[One-Shot] On The Rocks
On The Rocks
Heechul/Siwon / PG-13 / 2,914 words / AU/Romance
Summary: In which Siwon is a bartender and Heechul is a reoccurring costumer with a problem that just can't seem to be solved.
Author's Note: I've been working on this one on and off for about two years, and I finally sat down and finished it. This is almost 1,500 words longer than the original draft because I had so much to fill out. I hope that you enjoy it! :D
Siwon isn't sure when his job as a bartender became synonymous with a career as an advisor, but for the past six years, he's counseled every customer that has ever sat at his counter. He's always been able to help the distressed patron no matter the issue, and over the years he's developed an arsenal of advice ready to use at any moment. And that evening, the moment presents itself when the front door of the bar is ripped open with a loud bang. Siwon takes one look at the person responsible for the noise, a fuming, slender man in his late twenties, and he knows that the patron needs to be calmed down before the damages for a broken bar stool come out of his check…again.
"What can I get you?" Siwon asks, putting on a smile.
"Two shots of soju," the man replies.
Siwon pours him two shots and watches as the male downs the first without hesitation. He then closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before drinking the second shot. After a few minutes, Siwon notices that the patron has relaxed considerably, and he thinks that it's safe enough to speak.
"Rough day, sir?" he asks and the man scoffs.
"You don't know the half of it," he says. "Can I get a mug?"
Siwon watches in shock as the male guzzles down half of the mug of beer at once then slams it on the table with a thud. He winces, praying that the glass isn't cracked.
"I wanna ask you a question," the patron begins wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and Siwon knows that he doesn't really have a choice about answering. "If you and your significant other had a huge fight and clearly you were right, what would you do?"
Siwon gives the male a thoughtful look while mentally pulling up a list of answers to his question.
"Well first off, what makes you think that you were right?" he asks and the man frowns at him.
"Because the last time I checked I shouldn't have to bug someone I'm dating about answering my texts."
"True," Siwon replies. "But did you ever consider that they were just busy, or perhaps their phone battery died?"
"If that's the case, then he's been busy a lot lately and he needs a new damn phone," the male replies, rolling his eyes.
"So you don't believe that either scenario is a possibility."
"Not really."
"And did you make that known to him?"
"Like hell I did," the male says angrily.
"And there's where you went wrong," Siwon says. "So you should apologize."
"Me?" the male asks and Siwon is a bit amused at his attempt to keep his indignation in check. "What about the guy who didn't answer my calls for the past two days? He should apologize first because a stupid business trip isn't more important than me. I'm not caving."
"So you would rather put your pride before your relationship?"
"Did I say that?" the male asks heatedly.
"Then what are you saying?" Siwon replies as he watches the male drink another considerable portion of his mug.
"What's with the third degree?" he snaps when he's finished, slamming the mug on the counter once more and Siwon cringes at the sound.
"You asked me the question, sir," he says, keeping his voice level. "I'm just trying to help you."
The male sighs.
"Do me a favor and drop the 'sir', please," he says. "It makes me feel old. Just call me Heechul."
"Fine," Siwon says with a small smile. "Then call me Siwon."
"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Siwon," Heechul says quietly. "It's not your fault that I'm in this mess."
"Apology accepted, Heechul," Siwon replies. "And it's an easy mess to get out of, if you think about it."
There's silence as Heechul drinks until he gets to the dregs of his beer.
"Then I'd better get going," he says, gently sitting the mug back on the counter. "I've got some thinking to do. It was nice talking to you."
"It was nice to talking to you as well," Siwon says as he gives him the bill for his drinks. "We should do it again sometime."
"Maybe," Heechul replies as he gives Siwon twenty thousand won in cash and Siwon raises an eyebrow both at his bluntness and at the bills being extended to him. Heechul laughs at his expression and adds, "The extra money is for your advice."
"That's not necessary," Siwon says attempting to give the money back, but Heechul shakes his head.
"Take it," he says. "Anyone who can put up with my ranting deserves a little extra cash. Just think of it as a tip."
