trailing behind him. The wine might help him loosen up enough to ask him again and get an actual explanation for his behavior.
In the living room, Sunggyu sat next to Sungjong, but put a good amount of distance between them. He didn't want people to get the wrong idea that they were together together, but he didn't want to hurt Sungjong. He hoped the youngest didn't think that they were that close. They just met. There's no way strong feelings could form that quickly.
"Hey, you okay?" Sungjong nodded, focusing on the magazine instead of Sunggyu. "Really? Because if this is uncomfortable for you, Sungyeol can take you home. He has a car, so you wouldn't have to walk."
"I'm fine."
"Not hurt at all?"
"Not at all." The tone of his voice didn't sound so confident, but the couple coming back with wine distracted him. He took a glass, not realizing how much he needed it until he took a drink. He nearly drank the whole glass down in one go, but so did Woohyun. Woohyun had barely a third left in his glass as Sungyeol and Sungjong sipped at their drinks.
"Should I… get some more?" Sungyeol was a little hesitant to ask. Woohyun didn't drink much. Seeing him gulp down that drink wasn't a good sign.
"Yeah. Might need to grab some new bottles as well." Woohyun replied once he finished off his current glass.
"Okay, but I'm taking my time and getting food first." As the taller left, Woohyun stuck his tongue out at him childishly.
"He's no fun. Can't even get wasted on a weekend." Sunggyu couldn't hold back a giggle, but the younger laughed as well. "I know, right? Weekends were made for people to get wasted. I'm still young. I deserve to have a good time. Unlike you, grandpa."
"Watch it. I'm only a couple years older than you." He punched the other playfully for the grandpa comment, but that only made Woohyun laugh instead of whining. Sungjong continued to slowly drink his wine, but even with his attempts to keep quiet and stay out of the way, the two's attention turned to him.
"So, how is he in bed, Sungjong?"
"Fuck, Woohyun, I told you we're not like that!"
"He does snore pretty badly," Sungjong replied, causing Woohyun to burst out laughing and Sunggyu attempting to stop him by fake strangling him. It looked fake from Sungjong's point of view, at least.
Sungyeol came back with the wine, but he also brought out a big tray of various snacks for them. As he set them on the table, he had to smack Woohyun's hand away from the wine and shove a roll in his mouth.
"Food first, then you can have another glass."
"Still no fun." The tallest rolled his eyes before returning to his seat. Sunggyu poured himself another drink and started drinking it fast. The rate he was drinking his wine was worrying Sungjong, but he made no comment about it. He only sipped his drink and watched the three talk, argue, and laugh.
The mostly peaceful get-together didn't last long. Sungjong was buzzed after two glasses of wine and a shot of vodka that Woohyun recommended. He was still quiet, but more hands on. He was touching some part of Sunggyu's body at all times, but the oldest didn't seem to mind. He was three glasses in along with a shot of vodka and he was talking up a storm, even if most of it was too slurred to make it out. Sungjong listened to him with as much focus as he could while a hand caressed his thigh.
Sungyeol was the soberest of them all with only a glass and a half of wine and lots of food to keep himself from getting wasted. Woohyun, however, was the drunkest of all. Three glasses of wine and two shots of vodka later, he was stumbling in the kitchen, using the counter to keep him upright. The older was angry and had begun throwing whatever he could at Sungyeol, screaming about betraying him.
"Woohyun, calm down! I didn't betray you!" He used a frying pan to protect himself as plates were thrown at him. Shards of ceramic still hit him, though, and left marks on his face and neck.
"Yes ya did! Wit dat stupid… Myungsoo guy! Ya want t' leave me fer him, don't cha?"
"What? No! I just let him borrow an umbrella! Nothing more!"
"Liar!" Woohyun tried to rush over and tackle him to the wall, but the alcohol in his system made him trip and land in the broken dishes on the floor. He cried out as some of the smaller broken pieces ended up in his eyes and other pieces left cuts on his face and arms.
"Oh, God! Woohyun!" He knelt down to the floor and tried to pull his hands away to check the damage, but he flailed and screamed at Sungyeol to go away. He did get hit pretty hard in the eye, but he eventually got a hold of the older and led him to the bathroom.
"Lemme go! Get th' fuck away from me!"
"You're hurt! There's no way I'm letting you just lay there and suffer!"
"Fuckin' liar! You just wanna hurt me more!"
"Why would I do that?"
"'Cuz you don't love me anymore!" Sungyeol dragged the other into the bathtub and started the shower above it. He tried to wash out the pieces of broken plates from the other's eyes, but he wouldn't stop struggling.
"Woohyun! Stop it! Let me help you!"
"Fuck off!"
"Woohyun!" He tried everything he could to calm him, but eventually, a hard enough self-inflicted hit on the tub floor with his head was enough to make him lose consciousness. He sighed in relief as Woohyun stopped struggling, but it didn't make anything better. He gripped his hair in frustration, wondering why Woohyun would think that. He had never betrayed the other. There were times when he thought Woohyun was with someone else behind his back because of how he tended to be extra friendly to everyone, but he trusted him. Woohyun couldn't trust him, though. The minute he saw him with someone else, he became enraged and jumped to conclusions. While some calm explanation could help things, there was a chance Woohyun would do this again. He wasn't sure if he could have any friends without Woohyun's approval now or even talk to anyone. He was afraid of him becoming possessive.
