[vixx] match up 2/2
Title: match up
Fandom: VIXX
Pairing: hyukbin(main), luck
Rating: T+
Genre: ~
Word Count: 14,468w
Summary: Soulmate!AU; All his life, Sanghyuk has been searching for the one
Originally posted at forvixx for vixxsix!
They travel to the beach despite the chilly weather, laughing as their knees knock together on the bus and withholding complaints about how long the trip takes. It’s all worth it once they arrive, Sanghyuk being roused from sleep by Hongbin cooing “Aww Hyukkie, you’re like a big baby!” from beside him. In retaliation, he makes Hongbin piggyback him off the bus. It earns them some weird stares, but he doesn’t care. He’s never seen any of those symbols in his life, and he doesn’t think he’s going to again anytime soon. Besides, Hongbin’s body is a warm comfort for his sleepy mind.
Once near the sand, Sanghyuk jumps off and runs the rest of the distance on his own. He vaguely senses Hongbin approaching at a more sedate pace from behind, hears the loud roar of the bus as it drives off once more. Pausing to pull off his shoes and socks, Sanghyuk dumps his bag beside them before he is off running once more.
The wind tugs at his clothes and the sand is cold against his feet, but Sanghyuk doesn’t stop until he reaches the shoreline, eyes trained on the sight spread before him.
An infinity of ocean lies before him, a deceptively calm carpet which shivers with every miniscule blow of the wind, rippling like curtains in a breeze. It's a somewhat odd sight, seeing the typically brilliant hue of blue now with grey undertones in the considerably chilly weather, but Sanghyuk privately thinks that it's not any less beautiful.
Certainly not what typical travel agencies would advertise, but there's a charm concealed in the silvers of the sand and the hush of the area. Winter is quiet, here.
“It’s not what you expected, is it?” Hongbin has finally caught up to him, voice smug.
Sanghyuk nods, nudges at the sand with his shoes. “I didn’t know this place existed.”
Hongbin laughs, a sunny thing that seems to lighten the otherwise grey surroundings. "I'd be surprised if you did! I've lived here for longer, but even I didn't find this beach until... I'd say, a few years back? It wasn’t even me who found it." His smile flickers as his eyes shift distractedly, but when Sanghyuk blinks he’s back to normal. "I've always wanted to return, and today was a good opportunity."
"Well then, thank you very much for sharing your secret sanctuary with me." Sanghyuk sketches a mock bow, hands clasped before his body.
Hongbin laughs as he tugs him up from the bow before adapting a serious pose of his own. "You are very welcome, young sir." The severity lasts for a split second before a Cheshire smile appears on Sanghyuk's features as he pushes Hongbin, not hard enough to make him fall but enough to make him stumble into the water.
He shrieks upon contact. “Yah! It’s cold!”
Sanghyuk laughs and sticks his tongue out at the other.
Hongbin shakes water from his feet before darting forward and pushing Sanghyuk in the water.
The younger male yelps at the sudden attack of the frigid, icy ocean enveloping his feet, jumping away from the water long before it begins to recede. “Are there ice cubes in the water or something?”
Hongbin laughs, lifting his camera to snap a photo of Sanghyuk's expression. "Don't be silly."
Sanghyuk waits until Hongbin has set the camera down beside their bags, then pulls him into the water with him. He repeats Hongbin's words back at him when he screeches about being placed in a freezer, and Hongbin flicks seaweed at him in response.
Before they leave, sometime after Hongbin is dared to taste the water ("Salty! Eww!") and an obligatory sea-shell has been collected (marble-pink and cream, medium in size), they take a selca together.
Knees bump like on the bus. Their feet are encased by damp sand courtesy of them attempting to bury each other, and they sit with identical awkward yet sincere smiles on their faces. Hongbin slings an arm around Sanghyuk's shoulders and says "Kimchi!", and just before the pose breaks Sanghyuk turns once more to face the ocean with the comfort of Hongbin's arm around him. One day, he'll travel to every place it touches. For now, he’s content.
"Your eyes are deep." Hongbin comments.
"On the contrary, they're quite small," Sanghyuk counters, laughing as his hyung rolls his eyes at the lame response. Dragging his gaze away from the sea, his tone is sincere when he next speaks, "thanks for bringing me here, hyung."
Hongbin shrugs, smiling back. "Seemed like you needed to get away from things for a while."
Halting in surprise, Sanghyuk stares at the other with open shock. He has never told Hongbin about his travelling whims and desires, and though he could have meant anything by it, his observation is scarily in tune with Sanghyuk's recent desires.
Hongbin doesn’t notice his amazement; by now he has turned back to face the ocean, soft smile on his face as he watches the sun suspended over the water. Somewhere in Sanghyuk’s mind, he distractedly makes the observation that Hongbin’s smiles like sunlight through a curtain; never failing to infiltrate to the core, bathing the surroundings in warmth.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Hongbin murmurs, eyes trained on the horizon as he raises the camera to take the perfect shot.
“Yes, it is.” Sanghyuk agrees distractedly, the direction of his gaze unchanged.
-
Sanghyuk’s heater has broken down. It isn’t surprising given the cheap price and the lack of care he had exhibited upon purchasing it, but it does make things complicated. Sanghyuk rolls from his place on the floor to gaze dolefully at Hongbin. “The heater has broken down,” he announces.
Hongbin’s eyes flicker from the TV screen to his face. “Ah, I was wondering why it was cold.”
“I’ll go get blankets.” Sanghyuk pushes himself up, stumbling slightly on the ends of his too-long pants before making his way to the cupboard. He extracts two large blankets which had been purchased in the first city he had visited, and when he shakes them out the creases remain, evidence of sparse usage. When he returns, Hongbin is still. In his hands is a familiar black device.
Sanghyuk panics.
“No, don’t touch it!”
His voice comes out a lot louder than intended, and Hongbin is startled into dropping the mp3 player where it falls harmlessly to the coffee table. He’s quick to apologise, the words spilling rushed from his lips “What, I’m sorry, I just saw it and I was curious-“
“It was a gift from Taekwoon-hyung.” Sanghyuk interrupts, his voice still somewhat chilly.
A look eerily similar to the one Hongbin had worn when Sanghyuk had first told him about Taekwoon appears again. “Oh, from your soul mate?”
“Yes.” Sanghyuk says shortly, before sitting back down, blankets still in his grasp. “Taekwoon-hyung would have asked for permission first.” He mutters to himself, bringing his knees up under his chin.
“If you like your Taekwoon-hyung so much, then why don’t you go to him now?” The remark is so quiet Sanghyuk is not entirely sure he has heard right, but when he looks up Hongbin is staring into his lap, eyes frighteningly distant.
“Hongbin-hyung?” he asks carefully, his own petty annoyance forgotten in the wake of something that seems to run much deeper.
It’s like a switch has been flipped by his voice alone. Looking up with a too-perfect smile, Hongbin responds a beat too late. “Yes, Hyukkie?”
Sanghyuk doesn’t respond immediately, eyes probing the other’s expression. Maybe he heard wrong. But there’s something about his smile… it’s too forced, insincere. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?” Hongbin’s smile grows even brighter as he reaches out to straighten things up on the table before him. He pauses when he reaches the mp3 player which had been the catalyst to the stifling atmosphere now, then drops his hands back to his lap. It’s all too unnatural to have the desired effect of putting Sanghyuk at ease.
The movie is playing in the background, but he was never paying much attention to it anyway. “Something is bothering you, hyung. What is it?”
Hongbin’s strange not-quite-a-smile grows tighter. “You can sometimes be rather clueless, Sanghyuk-ah.” He doesn’t even attempt to smile anymore, the grimace dropping to be replaced with something Sanghyuk is unable to categorise.
Sanghyuk frowns. His mind briefly acknowledges that Hongbin has once again reverted to calling him by his nickname, and something in his chest feels heavy at the implications of this. “What? Clueless about what?”
The elder gives a dry laugh. “No, there’s no point in me telling you. Don’t worry.”
“Hongbin-hyu-“
“Don’t. Don’t bother.” Hongbin cuts him off. His voice has gone quiet. He sounds tired. “Just… leave me alone for now, okay.”
A sudden loud noise from the movie playing jolts them back to attention, bringing back that infuriating smile. “I think I’ll go home now.” Hongbin says, rising from his place on the couch. He has been seated there for so long the imprint of his body takes a few moments to smooth back out.
Sanghyuk doesn’t know how to react. All he can remember is a similar scene not too long ago, Hakyeon with his vibrant red hair which had seemed to darken with his emotions when he stormed out on him. He doesn’t want Hongbin to be another Hakyeon, but he can’t make himself say anything, not when he thinks there’s so much here he doesn’t understand.
“Hyung?”
Hongbin doesn’t turn back to look at him when he leaves. Sanghyuk reminds himself it shouldn’t matter.
-
From: Hongbin-hyung
Sorry about yesterday. I had a few things on my mind and I took it out on you.
To: Hongbin-hyung
It's ok. I understand.
The slight, almost imperceptible line his brows have set in ease slightly, and Sanghyuk sets his phone gently on the table after apologising to Taekwoon for being so rude. Taekwoon nods that it's okay, sipping at the coffee in his hands with a look of such content the younger male almost begins to wonder if he should feel jealous of the porcelain cup containing the rich, caramel liquid.
Hands cupped around the warmth of his own cup, Sanghyuk is only able to take a sip before his phone buzzes again.
"Sorry." his face flushes slightly when Taekwoon looks up at him questioningly, but his soul mate simply smiles and gestures to the phone.
"It's alright. You can respond if you want." As if to second him, Sanghyuk's phone buzzes again.