"Paying me for my advice is pointless if you don't take it," Siwon replies as he folds the extra bills and puts them in his pocket, and Heechul smiles at him.
"I know that," he says as he exits the bar. Siwon shakes his head as he begins to clean the shot glasses and mug, hoping that Heechul's problem will be solved for their sake.
~*~
Siwon's a bit surprised when Heechul returns to the bar a week later looking grim. A customer's second visit to the counter was usually to give an update that the problem had been solved, however Heechul's facial expression let Siwon know that this wasn't going to be the case.
"Good evening, Heechul," he says. "A beer?"
Heechul gives a nod in response and a minute later Siwon slides him a glass mug still frothing from the tap. Heechul sips at his beer while Siwon wipes off the counter with a towel. Eventually he puts the mug down and clears his throat, and Siwon knows that it's time for Session Two to begin.
"So what's the problem?" he asks, sitting in front of Heechul and Heechul grins.
"How did you know that I didn't come to drink?" he asks.
"Because no one comes in here an hour before closing time with the intention of guzzling down alcohol," Siwon explains and Heechul snorts.
"You caught me," he says and Siwon laughs. "Here's my question, what would you think if you and your significant other stopped interacting as much as usual?"
It's a simple question, but it manages to give Siwon a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Well that depends on the circumstances," he answers, folding his arms on top of the bar counter. "What's your living situation?"
"We live together."
"And what has the atmosphere in your home been like since the argument?"
"It's been tense, despite the fact that I took your advice," Heechul replies. "He's been coming home late on most nights, and when he's home early, we barely speak. And when we do talk, every conversation we have turns into fight over something petty."
"I'll be honest with you," Siwon begins, the bad feeling in his stomach getting worse as he connects his previous conversation with Heechul to the current one. "There's something going on in your relationship that the two of you need to fix as soon as possible. If you don't, you could be looking at a really nasty breakup."
"So basically my relationship is fucked," Heechul says. "That's good to know."
"Hey I -" Siwon begins, but Heechul holds up a hand to silence him and takes a long drink from his mug. After a few seconds, he puts it down and sighs.
"Thank you," he says. "The last time we met, you sounded like a relationship handbook, but now you sound real. Thanks for leveling with me."
"A person shouldn't have to thank another person for that," Siwon says with a frown.
"I'm a bit different than most," Heechul replies and Siwon laughs. "But enough about my life, let's talk about yours. Does the King of Dating Advice have someone?"
There is a subtle change in the atmosphere as Siwon shifts on his bar stool.
"I haven't dated anyone in six years," he says quietly. "School and work have kept me from really meeting anyone."
"What a pity," Heechul says with a frown. "With your face and the quality of your advice I thought you were in a committed relationship. Are you trying to get back in the game?"
"It's not something that I think about," Siwon says shortly, and Heechul stares at him for a few seconds before smiling.
"Then it's settled!" he says. "I'm inviting you to my next group date and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."
Siwon smiles and Heechul doesn't miss the reluctance in the action.
"You know," Siwon says, "that actually sounds like a great idea. I could use some fun."
"Well you came to the right guy. Boy have I got a few stories to tell you."
Heechul's a great storyteller, and Siwon can tell that each tales is experience that he holds close to his heart. They are all told in a lively, amusing, and opinionated matter, and Siwon is so hooked on Heechul's every word that he barely notices when it's time for him to close the bar for the night.
"I guess time does fly when you're having fun," Siwon says as he gives the counter one last wipe. "Thanks for keeping me company. It's rare that anyone comes in during the hour before closing time."
"No problem," Heechul replies. "I wasn't in the mood to go home anyway…I'm still not."
"You can't run from this," Siwon says firmly, looking him straight in the eye as Heechul hands him the money for his beer.
"Yeah, yeah," Heechul replies bitterly. "I have to talk it out and be honest about my feelings and understand his feelings and all of that other emotional junk."
Siwon gives Heechul a glare and the action catches him off guard for a few moments. He then rolls his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that," he says, defensively. "I'm going to give this a one hundred percent effort."