Holding back his sobs, he continued to try and wash away the leftover broken ceramic. Once he assumed that was good enough, he carried the older out of the bathroom and into their bedroom to dry him off and dress him in dry clothes. It was difficult, though. He wanted to scream and cry and throw things as well, but even with his boyfriend unconscious, he had to stay calm so he could take care of him. It was a struggle getting him dried and dressed along with taking care of his cuts, but the moment he finished along with getting himself into dry clothes, he collapsed on the bed. The physical exhaustion along with the emotional exhaustion from watching his boyfriend act this way was too much for him to handle and all he could do was lay there and sleep.
The other two were oblivious to the fighting and screaming as they moved into the guest room. Sungjong still clung to Sunggyu but, instead of caressing and touching his body, he started to rub his body against the other. His drunken giggling was contagious enough to make Sunggyu laugh with him.
"Stop dat." Trying to push him away wasn't effective when it came to removing the younger from his side, but it didn't bother him. It felt strangely good; maybe because of the alcohol. He might not think the same way if he was sober.
"Nooooope." Sungjong giggled again while his hands moved down to his pants. It took Sunggyu a moment to realize Sungjong's hands were somewhere that broke every personal space bubble he had set up.
"Sungjong. What're you doin'?" He didn't get an answer. Sungjong was more interested leaving kisses on his neck than talking. He thought it was a good idea if he wanted to make Sunggyu forget about those hands long enough to slip them under his pants.
"S-Sungjong!" He pulled those hands away before they could get too far down. "Seriously? What're you doin'? Ya can't just stick yer hands down my pants!" He turned to glare at Sungjong, but the pout was enough to soften his look. "What?"
"S-Sunggyu… I want you. I want you to… fuck me." He must have been hearing things wrong. There was no way Sungjong really meant what he said. Although, it would explain the touching and rubbing, Sunggyu thought. "Please." Sungjong moved closer and closer to Sunggyu's lips and he froze. Even in a drunken state, he knew that this was something he's never done before. He didn't have much confidence in doing this without hurting Sungjong or doing something extremely stupid.
His lips ended up against Sungjong's anyway. There wasn't time to go slow. It was heated and deep from the beginning. Time felt like it was on fast-forward. He blinked and he was on top of him. One more blink and Sunggyu's shirt was gone. The next, his hands were exploring the skin hidden beneath Sungjong's shirt. He couldn't keep up mentally, but his body moved on its own. The moans and whimpers that slipped from the younger man as he continued his kisses and touches were addicting. So soft and high pitched, but a perfect fit for Sungjong. Hearing anything else come out of his mouth would be awkward and abnormal.
Clothes were moved to the floor as Sungjong's moaning increased in volume. Nails were digging into the older's arm as his body was rocked by the increasingly harder thrusts. Sunggyu didn't feel like he was doing any of this. It was more like watching him fuck Sungjong into the bed than him performing the action. The surreal feeling of it almost caused him to stop, but he was too far in. He could hear Sungjong scream his name and feel him tighten around him, but he couldn't comprehend the fact that this happened. He experienced it, but his brain wouldn't accept it. Sunggyu did not just fuck someone he only met two days ago.
By the time his brain caught up with the present, Sungjong was asleep and curled up against him. Sunggyu couldn't easily slip off to sleep after all that happened like Sungjong. Judgment disappears the more a person drinks, but he didn't expect it to be so far gone that he would do that. But it still happened. The lack of clothes and the stain on the sheets was proof enough of that. Sunggyu couldn’t acknowledge it now, but in the morning with his pounding headache, he would be forced to accept this moment as fact and try to fix things. That was for tomorrow. Tonight, he wanted to sleep and escape reality and responsibilities for a moment.
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Even after exhausting himself to the point of passing out, that night of sleep did nothing to give him some energy back. Sungyeol rolled off the bed with a groan. His eye still throbbed from the hit and his arms ached from carrying Woohyun around the house. The older man was thankfully still asleep. Trying to explain last night to him would probably make his eventual headache even worse.
He already had a good idea about how bad he looked, but he stumbled into the bathroom anyway to make himself look presentable to society. The black eye wasn't flattering at all along with the scars, but being an actor had its benefits for moments like this. It was only stage make-up, but it would be enough to cover up most of the scars and hide the black eye. He kept his make-up kit close after finishing. He grabbed his toiletries out of the bathroom and took them to the closet. Pulling out his suitcase, he packed only the necessities. He wasn't sure when he was coming back or if he would enter this building again, but he had to leave for now. He loved Woohyun, but he was too afraid to stick around and see if Woohyun really was the extremely possessive type. His health had to be first, no matter what.
With his suitcase packed, he started heading for the door, but stopped at the sound of whimpering from the hall bathroom. He walked down to that bathroom and looked inside. Sungjong sat in the tub, soaking wet and lacking any clothes. He wasn't sure what brought on this behavior, but leaving the other behind wasn't an option. He walked towards him slowly, but Sungjong noticed him immediately. Caught sneaking in, Sungyeol chuckled nervously to lighten the mood.