From: Hongbin-hyung
I can make it up to you?? Are you free today?
From: Hongbin-hyung
Hello???? Sanghyukkie?? You didn't fall asleep, did you?
Thankful that Taekwoon doesn't seem to overly mind him responding (he knows some partners can be quite possessive, but it doesn't seem like Taekwoon is that type of person), he responds quickly.
To: Hongbin-hyung
I'm out with Taekwoon hyung at the moment.
To: Hongbin-hyung
But I'm free for dinner.
I want homecooked.
The response is instantaneous, almost as if Hongbin had been doing nothing but staring at his phone waiting for a reply. Sanghyuk frowns. He's sure Hongbin has more things to do with his time.
From: Hongbin-hyung
TT What? You sure? What if I poison you?
Sanghyuk almost snorts, but conscious of his surroundings and the person seated opposite him, he refrains from doing so.
To: Hongbin-hyung
....
From: Hongbin-hyung
Okay, okay. Consider it done!
Satisfied with the conversation, Sanghyuk turns off the display on his phone and pushes it to the edge of the table once more. It remains mercifully silent; it seems like Hongbin too is done with his side of the conversation.
The phone now out of the way, Sanghyuk picks up his fork and takes a bite of the vanilla cake slice sitting before him. The sweet taste mixes smoothly with the coffee he has been sipping, and not for the first time today he wonders why he has not eaten more cake in his years of existing thus far. The silence between Taekwoon and himself is a comfortable, calm blanket that encases their small table silently, and Sanghyuk finds himself able to relax.
It's a little strange, he muses, legs idly uncrossing, that he is so at ease around his soul mate. Taekwoon's initial impression is admittedly not the most welcoming, and though there are a few situations in which he doesn't know how to conduct himself around the elder, the majority of the time Sanghyuk spends with him feels completely comfortable.
Perhaps it's due to the fact that they're soul mates; they're extremely compatible, and this just strengthens that fact. His grip on the cup loosens slightly as he ponders this. Yes, that's probably why.
"Who was that?" Taekwoon's voice is quiet yet feels like a loudspeaker in the silence. Sanghyuk's eyes flicker to meet the other's as he gestures to the phone.
Slightly surprised that Taekwoon is initiating a conversation on this topic of all things, Sanghyuk fumbles slightly before responding.
"A hyung that I met a while ago. He's actually my neighbour." A light, exasperated smile appears unconsciously as he shakes his head. "He’s not that important actually, he just likes to bug me."
Taekwoon frowns. "Does he annoy you?" Want me to do something about it? The implied question hangs in the air.
"Oh no, not like that." Sanghyuk is quick to shake his head. He doesn't want to bring trouble to Hongbin. "He's really kind," Sanghyuk says, thinking of the easy smiles and the unannounced company that he has grown so accustomed to, "and sometimes can be a little annoying." He laughs shortly, before setting down his cup and smiling ruefully. "He's a good person, though. I think you'd like him if you met him, Taekwoon-hyung."
The elder male considers this, sipping his coffee carefully. His broad shoulders hunch as he drinks, and when he sets down his cup he nods. "A friend of yours would be a friend of mine, Sanghyuk-ah."
From there, the topic drifts to various odds and ends, ranging from Sanghyuk's job at the store (predictable and a little regretful because he doesn't know how to play any of the instruments) to Taekwoon offering to teach him how to play piano next time they meet, to various other subjects.
Completely comfortable, Sanghyuk doesn't notice the time slipping by until Taekwoon makes a note of how late it has gotten.
"Ah, I'll need to be home soon." Hand raising to hit his forehead at his own forgetful memory, Sanghyuk recalls the text conversation with Hongbin from earlier. Glancing outside, he notes the gradually darkening sky and grows a worried frown upon realising the time is later than he had assumed.
Taekwoon nods, draining the last dredges of coffee from his cup before placing the empty porcelain back onto the table. Rising from his seat, he offers a hand to the younger male. "I'll walk you home."
Light dusting of rose gracing his features at the chivalrous action of his soul mate, Sanghyuk accepts the hand and allows himself to be raised to his feet. Mimicking Taekwoon's actions with the remains of his own coffee, the two head outside long before the aftertaste has a chance to settle on his tongue.
-
The bright sweater is the first warning Sanghyuk has. Familiar in stature, the figure approaches from the opposite end of the street. Sanghyuk initially does not give the man any thought; he has grown so accustomed to the neighborhood that he has learned to treat everything as a normal occurrence.
It's only once he has reached his apartment and drawn closer to the other figure does he realise that the person is someone he knows, a familiar voice calling out that nickname that only one person knows of and uses.
"Hyukkie!"
"Yo, Hongbin-hyung." Sanghyuk greets, feels Taekwoon's grip on his hand grow tighter and turns to meet the questioning gaze in his soul mate's features.
Knowing he has no choice but to make introductions, he plasters a smile on his face and waits until Hongbin draws nearer before introducing the two to each other.
"Hongbin-hyung, meet Taekwoon-hyung. Taekwoon-hyung, meet Hongbin-hyung. I mentioned him earlier."
Understanding dawns in Taekwoon's eyes as he nods. "He's that hyung?" his voice is softer now that they're no longer alone, but thankfully there is no unnecessarily loud background noise. "Nice to meet you." he extends a hand out for a handshake.
The confused look is still on Hongbin's features when he reaches out to shake Taekwoon's hand. "Nice to meet you too... you've heard of me?"
"All because someone decided it'd be fun to constantly text me earlier today." Sanghyuk shoots a mock glare at his hyung.
"You cheeky--" Hongbin raises his arm as if to sling it onto Sanghyuk's shoulders because they're both cool with skin ship and it's how they normally act when they're together, but despite the fact that it's pretty much second nature he hesitates, remembering that they're not alone. Sanghyuk has his soul mate with him, and as Hongbin remembers Taekwoon's presence he makes an awkward transition to ruffle his own hair instead. "Well, guess I can't argue with that. I was bored, okay?"
Sanghyuk coughs. Hongbin's change of mind has not gone unnoticed. It leaves a somewhat uncomfortable feeling in the air, like the way humidity makes moisture linger on the neck. Even when Taekwoon excuses himself and they finally enter Sanghyuk's apartment, there's a strange feeling in the atmosphere which cannot be ignored.
-
"What's for dinner?" Sanghyuk drifts into the kitchen, damp towel covering his blond locks as he returns from taking a shower. In his absence, Hongbin has busied himself with dinner preparations, and stands by the stove as promised. He's stirring a pot with the same concentration Sanghyuk recalls seeing on the faces of his classmates come exam day.
Hongbin doesn't look up immediately; it's only when Sanghyuk goes to sneak a piece of meat from a plate does he finally look up with laughter in his eyes, swatting the younger male's hand away with a spoon.
"We're having pasta today." Hongbin says, depositing the meat into what seems like some sort of creamy sauce. "It's one of only three dishes I can cook, be honoured."
Sanghyuk bows in reverence, reminiscent to the one he had done on the beach. He has a lot less space to move in his apartment; he almost hits his head on the bench before him, but the towel on his head provides a somewhat padded safety barrier.
His hyung is laughing at him when he straightens, and in retaliation he swipes a finger against the spoon Hongbin holds, gathering a decent amount of pasta sauce on his finger.
Hongbin never sees it coming.
"Yah!" His shriek is loud and high in pitch, and he reaches out instinctively to push the giggling male away only to grasp air; Sanghyuk has already danced out of his reach, towel falling off his head as he does and transferring to his shoulders.
"This is war, Hyukkie." Hongbin says, slow and deadly.
Sanghyuk pauses to blow a raspberry at the other before high-tailing it out of the kitchen, the elder hot on his heels. Pausing in the doorway to the bathroom, he yells "Make sure the food doesn't burn, you promised me an edible dinner!" before slamming the door shut in Hongbin's face, laughing at the ridiculous sight of a handsome face contorted in such a bewildered expression.
When he finally exits after a considerable amount of time, it's to see Hongbin sitting with an exasperated smile at their usual spot on the couch, Sanghyuk's various bits of junk that was on the table now on the floor. Sanghyuk leisurely flops down in a gangly heap beside him.
"Dinner is served." Hongbin gestures to the table before them and Sanghyuk looks with an appraising gaze. He laughs when he notices the 'centrepiece' of the table.
"I didn't know shells were a good substitute for a vase of flowers." Laughing, Sanghyuk reaches over to pick up the familiar conch that they had picked up from the beach.
Hongbin shrugs, spearing a bit of pasta with his fork. "What can I say, I know how to be both thrifty and sentimental.” He watches as Sanghyuk takes the first bite of the food. "How is it?"
Sanghyuk tastes the food in his mouth, tongue roaming over the creamy texture before chewing thoughtfully. It's tasty, with the same warm feeling that he feels from Hongbin sometimes when he smiles or drags him away to yet another activity of random choosing.
"It's good," he concludes, surprise evident in his voice. Hongbin whacks him on the arm.
"Yah, have some more faith in your hyung!"
-
"You don't have to help me clean up if you don't want to, you know." Hands covered with soapy suds, Sanghyuk examines a fork before rinsing it off and deducing it clean.
Hongbin adds a plate to the drying rack as he snorts derisively. "What's gotten into you? Normally you'd be trying to make me do all the cleaning."
"Yeah, but you cooked today so the circumstances are different," Sanghyuk pokes his tongue out at the other before returning his attention to the dishes before him. "Since you cooked today, you're exempt from cleaning up... but if you insist on staying, I won't protest." He grins cheekily at his hyung, earning him an exasperated shake of the head in response. "Where did you learn to cook, anyway?"