"I'm glad to hear it," Siwon replies, softening his gaze as Heechul gets up to leave. "Good luck, Heechul."
"Thanks," Heechul replies. "I'm definitely going to need it."
~*~
Heechul doesn't come back the next evening, and despite the happy assumption that his talk with his boyfriend had gone well, Siwon feels miserable at the thought. He spends the next week half-heartedly socializing with his customers, and though he had shared some laughs with a few of them, none of them were as memorable as Heechul. Siwon tries to go back to his regular routine at the bar, but he spends three weeks wondering if things are going well for Heechul, wondering what he's doing at every second of the day, wondering why he's keeping count of the days they've been apart, and wondering if he'll ever seeing him again.
The answer to his third question comes on second day of the fourth week. Fifteen minutes before the closing time, the doors of the bar rip open with a bang as they hit the door frames, and Siwon's pulse accelerates at the familiar sound. He looks up from his half-hearted cleaning of the counter to see Heechul and he starts to break into a smile, but he quickly becomes anxious after he gets a good look at Heechul's face. He silently thanks the Lord that the bar is empty because Heechul's expression is not one of a person that needs to respect public etiquette. He silently begins to calculate the damages for broken glasses when Heechul throws himself in the stool in front of him.
"I don't really care what you give me," he says, and Siwon feels sick at his tone. There's silence as he slides Heechul a shot glass filled with soju and Heechul stares at it for a few moments before drinking it. Siwon pours him a second shot, then leaves from behind the counter and sits on the stool next to his.
"I'm sorry," he says quietly.
"Me too," Heechul replies. "I honestly thought that we were going to be okay. And then yesterday I met him."
"Him?" Siwon asks, though he already knows the answer.
"The guy that he's been cheating on me with for months," Heechul says bitterly and Siwon gets a sinking feeling at the confirmation. "He's good. I didn't suspect a thing. And he actually had the gall to introduce him to me!"
"That must have been hard for you," Siwon says quietly.
"You can't even imagine," Heechul replies.
"I am so sorry," Siwon says. "I honestly wanted things to work out for you."
"So did I," Heechul replies, his voice cracking. "I need another mug."
"No you don't," Siwon says firmly. The words seem to make the sinking feeling in his stomach vanish immediately, and he quickly grabs the keys to the bar and puts Heechul's shot glasses into a container for dirty dishes. "You need some air. Let's go."
Heechul groans and resists as Siwon grabs him by the arm and tugs.
"Oh come on, do you really want to booze your night away?" Siwon asks him annoyed. Heechul sighs, allowing himself to be dragged out into the cold night air and lead to a bench a few feet away from the bar.
"Heechul," Siwon says as they sit. "This is the hardest piece of advice that I have ever had to give anyone."
"And you couldn't give it in a place with a heater?" Heechul asks, glaring and hugging himself around his middle.
"I wanted you to be sober and alert so that you could hear me clearly," Siwon says and Heechul rolls his eyes.
"Oh joy," he says, however he feels guilty when he sees the sad expression on Siwon's face. "Alright, I'm listening."
"Don't wallow in your misery," Siwon says, quietly.
"That's easier said than done," Heechul replies.
"Tell me about it," Siwon replies laying back on the bench. Heechul raises an eyebrow at him and Siwon laughs bitterly. "You're not the only one who's been hurt by a bad relationship. Many people have. The key is what the hurt persons did next."
"And did they do next?"
"They took a job at a bar and added six extra credits to their college workload," Siwon answers and Heechul's eyes widen. "And that's not what I want you to do next. What you have to do is accept that things went wrong and that you're not at fault for how he chose to handle it. And then, you have to move on before you end up shutting yourself off for years."
"Why do you care so much what happens to me?" Heechul asks.
"Because I like you," Siwon replies truthfully. "And I don't want you to end up like me."
Heechul stares at him for a few seconds before lying back on the bench.
"You really are a good guy," he says and Siwon laughs. "I thought you were bullshitting me for a minute…thank you."