"S-Sorry. I heard you and I wanted to make sure you were okay." Sungjong shook his head before hiding his face in his hands. This wasn't looking good, but it didn't stop him from sitting on the edge of the tub next to Sungjong.
"Do you need to get out of here? I can give you a ride home if you want-"
"I made Sunggyu fuck me."
"… What?" Sungyeol couldn't believe it. This man forcing Sunggyu to have sex with him didn't sound like something that would happen in reality. It sounded like it came from some crazy dream.
"We were drunk… but he was really drunk and I told him to fuck me, so he did and… Why did I take advantage of him like that?" Tears fell down Sungjong's face as he curled up into a ball. Sungyeol tried his best at comforting him with back rubs. It didn’t work as the sobs continued.
"I don't know why. Maybe because you were drunk too or-"
"… I love him." Another surprise for the day; he was sure that Sunggyu only met this guy a few days ago. "I've loved him for awhile now. Ever since I saw him in his office during one of my deliveries…" He couldn't finish. He broke out into more sobs while pounding the tub floor. Sungyeol stopped Sungjong from hitting the tub by grabbing his arms, but the other kept crying.
"Hey hey hey. It's okay. I'm sure you didn't force him. Maybe he really wanted it too and it took a few drinks to get him to admit it." Sungjong shook his head, but didn't argue his reasoning vocally. "Do you wanna go home?" It was a long moment before Sungjong nodded and slowly stood up. Sungyeol handed him a towel to dry off while he retrieved his clothes.
Sunggyu was passed out on the bed when Sungyeol walked in. He tried to imagine Sunggyu doing anything sexual as he picked up Sungjong's clothes. He couldn't have been wasted enough to be convinced to sleep with the other if he didn't want it. From what Woohyun told him, he wasn't someone to be easily persuaded to do anything he was uncomfortable with, even when he's drunk. He talked a lot when drunk, but that was it.
Once Sungjong was dried and dressed, he led him out of the apartment quietly to not wake up the two businessmen. Sungjong noticed the suitcase Sungyeol carried, though, and his curiosity got the best of him.
"Why do you have a suitcase with you?"
"I got a job to do out of town." He replied too quickly to be the truth, but Sungjong didn't question it further. He had his own problems to deal with.
It wasn't long before Sunggyu woke up. His head throbbed with intense pain as his punishment for drinking so much. While he would have loved to go back to sleep, he was still at Woohyun's place and overstayed his welcome by at least 7 hours. He should also get Sungjong home and-
That memory from last night intensified the pain in his head. While the stains on the bed and the appearance of his clothes on the floor were physical reminders of last night, the lack of Sungjong in the bed made him question if it really happened. He could have been delusional. He would accept that theory. Until Sungjong came up to him and told him they had sex, he could remain in this ignorant state.
But he couldn't say he hated it if it did happen.
It was a painful and almost not worth it struggle to get out of bed, but he needed to get home. He was sure the lovey dovey couple would soon be making out, like Woohyun mentions every Monday when talking about his weekend. He had just gotten his pants on when he heard Woohyun's voice echo through the apartment.
"Sungyeol? Sungyeolie? Where are you, baby?" He walked out of the guest room while in the middle of putting his shirt on and saw Woohyun limping through the living room.
"Woohyun, you look like a fucking mess." He was cut up all over his face and arms. His eyes looked even worse, but the younger either didn't care or wasn't aware of his current condition.
"Sunggyu, have you seen Sungyeol? I can't find him and his things are gone," Woohyun mumbled as he reached for the older. He gripped onto his arm to steady himself, but Sunggyu tried to get him to sit down.
"No, I haven't. That doesn't matter, though. You need to go see a doctor."
"Sungyeol. Sungyeolie sweetie. Stop playing hide and seek please. Come out." Sunggyu sighed as Woohyun moved into the kitchen and ignored Sunggyu's concern. Seeing Woohyun act this way wasn't too surprising with Sungyeol gone, but Sungyeol not being here was worrying. He had no reason to leave unless he got into a fight.
Rushing into the bathroom, he grabbed the first pain killer he found and took a dose of it to calm his headache. If he wanted to take care of Woohyun, he would have to at least make his own problem more bearable. The disappearance of that annoying pain helped him think clearer, but it brought back another memory. He did hear the couple screaming and fighting before he was dragged into the guest room. It was something about cheating.
"Woohyun, did you think Sungyeol was cheating on you?" It must have triggered something in Woohyun's memory as Sunggyu heard a thud in the kitchen followed by loud sobbing. Running back to the kitchen, he saw Woohyun on his knees in the mess of broken dishes crying loudly and shaking. "Woohyun! What's wrong?"
"I told him! I told him I thought he was cheating on me! So he left me! Sungyeol left me!" Sunggyu shook his head as he held the other close.
"No, you're probably just jumping to conclusions. He didn't leave. I'm sure he didn't."