"From my sister, believe it or not. Years ago." Hongbin replies, distracted as he wrinkles his nose when Sanghyuk drops a fork a bit too forcefully, a couple of miniscule droplets of water hitting his nose.
Sanghyuk smiles to himself as he tries to imagine it. "Aww, that must have been cute. Little Hongbinnie-hyung, learning to cook!"
The elder male grins good-naturedly, shaking his head. "You're one to talk. I bet you were a drooling, nappy-wetting little kid when I was that age," he laughs, nudging the younger male with his hip.
However, he miscalculates his strength and the slippiness of the floor, and with a startled cry Sanghyuk slips in a quick, ungraceful fall onto the hard surface, limbs askew and an expression so shocked it would be comical were it not for the grimace of pain clear in his features.
Sitting up from the floor, a curse slips out from his lips as Sanghyuk instantly places a hand on his waist, rubbing a spot that's sure to bruise later.
"Oh crap. Sorry!" Crouching down, Hongbin eyes him worriedly, hands fluttering as if not knowing what to do. "Are you alright?"
"Never better." Sanghyuk groans, lies down so his body is parallel to the floor before deciding that the ground is too hard and sitting back up, doing his best to ignore his waist. It doesn't seem like he has sustained any particularly gruesome injuries so he rises to his feet, Hongbin worriedly hovering next to him. He looks like he wants to check the injury for himself, see if he's hiding a broken bone or something, but Sanghyuk reckons he's fine. Probably.
He makes to take a step forward and stumbles. Hongbin's there in an instant, supportive arm wrapped around his waist, fingers still damp from the soapy water and pressing into his thin shirt as he peers into Sanghyuk's face with a "You should rest, Hyukkie" and all of a sudden he's close, way too close with his arm a lot lower than what Sanghyuk's used to and his face mere centimetres away from his own.
From this distance the blond can't see the symbol hovering over the over's head and he can't see the one above his own, and not for the first time his mind begins to wonder what would happen if the two of theirs matched up.
The tension in the air shifts to something almost tangible, escaping from Sanghyuk's mind and infecting the atmosphere until the change seems to register in Hongbin’s expression. He's staring Sanghyuk down with uncertain eyes, worry having morphed into another look, that same one where Sanghyuk's initial response is to turn away, not wanting to acknowledge the presence of emotions he doesn't want to be real. It's impossible; unfeasible.
"Sanghyuk-ah?"
His voice is trembling slightly, as uncertain as his expression. The tone of his voice is such a far cry from his usually bubbly and confident self that Sanghyuk's eyes involuntarily flicker back up to make sure that what he’s hearing matches with what he’s seeing, taking in the emotions raw as day and complex as night.
Hongbin still has an arm around him and the damp shirt is sticking to the small of his back in a way that is more uncomfortable than anything, but before he can even attempt to shift from his position Hongbin tightens his grip, gaze lowering to his lips as he murmurs something softly that sounds vaguely like "Let me be selfish right now". Sanghyuk barely has time to stumble out a confused response back before his lips are captured in a kiss, Hongbin closing the distance and pulling him closer in one fluid movement.
They're so close it almost feels like their hearts beat perfectly in sync, as erratic as their breathing with minds running on instinct and not much else. Sanghyuk's hands rest lightly on either side of Hongbin's waist, involuntarily fisting his shirt when Hongbin miscalculates the angle when he moves their positions, noses bumping awkwardly.
It seems like all he wants to convey and more has been packaged up tightly and placed into the kiss, seal breaking upon contact and spilling out with a passion that almost juxtaposes Hongbin's otherwise simple personality. Were it not for the fact that Sanghyuk has always known this has been brimming beneath the surface, he would be more surprised. However, as much as he has been willingly blind, as much as he prefers the illusion of a simple friendship, Sanghyuk has always known this to be the truth. The truth of the matter is that these feelings exist.
Then, Sanghyuk remembers.
Taekwoon. His soul mate. He's not fated to be with Hongbin; destiny has chosen Taekwoon.
His hands drift to the front of Hongbin's chest, and with a surprising amount of difficulty he pushes him away, taking the time that it takes for Hongbin to get his bearings to attempt to school his expression into one that does not betray his inner conflict.
Hongbin doesn't look surprised as he smiles faintly, fingers adjusting his shirt. "I suppose I can't be surprised that's your reaction. Had it coming, really." He seems disappointed, a strange sort of broken, and Sanghyuk feels an unsettling twinge in his chest at the sight. Something's not right.
"Why-" me? "How can you-" he doesn't know how that sentence is meant to finish. "I already have a soul mate," he finally finishes weakly.
Hongbin shakes his head. "You think I don't know that?" Sanghyuk feels a flare of anger, opens his mouth to yell something when Hongbin holds up a hand to pause him, wanting to continue to talk. "No, there's something that you don't understand. My soul mate was my sister."
What?
Hongbin emits a mirthless chuckle when he notices Sanghyuk's expression. "Yeah, rare isn't it?" he doesn't wait for an answer before continuing, "She was a good person, you know? Model student, kind, we barely had any disagreements, but I suppose that's due to the fact that our souls were compatible." He pauses to bring his legs up, arms beneath his chin. "The thing is, even though we were soul mates, we didn't have any romantic inclination for each other at all. Just as well," he pauses, attempting to smile but the outcome looking as bleak as a grey sky, "she died a few years ago. Car crash, no survivors. Just got her license, too."
Sanghyuk's mind is reeling with all the information.
"So, you see? A soul mate doesn't mean that person is destined to be your lover. Or that destiny even chooses your lover. God, that's so cheesy." He barks out a laugh before shaking his head.
"Just... well, I like you. I have for a while, and I'm not going to stop doing so anytime soon." Hongbin's staring him in the eye with the infuriatingly earnest and honest look on his face, face neither smiling nor upset. "I don't think our love lives are dictated by whatever being is playing match up with the symbols over our heads, but I like to think we have a say. The question is, what's yours?"
Sanghyuk's mind is still trying to catch up. Eventually it gives up, going blank. "I don't know," he says finally, weary and honest as he rises from his spot and walks mutedly out of the apartment.
He's not sure what hurts more, his waist or his heart.
-
Taekwoon's home is simple yet homely, a perfect representation of his personality from the alphabetically organised books to the tidiness of the tables. Sanghyuk curls up on the couch, sinking into the soft cushion and staring into his lap as Taekwoon settles down beside him, offering a mug of tea. Stumbling out his apologies for intruding, Sanghyuk had been more than grateful for Taekwoon’s high levels of perception as he had only needed one look at him before opening the door wider and inviting him in.
"He likes you, doesn't he." Taekwoon’s expression is impassive as Sanghyuk slowly pieces together vague details of the evening, only speaking up when it’s clear Sanghyuk does not know how to continue.
"W-What?" Sanghyuk very nearly falls from the couch. His hyung simply nods as if Sanghyuk's reaction has only affirmed what he knows already.
"Hongbin, your friend," Taekwoon clarifies, somewhat unnecessarily as Sanghyuk is well aware of who he's speaking about, "he confessed to you, didn't he?"
Unable to deny the truth, Sanghyuk's body is tense as he slowly nods, confirming Taekwoon's assumption. Taekwoon exhales before adapting a contemplative expression on his face that only serves to increase Sanghyuk’s agitation.
Taekwoon smiles softly when he notices his expression. "Don't worry, I'm not angry." He doesn’t pause for long enough for Sanghyuk to begin to relax. "That said, I'm not surprised, either." For the first time in a while since he met him, Sanghyuk sees Taekwoon hesitate, unsure about what he's going to say next.
Deciding to prompt him to continue, Sanghyuk picks up his cup again, fingers greedy for warmth as he asks "Why is that?"
Taekwoon’s eyes watch Sanghyuk carefully. "When you told me about him, I noticed something." Hesitating again, Taekwoon takes a sip of his tea before continuing. "You talk about Hongbin like he's a treasure you can't let go of.”
Whatever Sanghyuk had been expecting, it isn’t this. The revelation hits him like a slap, hard and sudden. "But that's impossible..." it can't be, it goes against everything he knows, "we're soul mates, after all. Why would I..." even fall for him? Trying to fumble for answers in his chaotic mind, he grabs for answers that aren't readily accessible.
Taekwoon shakes his head. “We may be soul mates, but I don’t think what we have is love, Sanghyuk-ah.”
“How can you say that?” A sting of betrayal jolting through him, Sanghyuk frowns openly at the other male.
“You have never been infatuated with me, Sanghyuk-ah.” Taekwoon tells him with that ever-soft voice, eyes gentle as he watches Sanghyuk’s composure crumbling like a sandcastle in the wind. “I think we were so caught up in the idea of finding our soul mate that we lost sight of what’s essential for this relationship to work.” He sets down his now empty mug with a finality that’s present in his next sentence.
When he next speaks, it's with a tone that's soft yet firm. “I think we should break up.”
Sanghyuk has been expecting this to be brought up at some point in the conversation, but now that Taekwoon has suggested it, he’s not sure how to respond. “Why?” His mind tells him to be upset, but curiously enough his heart feels like it doesn’t hurt as much as it should.
Taekwoon sighs quietly. “You need to work out what you want, and for that to happen we can’t see each other anymore.”
His grip tightening around the mug, Sanghyuk’s tone is hurt when he responds. “Just like that? You’re going to throw me away just like that?”
Shaking his head, Taekwoon almost looks frustrated. “I’m not throwing you away. We’re going to have a role in each other’s lives whether we want to or not,” he casts a glance to where Sanghyuk knows his symbol to be before his eyes flicker back down to meet Sanghyuk’s gaze full on. “I just think that we both know your heart does not lie with me. Not romantically, at the very least.”