"You're welcome," Siwon says with a smile.
~*~
Though they keep in contact, Siwon doesn't see Heechul for another two weeks, and he's a bit taken aback at the way that the older male marches up to the bar with a determined look in his eye. He seems full of purpose as he sits on the stool in front of Siwon and it's such a stark contrast to the way he came in a week ago, that Siwon can't help but be a bit nervous.
"You're here early," he says putting on a conversational tone. "The sun is still out."
"I know," Heechul replies waving a hand. "Can I get a shot?"
Siwon stares curiously at Heechul for a few seconds before pouring him a shot, and Heechul downs it instantly before placing the glass back on the counter.
"What would you do if you just got out of a shitty relationship two weeks ago, and you're already attracted to someone else?"
The words take Siwon by surprise and then slowly fill him with disappointment as he pulls up a bar stool and sits in front of Heechul.
"This isn't what I meant when I said to move on," he says, frowning and Heechul rolls his eyes.
"Just here me out," he says and Siwon sighs as he notes the small tone plea in his voice.
"Fine," he says.
"Okay then," Heechul says a bit surprised by the annoyance in Siwon's voice. "His face is pretty damn alluring. I've never seen someone so good looking. I was surprised to find out that he was single."
"Is there anything less superficial that you like about this guy?" Siwon asks with a frown. Heechul stares at him for a few seconds before it dawns on him.
"He's a really good guy," he says amused. "He's a good listener, patient, and honest. I've always liked that about him. But, I'm a bit hesitant to pursue him."
"And…" Siwon says slowly, almost carefully, "why is that?"
"I'm not exactly boyfriend material," Heechul replies. "I feel like I'm rushing things. And he's been hurt too, and I'm worried that I'll end up screwing things up for both of us."
Siwon smiles softly.
"Why don't we start simple," he says. "My shift ends at eight tonight and there's a coffee shop down the street from here. Is that good for you?"
"That's great," Heechul replies with a sigh of relief and Siwon smiles at him before pouring him a glass of water on the house.
Heechul/Siwon / PG-13 / 2,914 words / AU/Romance
Summary: In which Siwon is a bartender and Heechul is a reoccurring costumer with a problem that just can't seem to be solved.
Author's Note: I've been working on this one on and off for about two years, and I finally sat down and finished it. This is almost 1,500 words longer than the original draft because I had so much to fill out. I hope that you enjoy it! :D
Siwon isn't sure when his job as a bartender became synonymous with a career as an advisor, but for the past six years, he's counseled every customer that has ever sat at his counter. He's always been able to help the distressed patron no matter the issue, and over the years he's developed an arsenal of advice ready to use at any moment. And that evening, the moment presents itself when the front door of the bar is ripped open with a loud bang. Siwon takes one look at the person responsible for the noise, a fuming, slender man in his late twenties, and he knows that the patron needs to be calmed down before the damages for a broken bar stool come out of his check…again.
"What can I get you?" Siwon asks, putting on a smile.
"Two shots of soju," the man replies.
Siwon pours him two shots and watches as the male downs the first without hesitation. He then closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before drinking the second shot. After a few minutes, Siwon notices that the patron has relaxed considerably, and he thinks that it's safe enough to speak.
"Rough day, sir?" he asks and the man scoffs.
"You don't know the half of it," he says. "Can I get a mug?"
Siwon watches in shock as the male guzzles down half of the mug of beer at once then slams it on the table with a thud. He winces, praying that the glass isn't cracked.
"I wanna ask you a question," the patron begins wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and Siwon knows that he doesn't really have a choice about answering. "If you and your significant other had a huge fight and clearly you were right, what would you do?"
Siwon gives the male a thoughtful look while mentally pulling up a list of answers to his question.
"Well first off, what makes you think that you were right?" he asks and the man frowns at him.
"Because the last time I checked I shouldn't have to bug someone I'm dating about answering my texts."
"True," Siwon replies. "But did you ever consider that they were just busy, or perhaps their phone battery died?"