"Sungyeol! Sungyeol, come back! I'm sorry!" Woohyun was gone. Caught up in his emotions, he wasn't aware of anything outside of himself and Sungyeol. Sunggyu sighed again at his friend having a complete mental break down. Grabbing the house key off of the counter, he picked up Woohyun and carried him out of there to get to a hospital. He tried to offer him comforting words, but he couldn't stop thinking the worst. He kept saying how he lost the best thing in his life. He calmed down some by the time they got in the taxi, but the other couldn't stop crying and mumbling for Sungyeol to come back.
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It had been almost a week since the get together. Woohyun's eyes weren't permanently damaged, but they were scarred up enough that healing would take time. He had also slipped into a severe depression to the point where he was unable to work. Psychiatrists tried to remind him that he had a life before Sungyeol, but Woohyun was stubborn. He didn't want to live without Sungyeol in his life. He refused to take any medicine or go to therapy to help with his depression, but with enough vacation time to cover two weeks, he could miss work without getting fired for now.
No one could get a hold of Sungyeol to ask him to come back and talk this out with Woohyun, so Sunggyu took it upon himself to take care of Woohyun. Neither of them had enough to pay for someone to watch him, but a neighbor was kind enough to watch over him during the day while Sunggyu was at worked. He decided that he would stay with Woohyun at night and on the weekends to make sure he wouldn't do anything drastic. With the constant watch over him he never tried to hurt himself, but he mentioned many times that life wasn't worth living without Sungyeol.
Sunggyu had his own problems with someone as well, but he never brought up or tried to deal with them. He hadn't seen Sungjong since that night. Even on rainy days, he would end up walking to Woohyun's without an umbrella. He had no idea where he lived, which college he went to, what his number was; nothing. He only knew his name. He looked for the young man at the station every day, but never spotted him. If he did find him, he wouldn't know what to say. That was the problem. He didn't know if he should apologize to him or question him about that night. Neither of them felt like the right thing to do, but he couldn't think of another option.
It was a Friday when Woohyun decided to try to work for a day after some persuading from Sunggyu. He convinced him it would help him get his mind off of Sungyeol for awhile and it was okay for the most part. There were times when he panicked and ran off to the bathroom, usually during breaks where he had nothing to do and typically called Sungyeol to cure his boredom. He survived the day, though, and even smiled a little more than usual.
"That… wasn't too bad," Woohyun mumbled on their train ride as he adjusted his sunglasses. He didn't want anyone to see the scars around his eyes, even if it looked odd on a rainy day.
"I told you. I think if you keep this up, you'll get better in no time," Sunggyu reassured him.
"I still miss Sungyeol."
"I know you do… but you'll be okay. I know you will." Wrapping an arm around Woohyun, he pulled him closer and comforted him. There was a soft smile on his face, but it didn't last long.
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Sungyeol waited for the light to change so he could cross the street and get to the station before Woohyun arrived. He had a bouquet of flowers with a card that said it was for Woohyun.
He spent a lot of time alone outside of the city in a hotel room to think over everything. He thought getting away from Woohyun would be the best, but it only made him want Woohyun even more. He missed him more than he thought he would and he worried about his health a lot. He should have talked to him instead of running away, but he never claimed to be the brightest and emotions don't help with thinking clearly either. He wasn't sure about Woohyun being a possessive person after he thought about it. He did have other male friends and Woohyun was okay with them after introducing them to him. He thought maybe he was scared of Sungyeol leaving him. Woohyun never had the best self-esteem since he always worried about his work and appearance. Flowers probably wouldn’t help that much, but it was worth a try.
As he waited for the light, someone stood next to him with a bike in hand. Sungyeol wasn't sure why this person decided to stand right next to him until he looked at them.
"S-Sungjong?" Sungjong gave him a forced smile, but let it fade to focus on the crosswalk light. "What are you doing here? Visiting Sunggyu?" The younger looked down at the ground, gripping the handles of his bike tight enough to turn his knuckles white. "Have you even talked to him since that night?" Sungjong shook his head slowly. He couldn't face Sunggyu anymore. The guilt of what he did still haunted him. He didn't deserve Sunggyu after doing that, he thought. "You should."
"I can't."
"Why not? I think he would be willing to talk this out. He might not be mad at you."
"Why wouldn't he be mad at me? I forced him to… you know. Why would he be okay with that?"
"I'm sure you didn't force him. I'm sure he was okay with it." Sungjong shook his head, trying to fight back the tears that were stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. "Sungjong, you're overreacting. You should just talk to him."
"I can't! I fucked everything up and now he'll never love me!" Sungjong jumped on his bike and started riding across the street, even though the light hadn't change.
"Sungjong! Wait!" Sungyeol ran after the other to stop him. He was able to stop him and was about to pull him back until he heard the sound of a car horn getting louder.
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Woohyun and Sunggyu were surprised to see the station mostly empty on a Friday evening. The place usually had lots of people meeting up with others, but it wasn't as busy as usual. Outside of the station was a different story. They could see a crowd of people and a couple of ambulances and police cars blocking the road.