Sanghyuk holds the gaze, almost in an act of defiance before realising something. Looking into Taekwoon’s eyes, he feels familiarity but he does not feel love, not in the romantic sense. There’s warmth, but it’s the soft, easy type. Simple.
Seeing Sanghyuk’s expression shift, Taekwoon nods. “Now do you see?”
As much as he doesn't want to, he does. Exhaling softy, Sanghyuk nods. “Alright,” he says softly, “let’s break up.” Sanghyuk has difficulty raising his gaze to meet Taekwoon’s, but manages it in the end. He feels like he owes him that much at least.
Rising from his seat, Sanghyuk starts to head for the door.
Standing up as well, Taekwoon accompanies Sanghyuk to the front door, watching his soul mate with worried eyes. Sanghyuk turns around before he leaves. “I suppose this is it.”
True to form, Taekwoon isn’t vocal with his response, choosing instead to take a step forward, hugging Sanghyuk’s shaking body close. Sanghyuk is slow to reciprocate, and when he does he does not hug Taekwoon any closer. Upon separating, he begins to turn away, but pauses when he hears his soul mate speak. “Wait.”
Taekwoon smiles suddenly, and though it’s small it’s definitely there. “Don’t worry, Sanghyuk-ah. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”
Sanghyuk smiles briefly, but does not respond any further before turning and walking away from the one person he’s been searching for his entire life.
-
A grand total of five boxes stand stacked by the front entrance of the door. That’s two more than he had arrived with, not counting his backpack in which other items are stored. He’s not even sure he wants to move on with all that junk, but the decision (like many others he has made) is too quick and sudden for him to make any planning in advance. Sanghyuk is going to leave, and he is going to leave now.
Sanghyuk drifts through the apartment, starting with his bedroom and ending in the main living room connected to the kitchen, eyes ghosting over the bare walls and ignoring how bland and lifeless the overall place feels now that nothing is scattered around, no take-out boxes sit on the bench, no laughter bounces off the walls.
Every piece of furniture in the apartment has been covered, and when Sanghyuk sits on the sheet-covered couch he does his best to ignore the uncomfortable linen beneath his body as he stares at the coffee table. On top of it sits a brochure that’s innocuous enough on its own, but Sanghyuk stares at it with shoulders so heavy that he feels he’s weighted down with bricks. The beach-side retreat it advertises looks great and is at a price that’s to die for, but despite the promise of a fresh start, for the first time in his life Sanghyuk has no desire to get up and go.
Maybe it’s because of the snide voice in his mind telling him that if he leaves now, he’ll only be doing what he does best; running away.
Groaning out loud, Sanghyuk leans back, pressing the sheet flat against the back of the seat as he stares up at the white ceiling. The plan is simple enough; pack up, leave, then start up anew elsewhere, mingling with people he has never seen before and will never need to know. It would be so simple to leave as if he has never set foot on these grounds, but when he closes his eyes and tries to numb himself for the journey ahead, all he can remember is Hongbin’s earnest gaze and Taekwoon’s supportive encouragement. He can’t leave his business here unfinished.
Eyes still closed, for the first time in a while Sanghyuk allows his mind to travel. He traipses over thin, dry grass and breathes in the perfume of the flowers by his feet. He remembers his father who he hasn't seen in such a long time, remembers running through the park with his mother when young, marveling at the discovery of the clovers in the ground that almost seemed to match with the one hovering above his head.
His mind dances between memories and fantasy, intertwining the two until finally resting at the crystal-clear memory of the beach. Opening his eyes, Sanghyuk wanders over to the front door. His goal is the box on top of the pile by the door. Carefully opening it, he rummages around inside until eventually extracting the familiar creamy shell.
Returning back to the couch, Sanghyuk turns the conch over in his hands. He notes that the edge is slightly chipped. How ironic. It’s just like our relationship, he muses with some dark humour, once fine and now damaged.
But it doesn’t have to stay ruined, his mind whispers. The relationship is salvageable.
Sanghyuk sets the conch down gently on the table beside the brochure. A decision needs to be reached soon.
Reaching into his pocket, Sanghyuk pulls out his mobile phone. He glances at the time notes the display depicting late afternoon. From experience, he knows that Hongbin is probably out grocery shopping at this time of day. Fingers moving before his mind has a chance to talk himself out of it, he dials the number quickly.
A few moments later and the person on the other end picks up.
“Hello?” the voice on the other end is crackly and distorted, but Sanghyuk can still hear the uncertainty in Hongbin’s tone.
Casting a final look at the boxes lying beside the door, he turns away and makes up his mind. “Hyung, we need to talk. Where are you now?”
-
Sanghyuk shifts uneasily from one foot to the other, observing the way the grass remains flattened beneath his feet. Beside him is Hongbin, dressed impeccably as always and with an expression so absent of malice and negativity that Sanghyuk’s heart almost breaks in on itself, so guilty does he feel for putting the other through so much trouble.
Hongbin is quiet, like Taekwoon allowing Sanghyuk to initiate conversation first. He sits down on the dry grass, patting the spot beside him as a cue for Sanghyuk to sit beside him. He does so, somewhat awkwardly.
Sanghyuk is just so unsure. Unsure about what will happen from here on out, unsure about whether he’s doing something that will be good in the long run and unsure about himself in general, but when Hongbin turns to look at him with a gaze that expectant, he knows he can run no longer. Even then, the most Sanghyuk can begin with is an apology.
“I’m sorry, Hongbin-hyung.”
A confused frown crosses Hongbin’s features. “What for?” He asks carefully.
Sanghyuk shrugs, lies down flat on his back and stares at the clouds. “I’m sorry that I’m uncommitted to anyone and still don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean?” Confusion laces each syllable.
“I broke up with Taekwoon-hyung. Actually, he was the one who broke up with me.” Sanghyuk laughs shortly before closing his eyes, heart lurching at the memory. “Isn’t it strange? I spent my whole life pining after that one stranger I was destined for, and in the end agree to separate from him. What kind of person does that make me?”
Hongbin is silent, pausing to think before speaking. “I think that makes you human,” he says eventually, staring Sanghyuk solidly in the eyes when he turns his face towards him. “It’s fine if your direction in life changes, Sanghyuk-ah. Isn’t it good to go down multiple paths rather than one?”
Sanghyuk considers this, Hongbin pausing to let him think. “I suppose,” he shrugs, frustration etched in his gaze, “but… I still don’t have an answer for you, Hongbin-hyung.”
That’s the crux of the matter. He’s stuck at a stalemate, unsure of which way the pendulum will swing next, unsure about exactly where he’s going to go next. It’s the first time in his life Sanghyuk has ever felt like he needs directions, but they aren’t available to him now.
Hongbin surprises him by shaking his head. “No, I think you do. You’re just afraid of saying it.” His hands drift to cup either side of Sanghyuk’s face, hands warm from the sun and the blood running in his veins. There’s that look again, that one that Sanghyuk can now place a name to. Love.
Sanghyuk falters. “I don’t know.”
Shaking his head, Hongbin almost looks disappointed. “You do know. Just say it, Sanghyuk-ah. Do it for the both of us.”
Three simple words. Out of context he can say them to anyone with a straight face and zero hesitance, but now that he’s staring Hongbin in the eyes and his emotions are swelling to the point he’s almost afraid he’ll burst, he doesn’t know if he can do it. It goes against everything that has been ingrained in his body and mind since young, a rebellious idea against the wants of the majority.
But this isn’t the majority; this is Hongbin and himself. In this case, the majority are of the same opinion.
Freshly determined, Sanghyuk inhales deeply, releasing the breath in a soundless sigh before speaking the words.
“I like you, Hongbin-hyung.”
It’s the first time he’s said the words out loud, to himself or to anyone else, and he watches, amused despite himself at the way Hongbin does a double take at the words, shock eventually ebbing away to bright, unadulterated joy. “You do?”
Sanghyuk mock frowns, a tingling giddiness spreading throughout his body, mind liberated and heart lighter. It feels like he can breathe easier now, like shackles have fallen from his soul. “Don’t make me take back what I said.”
“No, don’t do that,” Hongbin says hurriedly, shaking his head in panic. “I heard you, loud and clear.” A smile so serene it makes Sanghyuk want to bury his head in the ground spreads across his face. “I like you too, Sanghyukkie.”
Snorting, Sanghyuk sits up, Hongbin’s hands travelling from his face down until his arms loop loosely around his neck.
“What-“
“I’m going to kiss you now, you’ve kept me waiting for way too long.” Hongbin informs him, swooping down and claiming his lips before Sanghyuk has a chance to protest.
“It’s ok if you don’t know what to do next,” Hongbin whispers to him when they separate, eyes bright and smile infectious, “we can work things out together. That should be fine with you, right?”
The symbols above their heads are a perfect mismatch, but it doesn’t matter; their hearts are identical anyway.
(Much, much later Sanghyuk curses to himself. Hongbin asks what’s wrong, wondering if his waist injury has gotten worse. Sanghyuk simply wails and slaps a hand to his forehead. He’s already booked a vacation home beside the beach, he explains. No refunds. Hongbin shrugs cheerfully, says they’re going on a trip and that’s the end of the matter.)
a/n:
- let it be said now that this fic would not have happened were it not for the fab beta work of horrours and tiny unhelpful commentary from vipharr_san
- first VIXX fic! Mixed feelings about it to be honest but please treat my entrance kindly huhu
- In the end it went very k-drama cliche didn't it OTL
Fandom: VIXX
Pairing: hyukbin(main), luck
Rating: T+
Genre: ~
Word Count: 14,468w
Summary: Soulmate!AU; All his life, Sanghyuk has been searching for the one
Originally posted at forvixx for vixxsix!