"If that's the case, then he's been busy a lot lately and he needs a new damn phone," the male replies, rolling his eyes.
"So you don't believe that either scenario is a possibility."
"Not really."
"And did you make that known to him?"
"Like hell I did," the male says angrily.
"And there's where you went wrong," Siwon says. "So you should apologize."
"Me?" the male asks and Siwon is a bit amused at his attempt to keep his indignation in check. "What about the guy who didn't answer my calls for the past two days? He should apologize first because a stupid business trip isn't more important than me. I'm not caving."
"So you would rather put your pride before your relationship?"
"Did I say that?" the male asks heatedly.
"Then what are you saying?" Siwon replies as he watches the male drink another considerable portion of his mug.
"What's with the third degree?" he snaps when he's finished, slamming the mug on the counter once more and Siwon cringes at the sound.
"You asked me the question, sir," he says, keeping his voice level. "I'm just trying to help you."
The male sighs.
"Do me a favor and drop the 'sir', please," he says. "It makes me feel old. Just call me Heechul."
"Fine," Siwon says with a small smile. "Then call me Siwon."
"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Siwon," Heechul says quietly. "It's not your fault that I'm in this mess."
"Apology accepted, Heechul," Siwon replies. "And it's an easy mess to get out of, if you think about it."
There's silence as Heechul drinks until he gets to the dregs of his beer.
"Then I'd better get going," he says, gently sitting the mug back on the counter. "I've got some thinking to do. It was nice talking to you."
"It was nice to talking to you as well," Siwon says as he gives him the bill for his drinks. "We should do it again sometime."
"Maybe," Heechul replies as he gives Siwon twenty thousand won in cash and Siwon raises an eyebrow both at his bluntness and at the bills being extended to him. Heechul laughs at his expression and adds, "The extra money is for your advice."
"That's not necessary," Siwon says attempting to give the money back, but Heechul shakes his head.
"Take it," he says. "Anyone who can put up with my ranting deserves a little extra cash. Just think of it as a tip."
"Paying me for my advice is pointless if you don't take it," Siwon replies as he folds the extra bills and puts them in his pocket, and Heechul smiles at him.
"I know that," he says as he exits the bar. Siwon shakes his head as he begins to clean the shot glasses and mug, hoping that Heechul's problem will be solved for their sake.
~*~
Siwon's a bit surprised when Heechul returns to the bar a week later looking grim. A customer's second visit to the counter was usually to give an update that the problem had been solved, however Heechul's facial expression let Siwon know that this wasn't going to be the case.
"Good evening, Heechul," he says. "A beer?"
Heechul gives a nod in response and a minute later Siwon slides him a glass mug still frothing from the tap. Heechul sips at his beer while Siwon wipes off the counter with a towel. Eventually he puts the mug down and clears his throat, and Siwon knows that it's time for Session Two to begin.
"So what's the problem?" he asks, sitting in front of Heechul and Heechul grins.
"How did you know that I didn't come to drink?" he asks.
"Because no one comes in here an hour before closing time with the intention of guzzling down alcohol," Siwon explains and Heechul snorts.
"You caught me," he says and Siwon laughs. "Here's my question, what would you think if you and your significant other stopped interacting as much as usual?"
It's a simple question, but it manages to give Siwon a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Well that depends on the circumstances," he answers, folding his arms on top of the bar counter. "What's your living situation?"
"We live together."
"And what has the atmosphere in your home been like since the argument?"
"It's been tense, despite the fact that I took your advice," Heechul replies. "He's been coming home late on most nights, and when he's home early, we barely speak. And when we do talk, every conversation we have turns into fight over something petty."
"I'll be honest with you," Siwon begins, the bad feeling in his stomach getting worse as he connects his previous conversation with Heechul to the current one. "There's something going on in your relationship that the two of you need to fix as soon as possible. If you don't, you could be looking at a really nasty breakup."
"So basically my relationship is fucked," Heechul says. "That's good to know."