"Must have been a car accident. Wanna go check it out?" Sunggyu asked. Woohyun shrugged in response as they walked towards the crowd. Sunggyu asked someone in the crowd what was going on and they explained that two guys got hit by a car, but they're both alive along with the driver. Sunggyu's stomach twisted into a knot for some reason. The two guys could be anyone. It didn't necessarily mean it was Sungjong, but he had to get a closer look to confirm his suspicions. Taking Woohyun's wrist, he dragged him towards the front of the crowd, pushing people aside. Once they reached the police tape, they both dropped their briefcases and stared at the scene in horror.
It was Sungjong, but he wasn't the only one they knew in that wreck. There was Sungyeol. The bouquet had been thrown far from Sungyeol, but the card with Woohyun's name on it was readable from where Sunggyu and Woohyun stood. While Sunggyu wanted to cry and run towards Sungjong, he was distracted by Woohyun, who tried to hold back his sobs.
"Woohyun… It's okay. They said they're alive. He'll be o-"
"Sungyeol!" The younger ducked under the police tape and tried to rush towards him, but the police stopped him before he could get any closer. They yelled at him to get back behind the tape, but Woohyun couldn't stop screaming for Sungyeol. Sunggyu wanted to help. He could have gone out there and calmed him down, but he stood still instead, watching the police pin him to the ground and handcuff him. He still cried and sobbed for Sungyeol, but his whole world went silent as he turned his attention to Sungjong. It was only a week since he last saw him. His mind flashed back to feeling Sungjong's bare skin under his hands, hearing those soft whimpers slip from his mouth, and watching him fall apart beneath him. His feelings about Sungjong were still uncertain since he didn't know how the young man felt about him. Lying next to Sungjong was his sketchbook. The page was a little bent, but he could see a couple of drawings of himself. Sungjong never showed him the sketchbook that day because it had drawings of Sunggyu in it. There was even a little speech bubble next to it saying "I love you".
He didn’t remember what happened between seeing those drawings and joining Woohyun on the ground, being handcuffed himself. Tears fell from his eyes and he assumed that he did something similar to Woohyun. As they were both put into the police car, Sunggyu watched Sungjong being put on that stretcher before leaning against Woohyun and crying with him.
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The ticking of the clock was the only thing Sunggyu could focus on in the police station. He could have focused on Woohyun's fidgeting and sniffling or the weird looks from the other officers, but the clock was the only thing he could stare at and not feel terrible about himself.
The two were sitting at an officer's desk, waiting for them to come by and tell them if they could be released or not. Considering the worst they did was walking into a taped off area, Sunggyu wasn't expecting any jail time. Woohyun probably didn't care as long as he got to see Sungyeol. He hadn't stopped asking that question since he got to the station. Every person who he made eye contact heard the same question. "When can I see Sungyeol?"
The officer they waited for sat at his desk with a big smile on his face. It was the first time Sunggyu saw someone in the station smile at them.
"Hello! I'm Officer Dongwoo. Well, not like the officers who drive around the police cars, but I still get the title." He laughed as he set down the files he had and opened one up. "So, let's see… Kim Sunggyu and…" He opened up the other file, scanning for the name, "… Nam Woohyun. I see you've been crossing some police tape at a car crash. Wanna explain yourselves?"
"We knew the two that were hurt in the wreck and… well, Woohyun's been suffering from depression over one of the people that was in the wreck." The smile on Dongwoo's face faded. He shut the files and pulled out a notepad.
"Well, nothing got damaged at the scene and no one got hurt, so I can let you two off with a warning. And if Woohyun's related to that person you mentioned earlier, I can tell you which hospital he's staying at."
"He's not related. He's… He's Sungyeol's boyfriend." Dongwoo's hand became still as he looked up at Woohyun. Woohyun didn't look up at him. He kept his eyes focused on the floor, tugging at the bottom of his shirt. Dongwoo smiled as he picked up the phone.
"If that's the case, then that won't be a problem. I'll give the hospital a call and ask for his room number." As he looked up the hospital's number, Woohyun's head snapped up and he joined Sunggyu in staring at Dongwoo in shock.
"Really? That's not against the rules or anything?" Sunggyu asked, since he was sure Woohyun wanted to ask that question.
"Technically, it is against the rules, but I can bend them for him. I mean, if my boyfriend was in the hospital, I would want to go see him."
"Oh, you have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah. His name is Myungsoo. Sweetest guy ever. That's another thing I'm not supposed to do, but I don't mind if you know who my boyfriend is. I doubt you'll try to kill him or something." He turned the picture of Myungsoo on his desk around before calling the hospital so Sunggyu and Woohyun could see him. Woohyun's eyes widened and he gasped the moment he saw the picture.
"Woohyun, do you know him?" The younger nodded and covered his mouth to muffle any sobs that might escape. Sunggyu didn’t push it. He put an arm around him for comfort as they waited to hear from Dongwoo.