They travel to the beach despite the chilly weather, laughing as their knees knock together on the bus and withholding complaints about how long the trip takes. It’s all worth it once they arrive, Sanghyuk being roused from sleep by Hongbin cooing “Aww Hyukkie, you’re like a big baby!” from beside him. In retaliation, he makes Hongbin piggyback him off the bus. It earns them some weird stares, but he doesn’t care. He’s never seen any of those symbols in his life, and he doesn’t think he’s going to again anytime soon. Besides, Hongbin’s body is a warm comfort for his sleepy mind.
Once near the sand, Sanghyuk jumps off and runs the rest of the distance on his own. He vaguely senses Hongbin approaching at a more sedate pace from behind, hears the loud roar of the bus as it drives off once more. Pausing to pull off his shoes and socks, Sanghyuk dumps his bag beside them before he is off running once more.
The wind tugs at his clothes and the sand is cold against his feet, but Sanghyuk doesn’t stop until he reaches the shoreline, eyes trained on the sight spread before him.
An infinity of ocean lies before him, a deceptively calm carpet which shivers with every miniscule blow of the wind, rippling like curtains in a breeze. It's a somewhat odd sight, seeing the typically brilliant hue of blue now with grey undertones in the considerably chilly weather, but Sanghyuk privately thinks that it's not any less beautiful.
Certainly not what typical travel agencies would advertise, but there's a charm concealed in the silvers of the sand and the hush of the area. Winter is quiet, here.
“It’s not what you expected, is it?” Hongbin has finally caught up to him, voice smug.
Sanghyuk nods, nudges at the sand with his shoes. “I didn’t know this place existed.”
Hongbin laughs, a sunny thing that seems to lighten the otherwise grey surroundings. "I'd be surprised if you did! I've lived here for longer, but even I didn't find this beach until... I'd say, a few years back? It wasn’t even me who found it." His smile flickers as his eyes shift distractedly, but when Sanghyuk blinks he’s back to normal. "I've always wanted to return, and today was a good opportunity."
"Well then, thank you very much for sharing your secret sanctuary with me." Sanghyuk sketches a mock bow, hands clasped before his body.
Hongbin laughs as he tugs him up from the bow before adapting a serious pose of his own. "You are very welcome, young sir." The severity lasts for a split second before a Cheshire smile appears on Sanghyuk's features as he pushes Hongbin, not hard enough to make him fall but enough to make him stumble into the water.
He shrieks upon contact. “Yah! It’s cold!”
Sanghyuk laughs and sticks his tongue out at the other.
Hongbin shakes water from his feet before darting forward and pushing Sanghyuk in the water.
The younger male yelps at the sudden attack of the frigid, icy ocean enveloping his feet, jumping away from the water long before it begins to recede. “Are there ice cubes in the water or something?”
Hongbin laughs, lifting his camera to snap a photo of Sanghyuk's expression. "Don't be silly."
Sanghyuk waits until Hongbin has set the camera down beside their bags, then pulls him into the water with him. He repeats Hongbin's words back at him when he screeches about being placed in a freezer, and Hongbin flicks seaweed at him in response.
Before they leave, sometime after Hongbin is dared to taste the water ("Salty! Eww!") and an obligatory sea-shell has been collected (marble-pink and cream, medium in size), they take a selca together.
Knees bump like on the bus. Their feet are encased by damp sand courtesy of them attempting to bury each other, and they sit with identical awkward yet sincere smiles on their faces. Hongbin slings an arm around Sanghyuk's shoulders and says "Kimchi!", and just before the pose breaks Sanghyuk turns once more to face the ocean with the comfort of Hongbin's arm around him. One day, he'll travel to every place it touches. For now, he’s content.
"Your eyes are deep." Hongbin comments.
"On the contrary, they're quite small," Sanghyuk counters, laughing as his hyung rolls his eyes at the lame response. Dragging his gaze away from the sea, his tone is sincere when he next speaks, "thanks for bringing me here, hyung."
Hongbin shrugs, smiling back. "Seemed like you needed to get away from things for a while."
Halting in surprise, Sanghyuk stares at the other with open shock. He has never told Hongbin about his travelling whims and desires, and though he could have meant anything by it, his observation is scarily in tune with Sanghyuk's recent desires.
Hongbin doesn’t notice his amazement; by now he has turned back to face the ocean, soft smile on his face as he watches the sun suspended over the water. Somewhere in Sanghyuk’s mind, he distractedly makes the observation that Hongbin’s smiles like sunlight through a curtain; never failing to infiltrate to the core, bathing the surroundings in warmth.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Hongbin murmurs, eyes trained on the horizon as he raises the camera to take the perfect shot.
“Yes, it is.” Sanghyuk agrees distractedly, the direction of his gaze unchanged.
-
Sanghyuk’s heater has broken down. It isn’t surprising given the cheap price and the lack of care he had exhibited upon purchasing it, but it does make things complicated. Sanghyuk rolls from his place on the floor to gaze dolefully at Hongbin. “The heater has broken down,” he announces.
Hongbin’s eyes flicker from the TV screen to his face. “Ah, I was wondering why it was cold.”
“I’ll go get blankets.” Sanghyuk pushes himself up, stumbling slightly on the ends of his too-long pants before making his way to the cupboard. He extracts two large blankets which had been purchased in the first city he had visited, and when he shakes them out the creases remain, evidence of sparse usage. When he returns, Hongbin is still. In his hands is a familiar black device.
Sanghyuk panics.
“No, don’t touch it!”
His voice comes out a lot louder than intended, and Hongbin is startled into dropping the mp3 player where it falls harmlessly to the coffee table. He’s quick to apologise, the words spilling rushed from his lips “What, I’m sorry, I just saw it and I was curious-“
“It was a gift from Taekwoon-hyung.” Sanghyuk interrupts, his voice still somewhat chilly.
A look eerily similar to the one Hongbin had worn when Sanghyuk had first told him about Taekwoon appears again. “Oh, from your soul mate?”
“Yes.” Sanghyuk says shortly, before sitting back down, blankets still in his grasp. “Taekwoon-hyung would have asked for permission first.” He mutters to himself, bringing his knees up under his chin.
“If you like your Taekwoon-hyung so much, then why don’t you go to him now?” The remark is so quiet Sanghyuk is not entirely sure he has heard right, but when he looks up Hongbin is staring into his lap, eyes frighteningly distant.
“Hongbin-hyung?” he asks carefully, his own petty annoyance forgotten in the wake of something that seems to run much deeper.
It’s like a switch has been flipped by his voice alone. Looking up with a too-perfect smile, Hongbin responds a beat too late. “Yes, Hyukkie?”
Sanghyuk doesn’t respond immediately, eyes probing the other’s expression. Maybe he heard wrong. But there’s something about his smile… it’s too forced, insincere. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?” Hongbin’s smile grows even brighter as he reaches out to straighten things up on the table before him. He pauses when he reaches the mp3 player which had been the catalyst to the stifling atmosphere now, then drops his hands back to his lap. It’s all too unnatural to have the desired effect of putting Sanghyuk at ease.
The movie is playing in the background, but he was never paying much attention to it anyway. “Something is bothering you, hyung. What is it?”
Hongbin’s strange not-quite-a-smile grows tighter. “You can sometimes be rather clueless, Sanghyuk-ah.” He doesn’t even attempt to smile anymore, the grimace dropping to be replaced with something Sanghyuk is unable to categorise.
Sanghyuk frowns. His mind briefly acknowledges that Hongbin has once again reverted to calling him by his nickname, and something in his chest feels heavy at the implications of this. “What? Clueless about what?”
The elder gives a dry laugh. “No, there’s no point in me telling you. Don’t worry.”
“Hongbin-hyu-“
“Don’t. Don’t bother.” Hongbin cuts him off. His voice has gone quiet. He sounds tired. “Just… leave me alone for now, okay.”
A sudden loud noise from the movie playing jolts them back to attention, bringing back that infuriating smile. “I think I’ll go home now.” Hongbin says, rising from his place on the couch. He has been seated there for so long the imprint of his body takes a few moments to smooth back out.
Sanghyuk doesn’t know how to react. All he can remember is a similar scene not too long ago, Hakyeon with his vibrant red hair which had seemed to darken with his emotions when he stormed out on him. He doesn’t want Hongbin to be another Hakyeon, but he can’t make himself say anything, not when he thinks there’s so much here he doesn’t understand.
“Hyung?”
Hongbin doesn’t turn back to look at him when he leaves. Sanghyuk reminds himself it shouldn’t matter.
-
From: Hongbin-hyung
Sorry about yesterday. I had a few things on my mind and I took it out on you.
To: Hongbin-hyung
It's ok. I understand.
The slight, almost imperceptible line his brows have set in ease slightly, and Sanghyuk sets his phone gently on the table after apologising to Taekwoon for being so rude. Taekwoon nods that it's okay, sipping at the coffee in his hands with a look of such content the younger male almost begins to wonder if he should feel jealous of the porcelain cup containing the rich, caramel liquid.
Hands cupped around the warmth of his own cup, Sanghyuk is only able to take a sip before his phone buzzes again.
"Sorry." his face flushes slightly when Taekwoon looks up at him questioningly, but his soul mate simply smiles and gestures to the phone.
"It's alright. You can respond if you want." As if to second him, Sanghyuk's phone buzzes again.