"Hey I -" Siwon begins, but Heechul holds up a hand to silence him and takes a long drink from his mug. After a few seconds, he puts it down and sighs.
"Thank you," he says. "The last time we met, you sounded like a relationship handbook, but now you sound real. Thanks for leveling with me."
"A person shouldn't have to thank another person for that," Siwon says with a frown.
"I'm a bit different than most," Heechul replies and Siwon laughs. "But enough about my life, let's talk about yours. Does the King of Dating Advice have someone?"
There is a subtle change in the atmosphere as Siwon shifts on his bar stool.
"I haven't dated anyone in six years," he says quietly. "School and work have kept me from really meeting anyone."
"What a pity," Heechul says with a frown. "With your face and the quality of your advice I thought you were in a committed relationship. Are you trying to get back in the game?"
"It's not something that I think about," Siwon says shortly, and Heechul stares at him for a few seconds before smiling.
"Then it's settled!" he says. "I'm inviting you to my next group date and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."
Siwon smiles and Heechul doesn't miss the reluctance in the action.
"You know," Siwon says, "that actually sounds like a great idea. I could use some fun."
"Well you came to the right guy. Boy have I got a few stories to tell you."
Heechul's a great storyteller, and Siwon can tell that each tales is experience that he holds close to his heart. They are all told in a lively, amusing, and opinionated matter, and Siwon is so hooked on Heechul's every word that he barely notices when it's time for him to close the bar for the night.
"I guess time does fly when you're having fun," Siwon says as he gives the counter one last wipe. "Thanks for keeping me company. It's rare that anyone comes in during the hour before closing time."
"No problem," Heechul replies. "I wasn't in the mood to go home anyway…I'm still not."
"You can't run from this," Siwon says firmly, looking him straight in the eye as Heechul hands him the money for his beer.
"Yeah, yeah," Heechul replies bitterly. "I have to talk it out and be honest about my feelings and understand his feelings and all of that other emotional junk."
Siwon gives Heechul a glare and the action catches him off guard for a few moments. He then rolls his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that," he says, defensively. "I'm going to give this a one hundred percent effort."
"I'm glad to hear it," Siwon replies, softening his gaze as Heechul gets up to leave. "Good luck, Heechul."
"Thanks," Heechul replies. "I'm definitely going to need it."
~*~
Heechul doesn't come back the next evening, and despite the happy assumption that his talk with his boyfriend had gone well, Siwon feels miserable at the thought. He spends the next week half-heartedly socializing with his customers, and though he had shared some laughs with a few of them, none of them were as memorable as Heechul. Siwon tries to go back to his regular routine at the bar, but he spends three weeks wondering if things are going well for Heechul, wondering what he's doing at every second of the day, wondering why he's keeping count of the days they've been apart, and wondering if he'll ever seeing him again.
The answer to his third question comes on second day of the fourth week. Fifteen minutes before the closing time, the doors of the bar rip open with a bang as they hit the door frames, and Siwon's pulse accelerates at the familiar sound. He looks up from his half-hearted cleaning of the counter to see Heechul and he starts to break into a smile, but he quickly becomes anxious after he gets a good look at Heechul's face. He silently thanks the Lord that the bar is empty because Heechul's expression is not one of a person that needs to respect public etiquette. He silently begins to calculate the damages for broken glasses when Heechul throws himself in the stool in front of him.
"I don't really care what you give me," he says, and Siwon feels sick at his tone. There's silence as he slides Heechul a shot glass filled with soju and Heechul stares at it for a few moments before drinking it. Siwon pours him a second shot, then leaves from behind the counter and sits on the stool next to his.
"I'm sorry," he says quietly.
"Me too," Heechul replies. "I honestly thought that we were going to be okay. And then yesterday I met him."
"Him?" Siwon asks, though he already knows the answer.
"The guy that he's been cheating on me with for months," Heechul says bitterly and Siwon gets a sinking feeling at the confirmation. "He's good. I didn't suspect a thing. And he actually had the gall to introduce him to me!"
"That must have been hard for you," Siwon says quietly.
"You can't even imagine," Heechul replies.