"Hey, this is Jang Dongwoo from the police station. I have a relative of Lee Sungyeol's here who wants to go visit him in the hospital. Could you give me his room number and the visiting hours? …… Uh huh…… Great. Thanks so much. Bye!" He wrote down the information and hung up the phone. His smile was still bright as he handed the paper to Woohyun. "There you go. All the info you need. If they ask who you are, just tell them you were that relative I mentioned. You should be able to get in just fine." His hands couldn't stop trembling, but the smile on Woohyun's face was thanks enough to Dongwoo. "One of the officers can take you to the hospital if you want. It's faster and more private than a bus."
"I think that would be best," Sunggyu answered for him. Woohyun nodded in agreement and stood up. He wanted to see Sungyeol so badly and waiting anymore wasn't an option.
"Sure thing. We can do that." He turned to the desk behind him and asked the man sitting there to take Woohyun to the hospital. He nodded and guided Woohyun outside. Dongwoo gave him the slip showing that he was free to go before he left, laughing to himself about how he always forgets that.
"Um, Dongwoo. Could I ask about Sungjong?"
"Hmm? Sungjong? What about him?"
"Well… I want to go visit him."
"That should be okay as well. Let me check the report to be sure." Grabbing the clipboard on the side of his desk, he flipped through the pages and scanned them quickly. He stopped at one page, tilting his head in confusion after reading it over. "That's odd…"
"What is?"
"Sungjong requested to have no visitors during his hospital stay except for immediate family members… I don't suppose you're a step-brother."
"Well, you can tell them I am."
"Can't. With these restrictions, they would need your name and then use that to check the database to make sure you are who you claimed to be. Even if you knew his brother's name, they would check your ID. Sorry, but you're not getting in there." Sunggyu's face looked calm, but inside, he was a complete mess. He needed to see Sungjong again. He wanted to make sure he was alright and ask why he disappeared. With him restricting visitors, he didn't know when he would be able to see Sungjong again or if he ever would. It hurt him more than he would admit.
Dongwoo was about to speak, but a man with a bright purple hoodie walked to the desk and tapped Dongwoo's shoulder. The officer looked up at him as the man gave a small bow.
"Hello. I'm Lee Howon. I'm here for Sungjong's things," Howon said. Dongwoo smiled and laughed as he stood up from his chair.
"That's right. Forgot about that. Let me go get that. Please, take a seat." Dongwoo rushed to the back while Howon sat in the empty seat next to Sunggyu. They exchanged nods before Howon extend his hand to Sunggyu.
"Hi there. I'm Lee Howon."
"Kim Sunggyu. Nice to meet you." Sunggyu took his hand and shook it, but was startled by how quick the other went from smiling to gawking at Sunggyu.
"No way… Kim Sunggyu? Do you know a Lee Sungjong?"
"Yeah, actually. He gave me an umbrella one day." Howon gasped, but his smile returned in record time.
"Wow! Can't believe I'm actually meeting you! Sungjong can't stop talking about you." Sunggyu's face went blank. Even though it had been almost a week since he last saw him, Sungjong was still talking about him. That wasn't what really shocked him. What surprised him was that Howon seemed to know a lot about Sungjong. He must have considering he was here to pick up Sungjong's things.
"R-Really? Well, I haven't talked to him in awhile."
"Yeah, neither have I, actually. We used to talk a lot, but he's been really busy since Monday with school and work. When he does have time, though, he only talks about you." Sunggyu blushed, not used to having someone talk about him so much. "Things should settle down soon, though. He usually has these periods of time where he's working a lot, but then has a lot of free time for awhile." He smiled at his assumptions being correct.
"Yeah, I'm sure they will settle down soon." Dongwoo returned with a box that had Sungjong's name written on it. He handed it to Howon and apologized again for forgetting.
"Say, do you want a ride home? Sungjong said you live pretty far."
"Oh, yeah, if you don't mind. I'll pay for the gas."
"Don't worry about that. This ride's for free. I'll wait for you by my car." Sunggyu nodded and thanked him as he left.
"You two know each other?" Dongwoo asked.
"No. Just met him, but he knows me thanks to Sungjong talking about me."
"Ah, I see. Anyway, here's your get out of jail free card." Sunggyu chuckled along with Dongwoo's laugh as he took the paper. "Hope I never have to see you here again."
"Hope I never have to be in here again unwillingly."
"That too! Have a good day!" Sunggyu bowed to him and left the station. It was easy to spot Howon's bright purple hoodie among the neutral colored cars thankfully and he rushed over to him. He was excited to spend time with Howon. If the other really did talk to Sungjong that much, he must know a lot about the other.
Once they were in the car, Sunggyu began to question him about Sungjong. Things about his family, his interests, his dislikes, his goals, his dreams; anything Howon knew about Sungjong.
"I don't think I can tell you everything in one car ride."
"What if I came over this weekend and we talk then?"
"Depends. Why do you want to know so much?" Sunggyu stared out the window, briefly lost in thought about why he really wanted to know so much about Sungjong.
"I think he loves me." The lack of an immediate answer worried Sunggyu. The long silence was almost too much, but a chuckle soon broke it.
"Sungjong picked a good one this time."
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Woohyun walked through the hospital slowly, turning around and fidgeting every time he heard someone behind him. A nurse eventually got his attention with a tap on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, are you looking for someone?" She asked with a kind smile.