From: Hongbin-hyung
I can make it up to you?? Are you free today?
From: Hongbin-hyung
Hello???? Sanghyukkie?? You didn't fall asleep, did you?
Thankful that Taekwoon doesn't seem to overly mind him responding (he knows some partners can be quite possessive, but it doesn't seem like Taekwoon is that type of person), he responds quickly.
To: Hongbin-hyung
I'm out with Taekwoon hyung at the moment.
To: Hongbin-hyung
But I'm free for dinner.
I want homecooked.
The response is instantaneous, almost as if Hongbin had been doing nothing but staring at his phone waiting for a reply. Sanghyuk frowns. He's sure Hongbin has more things to do with his time.
From: Hongbin-hyung
TT What? You sure? What if I poison you?
Sanghyuk almost snorts, but conscious of his surroundings and the person seated opposite him, he refrains from doing so.
To: Hongbin-hyung
....
From: Hongbin-hyung
Okay, okay. Consider it done!
Satisfied with the conversation, Sanghyuk turns off the display on his phone and pushes it to the edge of the table once more. It remains mercifully silent; it seems like Hongbin too is done with his side of the conversation.
The phone now out of the way, Sanghyuk picks up his fork and takes a bite of the vanilla cake slice sitting before him. The sweet taste mixes smoothly with the coffee he has been sipping, and not for the first time today he wonders why he has not eaten more cake in his years of existing thus far. The silence between Taekwoon and himself is a comfortable, calm blanket that encases their small table silently, and Sanghyuk finds himself able to relax.
It's a little strange, he muses, legs idly uncrossing, that he is so at ease around his soul mate. Taekwoon's initial impression is admittedly not the most welcoming, and though there are a few situations in which he doesn't know how to conduct himself around the elder, the majority of the time Sanghyuk spends with him feels completely comfortable.
Perhaps it's due to the fact that they're soul mates; they're extremely compatible, and this just strengthens that fact. His grip on the cup loosens slightly as he ponders this. Yes, that's probably why.
"Who was that?" Taekwoon's voice is quiet yet feels like a loudspeaker in the silence. Sanghyuk's eyes flicker to meet the other's as he gestures to the phone.
Slightly surprised that Taekwoon is initiating a conversation on this topic of all things, Sanghyuk fumbles slightly before responding.
"A hyung that I met a while ago. He's actually my neighbour." A light, exasperated smile appears unconsciously as he shakes his head. "He’s not that important actually, he just likes to bug me."
Taekwoon frowns. "Does he annoy you?" Want me to do something about it? The implied question hangs in the air.
"Oh no, not like that." Sanghyuk is quick to shake his head. He doesn't want to bring trouble to Hongbin. "He's really kind," Sanghyuk says, thinking of the easy smiles and the unannounced company that he has grown so accustomed to, "and sometimes can be a little annoying." He laughs shortly, before setting down his cup and smiling ruefully. "He's a good person, though. I think you'd like him if you met him, Taekwoon-hyung."
The elder male considers this, sipping his coffee carefully. His broad shoulders hunch as he drinks, and when he sets down his cup he nods. "A friend of yours would be a friend of mine, Sanghyuk-ah."
From there, the topic drifts to various odds and ends, ranging from Sanghyuk's job at the store (predictable and a little regretful because he doesn't know how to play any of the instruments) to Taekwoon offering to teach him how to play piano next time they meet, to various other subjects.
Completely comfortable, Sanghyuk doesn't notice the time slipping by until Taekwoon makes a note of how late it has gotten.
"Ah, I'll need to be home soon." Hand raising to hit his forehead at his own forgetful memory, Sanghyuk recalls the text conversation with Hongbin from earlier. Glancing outside, he notes the gradually darkening sky and grows a worried frown upon realising the time is later than he had assumed.
Taekwoon nods, draining the last dredges of coffee from his cup before placing the empty porcelain back onto the table. Rising from his seat, he offers a hand to the younger male. "I'll walk you home."
Light dusting of rose gracing his features at the chivalrous action of his soul mate, Sanghyuk accepts the hand and allows himself to be raised to his feet. Mimicking Taekwoon's actions with the remains of his own coffee, the two head outside long before the aftertaste has a chance to settle on his tongue.
-
The bright sweater is the first warning Sanghyuk has. Familiar in stature, the figure approaches from the opposite end of the street. Sanghyuk initially does not give the man any thought; he has grown so accustomed to the neighborhood that he has learned to treat everything as a normal occurrence.
It's only once he has reached his apartment and drawn closer to the other figure does he realise that the person is someone he knows, a familiar voice calling out that nickname that only one person knows of and uses.
"Hyukkie!"
"Yo, Hongbin-hyung." Sanghyuk greets, feels Taekwoon's grip on his hand grow tighter and turns to meet the questioning gaze in his soul mate's features.
Knowing he has no choice but to make introductions, he plasters a smile on his face and waits until Hongbin draws nearer before introducing the two to each other.
"Hongbin-hyung, meet Taekwoon-hyung. Taekwoon-hyung, meet Hongbin-hyung. I mentioned him earlier."
Understanding dawns in Taekwoon's eyes as he nods. "He's that hyung?" his voice is softer now that they're no longer alone, but thankfully there is no unnecessarily loud background noise. "Nice to meet you." he extends a hand out for a handshake.
The confused look is still on Hongbin's features when he reaches out to shake Taekwoon's hand. "Nice to meet you too... you've heard of me?"
"All because someone decided it'd be fun to constantly text me earlier today." Sanghyuk shoots a mock glare at his hyung.
"You cheeky--" Hongbin raises his arm as if to sling it onto Sanghyuk's shoulders because they're both cool with skin ship and it's how they normally act when they're together, but despite the fact that it's pretty much second nature he hesitates, remembering that they're not alone. Sanghyuk has his soul mate with him, and as Hongbin remembers Taekwoon's presence he makes an awkward transition to ruffle his own hair instead. "Well, guess I can't argue with that. I was bored, okay?"
Sanghyuk coughs. Hongbin's change of mind has not gone unnoticed. It leaves a somewhat uncomfortable feeling in the air, like the way humidity makes moisture linger on the neck. Even when Taekwoon excuses himself and they finally enter Sanghyuk's apartment, there's a strange feeling in the atmosphere which cannot be ignored.
-
"What's for dinner?" Sanghyuk drifts into the kitchen, damp towel covering his blond locks as he returns from taking a shower. In his absence, Hongbin has busied himself with dinner preparations, and stands by the stove as promised. He's stirring a pot with the same concentration Sanghyuk recalls seeing on the faces of his classmates come exam day.
Hongbin doesn't look up immediately; it's only when Sanghyuk goes to sneak a piece of meat from a plate does he finally look up with laughter in his eyes, swatting the younger male's hand away with a spoon.
"We're having pasta today." Hongbin says, depositing the meat into what seems like some sort of creamy sauce. "It's one of only three dishes I can cook, be honoured."
Sanghyuk bows in reverence, reminiscent to the one he had done on the beach. He has a lot less space to move in his apartment; he almost hits his head on the bench before him, but the towel on his head provides a somewhat padded safety barrier.
His hyung is laughing at him when he straightens, and in retaliation he swipes a finger against the spoon Hongbin holds, gathering a decent amount of pasta sauce on his finger.
Hongbin never sees it coming.
"Yah!" His shriek is loud and high in pitch, and he reaches out instinctively to push the giggling male away only to grasp air; Sanghyuk has already danced out of his reach, towel falling off his head as he does and transferring to his shoulders.
"This is war, Hyukkie." Hongbin says, slow and deadly.
Sanghyuk pauses to blow a raspberry at the other before high-tailing it out of the kitchen, the elder hot on his heels. Pausing in the doorway to the bathroom, he yells "Make sure the food doesn't burn, you promised me an edible dinner!" before slamming the door shut in Hongbin's face, laughing at the ridiculous sight of a handsome face contorted in such a bewildered expression.
When he finally exits after a considerable amount of time, it's to see Hongbin sitting with an exasperated smile at their usual spot on the couch, Sanghyuk's various bits of junk that was on the table now on the floor. Sanghyuk leisurely flops down in a gangly heap beside him.
"Dinner is served." Hongbin gestures to the table before them and Sanghyuk looks with an appraising gaze. He laughs when he notices the 'centrepiece' of the table.
"I didn't know shells were a good substitute for a vase of flowers." Laughing, Sanghyuk reaches over to pick up the familiar conch that they had picked up from the beach.
Hongbin shrugs, spearing a bit of pasta with his fork. "What can I say, I know how to be both thrifty and sentimental.” He watches as Sanghyuk takes the first bite of the food. "How is it?"
Sanghyuk tastes the food in his mouth, tongue roaming over the creamy texture before chewing thoughtfully. It's tasty, with the same warm feeling that he feels from Hongbin sometimes when he smiles or drags him away to yet another activity of random choosing.
"It's good," he concludes, surprise evident in his voice. Hongbin whacks him on the arm.
"Yah, have some more faith in your hyung!"
-
"You don't have to help me clean up if you don't want to, you know." Hands covered with soapy suds, Sanghyuk examines a fork before rinsing it off and deducing it clean.
Hongbin adds a plate to the drying rack as he snorts derisively. "What's gotten into you? Normally you'd be trying to make me do all the cleaning."
"Yeah, but you cooked today so the circumstances are different," Sanghyuk pokes his tongue out at the other before returning his attention to the dishes before him. "Since you cooked today, you're exempt from cleaning up... but if you insist on staying, I won't protest." He grins cheekily at his hyung, earning him an exasperated shake of the head in response. "Where did you learn to cook, anyway?"