"I am so sorry," Siwon says. "I honestly wanted things to work out for you."
"So did I," Heechul replies, his voice cracking. "I need another mug."
"No you don't," Siwon says firmly. The words seem to make the sinking feeling in his stomach vanish immediately, and he quickly grabs the keys to the bar and puts Heechul's shot glasses into a container for dirty dishes. "You need some air. Let's go."
Heechul groans and resists as Siwon grabs him by the arm and tugs.
"Oh come on, do you really want to booze your night away?" Siwon asks him annoyed. Heechul sighs, allowing himself to be dragged out into the cold night air and lead to a bench a few feet away from the bar.
"Heechul," Siwon says as they sit. "This is the hardest piece of advice that I have ever had to give anyone."
"And you couldn't give it in a place with a heater?" Heechul asks, glaring and hugging himself around his middle.
"I wanted you to be sober and alert so that you could hear me clearly," Siwon says and Heechul rolls his eyes.
"Oh joy," he says, however he feels guilty when he sees the sad expression on Siwon's face. "Alright, I'm listening."
"Don't wallow in your misery," Siwon says, quietly.
"That's easier said than done," Heechul replies.
"Tell me about it," Siwon replies laying back on the bench. Heechul raises an eyebrow at him and Siwon laughs bitterly. "You're not the only one who's been hurt by a bad relationship. Many people have. The key is what the hurt persons did next."
"And did they do next?"
"They took a job at a bar and added six extra credits to their college workload," Siwon answers and Heechul's eyes widen. "And that's not what I want you to do next. What you have to do is accept that things went wrong and that you're not at fault for how he chose to handle it. And then, you have to move on before you end up shutting yourself off for years."
"Why do you care so much what happens to me?" Heechul asks.
"Because I like you," Siwon replies truthfully. "And I don't want you to end up like me."
Heechul stares at him for a few seconds before lying back on the bench.
"You really are a good guy," he says and Siwon laughs. "I thought you were bullshitting me for a minute…thank you."
"You're welcome," Siwon says with a smile.
~*~
Though they keep in contact, Siwon doesn't see Heechul for another two weeks, and he's a bit taken aback at the way that the older male marches up to the bar with a determined look in his eye. He seems full of purpose as he sits on the stool in front of Siwon and it's such a stark contrast to the way he came in a week ago, that Siwon can't help but be a bit nervous.
"You're here early," he says putting on a conversational tone. "The sun is still out."
"I know," Heechul replies waving a hand. "Can I get a shot?"
Siwon stares curiously at Heechul for a few seconds before pouring him a shot, and Heechul downs it instantly before placing the glass back on the counter.
"What would you do if you just got out of a shitty relationship two weeks ago, and you're already attracted to someone else?"
The words take Siwon by surprise and then slowly fill him with disappointment as he pulls up a bar stool and sits in front of Heechul.
"This isn't what I meant when I said to move on," he says, frowning and Heechul rolls his eyes.
"Just here me out," he says and Siwon sighs as he notes the small tone plea in his voice.
"Fine," he says.
"Okay then," Heechul says a bit surprised by the annoyance in Siwon's voice. "His face is pretty damn alluring. I've never seen someone so good looking. I was surprised to find out that he was single."
"Is there anything less superficial that you like about this guy?" Siwon asks with a frown. Heechul stares at him for a few seconds before it dawns on him.
"He's a really good guy," he says amused. "He's a good listener, patient, and honest. I've always liked that about him. But, I'm a bit hesitant to pursue him."
"And…" Siwon says slowly, almost carefully, "why is that?"
"I'm not exactly boyfriend material," Heechul replies. "I feel like I'm rushing things. And he's been hurt too, and I'm worried that I'll end up screwing things up for both of us."
Siwon smiles softly.
"Why don't we start simple," he says. "My shift ends at eight tonight and there's a coffee shop down the street from here. Is that good for you?"
"That's great," Heechul replies with a sigh of relief and Siwon smiles at him before pouring him a glass of water on the house.