"S-Sungyeol…" He mumbled, the paper in his hand shaking from him trembling.
"Oh, were you the one Dongwoo mentioned?" Woohyun nodded and was immediately led down the hall. He looked between the room number on the paper and the numbers by each door. The nurse eventually stopped and gestured to the room that matched the number on his paper.
"He's awake now, but he needs to be relaxed as possible. Please don't do anything to raise his heart rate a lot or anything like that." Woohyun nodded once more and walked inside. Sungyeol was mindlessly watching the TV in the corner of his room, unaware that someone was in the room with him. Woohyun's heart hurt seeing his forearm in a cast and a huge bandage on his face. He hoped that would heal up nicely so he could still get some acting jobs.
He moved cautiously towards him, uncertain if he wanted to be noticed by the younger. Eventually, Sungyeol took notice of his presence and turned to him. Woohyun stopped as they stared at each other. Woohyun had trouble reading Sungyeol's expression. He couldn't tell if he was happy to see him or angered by him coming here.
"… Woohyunnie." The nickname made Woohyun break. He broke out into tears and ran to Sungyeol's side. As if he was expecting it, Sungyeol held his arms out for the older to run into. Woohyun clung to Sungyeol as the younger wrapped his arms around him as best as he could with an IV in one arm and a cast on the other.
"I'm sorry for leaving you. I shouldn't have done that." Woohyun shook his head. He knew Sungyeol had nothing to apologize for.
"I'm s-sorry… I should have believed you. Y-You really didn't cheat on me and… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Sungyeol rubbed his back gently to try and calm the other.
"I forgive you. You'll trust me more now, right?" Woohyun nodded, unable to talk with all of his crying. "Also, you should calm down before the nurse gets here. You'll get kicked out if you get too worked up." The older nodded and took some shaky deep breaths, enough to make him stop sobbing and pull away from Sungyeol.
"I'm… I'm so happy you forgave me. I thought you would never come back."
"I almost didn't. I'm still hurt from that night, physically and emotionally. After all this time we've been together, you still don't trust me?" The anxious feeling returned at Sungyeol's question. He did trust him. He really did.
"I'm… afraid I'm not good enough."
"If you weren't good enough for me, then this relationship would have ended a long time ago. You wouldn't even be living with me right now." Woohyun looked down to keep himself from bursting into sobs. Sungyeol sighed and took Woohyun's hand in his.
"Hey, it's okay. I love you, Woohyun. I'm not gonna leave you, but you need to remember that. I'm not gonna leave you ever. If you think you're gonna have trouble with that… go get my bag." The sudden request was odd, but Woohyun did as he was asked, grabbing the bag from the other side of the room and giving it to Sungyeol. He reached into it and pulled out a small ring box. He put it in Woohyun's hand before he opened it, showing the silver ring inside. Woohyun's breath caught in his throat and his mind went blank. Out of everything he expected to happen while he was here, this wasn't on the list.
"It's yours, but if you throw another plate at me, I get to take it away." Woohyun nodded, failing to hold his emotions back as tears began to fall. Sungyeol took the ring out and slipped it on Woohyun's finger just in time for the other to crush his lips against his own. He laughed at first, but soon returned the kiss, breaking it before the nurse came back to wonder why Sungyeol's heart rate suddenly spiked.
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It was a couple of weeks before Sungjong could be discharged from the hospital. Sungyeol's attempt at rescuing him reduced the damage he received just slightly. He still wasn't allowed to walk without some sort of crutch for more than an hour, but the doctors said he could walk on his own as soon as a month from now. Sungjong was neutral to the news. He treated his current condition as another thing to deal with.
Howon picked him up from the hospital and drove him home after Sungjong requested it. The ride was quiet and awkward. Any question Howon asked him earned him short answers. He kept trying in an attempt to cheer the younger up, but his face remained blank and his focus was always out the window.
Heading up to the apartment didn't change much. Sungjong was still quiet and focused on everything except Howon, but Howon had a strange smile on his face. It was strange to Sungjong, at least after that car ride. Once Sungjong walked into his apartment, he had a good idea of why Howon was smiling. His bike was damaged badly in the crash, but a brand new one was in the entrance way.
"Howon… Did you buy this for me?" Sungjong asked, approaching the bike slowly, afraid it was like a dream and the bike would disappear the minute he touched it.
"Nope. I love ya, Sungjong, but I don't have the money for that." He noticed Howon was still smiling. He knew this bike would be here, so Sungjong's first thought was he was lying. The bike was too expensive for Howon to buy though after looking it over. It was one he had been looking at for awhile and now it was here in his apartment. A tag hung from one of the handlebars with a message on it.
"Consider this my thank you for the umbrella," the tag read. There was no name, but Sungjong knew exactly who this came from.
"What else did he get me?"
"He got you two bags of your favorite lemon candy and a new teddy bear. It's huge! It takes up like half of your bed." Sungjong fidgeted, staring down at the bike for a long moment. He soon slowly made his way past the bike and into the kitchen.
"Mind helping me with dinner?"