"From my sister, believe it or not. Years ago." Hongbin replies, distracted as he wrinkles his nose when Sanghyuk drops a fork a bit too forcefully, a couple of miniscule droplets of water hitting his nose.
Sanghyuk smiles to himself as he tries to imagine it. "Aww, that must have been cute. Little Hongbinnie-hyung, learning to cook!"
The elder male grins good-naturedly, shaking his head. "You're one to talk. I bet you were a drooling, nappy-wetting little kid when I was that age," he laughs, nudging the younger male with his hip.
However, he miscalculates his strength and the slippiness of the floor, and with a startled cry Sanghyuk slips in a quick, ungraceful fall onto the hard surface, limbs askew and an expression so shocked it would be comical were it not for the grimace of pain clear in his features.
Sitting up from the floor, a curse slips out from his lips as Sanghyuk instantly places a hand on his waist, rubbing a spot that's sure to bruise later.
"Oh crap. Sorry!" Crouching down, Hongbin eyes him worriedly, hands fluttering as if not knowing what to do. "Are you alright?"
"Never better." Sanghyuk groans, lies down so his body is parallel to the floor before deciding that the ground is too hard and sitting back up, doing his best to ignore his waist. It doesn't seem like he has sustained any particularly gruesome injuries so he rises to his feet, Hongbin worriedly hovering next to him. He looks like he wants to check the injury for himself, see if he's hiding a broken bone or something, but Sanghyuk reckons he's fine. Probably.
He makes to take a step forward and stumbles. Hongbin's there in an instant, supportive arm wrapped around his waist, fingers still damp from the soapy water and pressing into his thin shirt as he peers into Sanghyuk's face with a "You should rest, Hyukkie" and all of a sudden he's close, way too close with his arm a lot lower than what Sanghyuk's used to and his face mere centimetres away from his own.
From this distance the blond can't see the symbol hovering over the over's head and he can't see the one above his own, and not for the first time his mind begins to wonder what would happen if the two of theirs matched up.
The tension in the air shifts to something almost tangible, escaping from Sanghyuk's mind and infecting the atmosphere until the change seems to register in Hongbin’s expression. He's staring Sanghyuk down with uncertain eyes, worry having morphed into another look, that same one where Sanghyuk's initial response is to turn away, not wanting to acknowledge the presence of emotions he doesn't want to be real. It's impossible; unfeasible.
"Sanghyuk-ah?"
His voice is trembling slightly, as uncertain as his expression. The tone of his voice is such a far cry from his usually bubbly and confident self that Sanghyuk's eyes involuntarily flicker back up to make sure that what he’s hearing matches with what he’s seeing, taking in the emotions raw as day and complex as night.
Hongbin still has an arm around him and the damp shirt is sticking to the small of his back in a way that is more uncomfortable than anything, but before he can even attempt to shift from his position Hongbin tightens his grip, gaze lowering to his lips as he murmurs something softly that sounds vaguely like "Let me be selfish right now". Sanghyuk barely has time to stumble out a confused response back before his lips are captured in a kiss, Hongbin closing the distance and pulling him closer in one fluid movement.
They're so close it almost feels like their hearts beat perfectly in sync, as erratic as their breathing with minds running on instinct and not much else. Sanghyuk's hands rest lightly on either side of Hongbin's waist, involuntarily fisting his shirt when Hongbin miscalculates the angle when he moves their positions, noses bumping awkwardly.
It seems like all he wants to convey and more has been packaged up tightly and placed into the kiss, seal breaking upon contact and spilling out with a passion that almost juxtaposes Hongbin's otherwise simple personality. Were it not for the fact that Sanghyuk has always known this has been brimming beneath the surface, he would be more surprised. However, as much as he has been willingly blind, as much as he prefers the illusion of a simple friendship, Sanghyuk has always known this to be the truth. The truth of the matter is that these feelings exist.
Then, Sanghyuk remembers.
Taekwoon. His soul mate. He's not fated to be with Hongbin; destiny has chosen Taekwoon.
His hands drift to the front of Hongbin's chest, and with a surprising amount of difficulty he pushes him away, taking the time that it takes for Hongbin to get his bearings to attempt to school his expression into one that does not betray his inner conflict.
Hongbin doesn't look surprised as he smiles faintly, fingers adjusting his shirt. "I suppose I can't be surprised that's your reaction. Had it coming, really." He seems disappointed, a strange sort of broken, and Sanghyuk feels an unsettling twinge in his chest at the sight. Something's not right.
"Why-" me? "How can you-" he doesn't know how that sentence is meant to finish. "I already have a soul mate," he finally finishes weakly.
Hongbin shakes his head. "You think I don't know that?" Sanghyuk feels a flare of anger, opens his mouth to yell something when Hongbin holds up a hand to pause him, wanting to continue to talk. "No, there's something that you don't understand. My soul mate was my sister."
What?
Hongbin emits a mirthless chuckle when he notices Sanghyuk's expression. "Yeah, rare isn't it?" he doesn't wait for an answer before continuing, "She was a good person, you know? Model student, kind, we barely had any disagreements, but I suppose that's due to the fact that our souls were compatible." He pauses to bring his legs up, arms beneath his chin. "The thing is, even though we were soul mates, we didn't have any romantic inclination for each other at all. Just as well," he pauses, attempting to smile but the outcome looking as bleak as a grey sky, "she died a few years ago. Car crash, no survivors. Just got her license, too."
Sanghyuk's mind is reeling with all the information.
"So, you see? A soul mate doesn't mean that person is destined to be your lover. Or that destiny even chooses your lover. God, that's so cheesy." He barks out a laugh before shaking his head.
"Just... well, I like you. I have for a while, and I'm not going to stop doing so anytime soon." Hongbin's staring him in the eye with the infuriatingly earnest and honest look on his face, face neither smiling nor upset. "I don't think our love lives are dictated by whatever being is playing match up with the symbols over our heads, but I like to think we have a say. The question is, what's yours?"
Sanghyuk's mind is still trying to catch up. Eventually it gives up, going blank. "I don't know," he says finally, weary and honest as he rises from his spot and walks mutedly out of the apartment.
He's not sure what hurts more, his waist or his heart.
-
Taekwoon's home is simple yet homely, a perfect representation of his personality from the alphabetically organised books to the tidiness of the tables. Sanghyuk curls up on the couch, sinking into the soft cushion and staring into his lap as Taekwoon settles down beside him, offering a mug of tea. Stumbling out his apologies for intruding, Sanghyuk had been more than grateful for Taekwoon’s high levels of perception as he had only needed one look at him before opening the door wider and inviting him in.
"He likes you, doesn't he." Taekwoon’s expression is impassive as Sanghyuk slowly pieces together vague details of the evening, only speaking up when it’s clear Sanghyuk does not know how to continue.
"W-What?" Sanghyuk very nearly falls from the couch. His hyung simply nods as if Sanghyuk's reaction has only affirmed what he knows already.
"Hongbin, your friend," Taekwoon clarifies, somewhat unnecessarily as Sanghyuk is well aware of who he's speaking about, "he confessed to you, didn't he?"
Unable to deny the truth, Sanghyuk's body is tense as he slowly nods, confirming Taekwoon's assumption. Taekwoon exhales before adapting a contemplative expression on his face that only serves to increase Sanghyuk’s agitation.
Taekwoon smiles softly when he notices his expression. "Don't worry, I'm not angry." He doesn’t pause for long enough for Sanghyuk to begin to relax. "That said, I'm not surprised, either." For the first time in a while since he met him, Sanghyuk sees Taekwoon hesitate, unsure about what he's going to say next.
Deciding to prompt him to continue, Sanghyuk picks up his cup again, fingers greedy for warmth as he asks "Why is that?"
Taekwoon’s eyes watch Sanghyuk carefully. "When you told me about him, I noticed something." Hesitating again, Taekwoon takes a sip of his tea before continuing. "You talk about Hongbin like he's a treasure you can't let go of.”
Whatever Sanghyuk had been expecting, it isn’t this. The revelation hits him like a slap, hard and sudden. "But that's impossible..." it can't be, it goes against everything he knows, "we're soul mates, after all. Why would I..." even fall for him? Trying to fumble for answers in his chaotic mind, he grabs for answers that aren't readily accessible.
Taekwoon shakes his head. “We may be soul mates, but I don’t think what we have is love, Sanghyuk-ah.”
“How can you say that?” A sting of betrayal jolting through him, Sanghyuk frowns openly at the other male.
“You have never been infatuated with me, Sanghyuk-ah.” Taekwoon tells him with that ever-soft voice, eyes gentle as he watches Sanghyuk’s composure crumbling like a sandcastle in the wind. “I think we were so caught up in the idea of finding our soul mate that we lost sight of what’s essential for this relationship to work.” He sets down his now empty mug with a finality that’s present in his next sentence.
When he next speaks, it's with a tone that's soft yet firm. “I think we should break up.”
Sanghyuk has been expecting this to be brought up at some point in the conversation, but now that Taekwoon has suggested it, he’s not sure how to respond. “Why?” His mind tells him to be upset, but curiously enough his heart feels like it doesn’t hurt as much as it should.
Taekwoon sighs quietly. “You need to work out what you want, and for that to happen we can’t see each other anymore.”
His grip tightening around the mug, Sanghyuk’s tone is hurt when he responds. “Just like that? You’re going to throw me away just like that?”
Shaking his head, Taekwoon almost looks frustrated. “I’m not throwing you away. We’re going to have a role in each other’s lives whether we want to or not,” he casts a glance to where Sanghyuk knows his symbol to be before his eyes flicker back down to meet Sanghyuk’s gaze full on. “I just think that we both know your heart does not lie with me. Not romantically, at the very least.”
Sanghyuk holds the gaze, almost in an act of defiance before realising something. Looking into Taekwoon’s eyes, he feels familiarity but he does not feel love, not in the romantic sense. There’s warmth, but it’s the soft, easy type. Simple.
Seeing Sanghyuk’s expression shift, Taekwoon nods. “Now do you see?”
As much as he doesn't want to, he does. Exhaling softy, Sanghyuk nods. “Alright,” he says softly, “let’s break up.” Sanghyuk has difficulty raising his gaze to meet Taekwoon’s, but manages it in the end. He feels like he owes him that much at least.
Rising from his seat, Sanghyuk starts to head for the door.
Standing up as well, Taekwoon accompanies Sanghyuk to the front door, watching his soul mate with worried eyes. Sanghyuk turns around before he leaves. “I suppose this is it.”
True to form, Taekwoon isn’t vocal with his response, choosing instead to take a step forward, hugging Sanghyuk’s shaking body close. Sanghyuk is slow to reciprocate, and when he does he does not hug Taekwoon any closer. Upon separating, he begins to turn away, but pauses when he hears his soul mate speak. “Wait.”
Taekwoon smiles suddenly, and though it’s small it’s definitely there. “Don’t worry, Sanghyuk-ah. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”
Sanghyuk smiles briefly, but does not respond any further before turning and walking away from the one person he’s been searching for his entire life.
-
A grand total of five boxes stand stacked by the front entrance of the door. That’s two more than he had arrived with, not counting his backpack in which other items are stored. He’s not even sure he wants to move on with all that junk, but the decision (like many others he has made) is too quick and sudden for him to make any planning in advance. Sanghyuk is going to leave, and he is going to leave now.
Sanghyuk drifts through the apartment, starting with his bedroom and ending in the main living room connected to the kitchen, eyes ghosting over the bare walls and ignoring how bland and lifeless the overall place feels now that nothing is scattered around, no take-out boxes sit on the bench, no laughter bounces off the walls.
Every piece of furniture in the apartment has been covered, and when Sanghyuk sits on the sheet-covered couch he does his best to ignore the uncomfortable linen beneath his body as he stares at the coffee table. On top of it sits a brochure that’s innocuous enough on its own, but Sanghyuk stares at it with shoulders so heavy that he feels he’s weighted down with bricks. The beach-side retreat it advertises looks great and is at a price that’s to die for, but despite the promise of a fresh start, for the first time in his life Sanghyuk has no desire to get up and go.
Maybe it’s because of the snide voice in his mind telling him that if he leaves now, he’ll only be doing what he does best; running away.
Groaning out loud, Sanghyuk leans back, pressing the sheet flat against the back of the seat as he stares up at the white ceiling. The plan is simple enough; pack up, leave, then start up anew elsewhere, mingling with people he has never seen before and will never need to know. It would be so simple to leave as if he has never set foot on these grounds, but when he closes his eyes and tries to numb himself for the journey ahead, all he can remember is Hongbin’s earnest gaze and Taekwoon’s supportive encouragement. He can’t leave his business here unfinished.
Eyes still closed, for the first time in a while Sanghyuk allows his mind to travel. He traipses over thin, dry grass and breathes in the perfume of the flowers by his feet. He remembers his father who he hasn't seen in such a long time, remembers running through the park with his mother when young, marveling at the discovery of the clovers in the ground that almost seemed to match with the one hovering above his head.
His mind dances between memories and fantasy, intertwining the two until finally resting at the crystal-clear memory of the beach. Opening his eyes, Sanghyuk wanders over to the front door. His goal is the box on top of the pile by the door. Carefully opening it, he rummages around inside until eventually extracting the familiar creamy shell.
Returning back to the couch, Sanghyuk turns the conch over in his hands. He notes that the edge is slightly chipped. How ironic. It’s just like our relationship, he muses with some dark humour, once fine and now damaged.
But it doesn’t have to stay ruined, his mind whispers. The relationship is salvageable.
Sanghyuk sets the conch down gently on the table beside the brochure. A decision needs to be reached soon.
Reaching into his pocket, Sanghyuk pulls out his mobile phone. He glances at the time notes the display depicting late afternoon. From experience, he knows that Hongbin is probably out grocery shopping at this time of day. Fingers moving before his mind has a chance to talk himself out of it, he dials the number quickly.
A few moments later and the person on the other end picks up.
“Hello?” the voice on the other end is crackly and distorted, but Sanghyuk can still hear the uncertainty in Hongbin’s tone.
Casting a final look at the boxes lying beside the door, he turns away and makes up his mind. “Hyung, we need to talk. Where are you now?”
-
Sanghyuk shifts uneasily from one foot to the other, observing the way the grass remains flattened beneath his feet. Beside him is Hongbin, dressed impeccably as always and with an expression so absent of malice and negativity that Sanghyuk’s heart almost breaks in on itself, so guilty does he feel for putting the other through so much trouble.
Hongbin is quiet, like Taekwoon allowing Sanghyuk to initiate conversation first. He sits down on the dry grass, patting the spot beside him as a cue for Sanghyuk to sit beside him. He does so, somewhat awkwardly.
Sanghyuk is just so unsure. Unsure about what will happen from here on out, unsure about whether he’s doing something that will be good in the long run and unsure about himself in general, but when Hongbin turns to look at him with a gaze that expectant, he knows he can run no longer. Even then, the most Sanghyuk can begin with is an apology.
“I’m sorry, Hongbin-hyung.”
A confused frown crosses Hongbin’s features. “What for?” He asks carefully.
Sanghyuk shrugs, lies down flat on his back and stares at the clouds. “I’m sorry that I’m uncommitted to anyone and still don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean?” Confusion laces each syllable.
“I broke up with Taekwoon-hyung. Actually, he was the one who broke up with me.” Sanghyuk laughs shortly before closing his eyes, heart lurching at the memory. “Isn’t it strange? I spent my whole life pining after that one stranger I was destined for, and in the end agree to separate from him. What kind of person does that make me?”
Hongbin is silent, pausing to think before speaking. “I think that makes you human,” he says eventually, staring Sanghyuk solidly in the eyes when he turns his face towards him. “It’s fine if your direction in life changes, Sanghyuk-ah. Isn’t it good to go down multiple paths rather than one?”
Sanghyuk considers this, Hongbin pausing to let him think. “I suppose,” he shrugs, frustration etched in his gaze, “but… I still don’t have an answer for you, Hongbin-hyung.”
That’s the crux of the matter. He’s stuck at a stalemate, unsure of which way the pendulum will swing next, unsure about exactly where he’s going to go next. It’s the first time in his life Sanghyuk has ever felt like he needs directions, but they aren’t available to him now.
Hongbin surprises him by shaking his head. “No, I think you do. You’re just afraid of saying it.” His hands drift to cup either side of Sanghyuk’s face, hands warm from the sun and the blood running in his veins. There’s that look again, that one that Sanghyuk can now place a name to. Love.
Sanghyuk falters. “I don’t know.”
Shaking his head, Hongbin almost looks disappointed. “You do know. Just say it, Sanghyuk-ah. Do it for the both of us.”
Three simple words. Out of context he can say them to anyone with a straight face and zero hesitance, but now that he’s staring Hongbin in the eyes and his emotions are swelling to the point he’s almost afraid he’ll burst, he doesn’t know if he can do it. It goes against everything that has been ingrained in his body and mind since young, a rebellious idea against the wants of the majority.
But this isn’t the majority; this is Hongbin and himself. In this case, the majority are of the same opinion.
Freshly determined, Sanghyuk inhales deeply, releasing the breath in a soundless sigh before speaking the words.
“I like you, Hongbin-hyung.”
It’s the first time he’s said the words out loud, to himself or to anyone else, and he watches, amused despite himself at the way Hongbin does a double take at the words, shock eventually ebbing away to bright, unadulterated joy. “You do?”
Sanghyuk mock frowns, a tingling giddiness spreading throughout his body, mind liberated and heart lighter. It feels like he can breathe easier now, like shackles have fallen from his soul. “Don’t make me take back what I said.”
“No, don’t do that,” Hongbin says hurriedly, shaking his head in panic. “I heard you, loud and clear.” A smile so serene it makes Sanghyuk want to bury his head in the ground spreads across his face. “I like you too, Sanghyukkie.”
Snorting, Sanghyuk sits up, Hongbin’s hands travelling from his face down until his arms loop loosely around his neck.
“What-“
“I’m going to kiss you now, you’ve kept me waiting for way too long.” Hongbin informs him, swooping down and claiming his lips before Sanghyuk has a chance to protest.
“It’s ok if you don’t know what to do next,” Hongbin whispers to him when they separate, eyes bright and smile infectious, “we can work things out together. That should be fine with you, right?”
The symbols above their heads are a perfect mismatch, but it doesn’t matter; their hearts are identical anyway.
(Much, much later Sanghyuk curses to himself. Hongbin asks what’s wrong, wondering if his waist injury has gotten worse. Sanghyuk simply wails and slaps a hand to his forehead. He’s already booked a vacation home beside the beach, he explains. No refunds. Hongbin shrugs cheerfully, says they’re going on a trip and that’s the end of the matter.)
a/n:
- let it be said now that this fic would not have happened were it not for the fab beta work of horrours and tiny unhelpful commentary from vipharr_san
- first VIXX fic! Mixed feelings about it to be honest but please treat my entrance kindly huhu
- In the end it went very k-drama cliche didn't it OTL