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"The next stop is Yongsan Station. Doors open to the right," Sunggyu looked out the window quickly, trying to figure out if he had enough time to load the photo Woohyun sent him on his phone. He didn't, but he tried anyway. The photo loaded enough to show Woohyun and Sungyeol posing for the camera with the beach behind them. It looked like a sunny day where they were while the rain poured heavily where he was. He had an umbrella with him this time, though. He wasn't going to get soaked today.
As he was leaving the station, he spotted someone he hadn't seen in awhile. Sungjong stood at the giant windows in front of the station, staring outside and frowning at the gloomy weather. Sunggyu couldn't stop himself from approaching him. Sungjong turned to him, immediately tensing up.
"Need an umbrella?" Sunggyu asked. Sungjong looked away, playing with the strap of his shoulder bag. Sunggyu didn't wait for an answer. He held his arm out and Sungjong took it, still avoiding eye contact.
The two walked through the streets in silence, but it didn't feel awkward. It was oddly comforting and made the walk more relaxing. Sungjong tried to ask something, but each time he opened his mouth, he'd close it before saying anything. Sunggyu was happy about that. He had a lot to say to Sungjong as well, but time and place were important.
Sunggyu stopped at Woohyun and Sungyeol's apartment building and headed inside, ignoring Sungjong's confused look.
"Why are we going this way? My apartment is still a few blocks away." Sungjong asked, tugging at Sunggyu's arm.
"I want to show you my new apartment. I moved here a week ago. Do you mind if I show you?" Sungjong shook his head as he gripped Sunggyu's arm firmly.
They walked past Woohyun and Sungyeol's apartment before arriving at Sunggyu's. It took a lot of negotiating to get this particular one, but it worked out in the end and he became their neighbor. When Sungjong walked in, he noticed the apartment wasn't as fancy as the couple's, but it was still somewhat high class. It was more practical and functional than stylish.
"Go ahead and take a seat. I'll make some sweet tea for you." Leaving his coat on a chair, he headed into the kitchen while Sungjong took a seat on the couch. It took him a moment to notice the lemon candy on the coffee table and he couldn't help taking a piece. Sunggyu's behavior was strange to Sungjong. Why he knew so much about Sungjong all of a sudden puzzled him. He must have talked to Howon, but how they met in the first place was still a mystery.
Sunggyu returned with a cup of tea for Sungjong and one for himself. He gave Sungjong his before sitting across from him.
"Thanks."
"No problem. So how are you these days? It's been awhile…"
"Six weeks."
"Six weeks?"
"Since we last saw each other."
"Really? It's been that long?" Sungjong nodded as he sipped on his tea. "Guess it has. So how have you been doing? Looks like you have a bit of a limp."
"Got in a car accident, but I'm almost better."
"Well, at least you're getting better." Sungjong nodded again, taking another piece of lemon candy to keep himself from talking more. "Just got a promotion. That's why I moved here. It's closer to the station as well and I get to be neighbors with Woohyun. It works out pretty well."
"I noticed." That calm smile on Sunggyu's face was unnerving. He was about to grab another piece, but Sunggyu pulled the bowl away.
"That tea has enough sugar in it already. You shouldn't be eating anymore of these-"
"Sunggyu, I love you!" Sunggyu looked up at him, showing no surprise in his face while Sungjong was on the verge of tears.
"How long?"
"I think six months… I made a delivery to your company one day and I saw you. I thought you were pretty attractive, so I tried to make sure only I got to make deliveries just to see you. I asked a bunch of other employees about you, but they didn't know that much about you except that you were a hard worker and fairly loyal. You… also gave me an umbrella one day." Sunggyu tried to think back when he gave Sungjong an umbrella. The only thing he could think of was when a coworker of his left their umbrella behind. He kept it in his desk to give it back to them the next day, but they said they bought a new one and he could have it. He didn't need it, so he gave it to the delivery boy when he walked in soaking wet.
It was Sungjong. He was a little embarrassed that it took him this long to remember that, but Sungjong continued.
"S-So, I gave you one back, but you didn't recognize me. So I tried to talk to you again and hoped that you would remember, but then… I spent the night with you and then the following night… I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that! I should have never made you do that! I'm sure you hate me now, so I'm gonna go and get out of your life." Sungjong stood up and limped to the door, but Sunggyu stopped him and pulled him close. The younger's mind went blank at the sudden hug and he couldn't fight it.
"You're just as bad as Woohyun when it comes to jumping to conclusions." Sungjong gripped onto Sunggyu's shirt tightly, trembling in his arms. He wasn't sure how long he could keep up with holding his emotions back. He used to be good at it around Sunggyu. Now it felt impossible.
"I never said I didn't like it. Would have been better if you asked me when I was sober… and when we knew each other better."
"I'm sorry…"
"I know you are. So let's just erase that event and continue from here on, okay?" Sungjong felt the tears running down his face and nodded after a long moment of silence.
"Does that mean… you love me too?"
"… No, but I'm sure a few dates could fix that." Sungjong smiled as he clung to Sunggyu tighter. "So, would you like to have dinner with me tonight? Figured we could eat here and just talk. Sound good?"
"It sounds perfect."