Everything felt unreal. Standing in front of the housing block that should feel familiar and like home to Wooyoung now just felt odd to look at. This would be in his past very soon. Not long and he'd probably never put a foot past the entrance door again. He wouldn't hear the cars rush by at night anymore and the thin walls that allowed him to unintentionally spy on his neighbors would be history.
He got out and walked to the trunk. Yunho, who had driven the car, exited it as well to help him. Wooyoung probably wouldn't have needed any but it was Yunho's job to be polite when he was not in the middle of beating someone up to protect his boss. Wooyoung smiled to thank him, Yunho returning it tiredly.
It felt odd to him. It was currently three in the morning on a Tuesday although they had started their trip back on a Sunday. Wooyoung felt that time zones are truly a weird construct. He waved Yunho goodbye and asked him to please rest enough and hoped that he would tell San and Mingi the same. Both of them were so fast asleep at that moment, they didn't even hear the doors closing shut. Yunho nodded and leaned against the car, eyes focusing on Wooyoung. Right. He won't leave until I make it home safe.
He took a last glance at the car, through the window where he could see San sleep peacefully on the other side. Then he nodded at Yunho who nodded back with a weak smile and entered the housing block.
Once inside his apartment, he left his luggage in the middle of the living room, threw himself on the sofa, and immediately closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. He felt so exhausted. His body immediately gave up on him. His mind, however, wouldn't let him rest so quickly.
He brought his hand up to look at the ring around his finger. A strange feeling filled his chest. What was he supposed to think and feel now? When he woke up that Sunday, his hand was still in San's. Their fingers weren't intertwined anymore, but they were still touching like magnets. San had still been asleep to his surprise, and as if he sensed it, he woke up once Wooyoung removed his hand.
Wooyoung had cleared his throat, mumbled a small good morning, and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. He didn't even wait for an answer. San could've protested, maybe wanted to use the bathroom first, but Wooyoung didn't care at that moment. He needed to escape and that had been his only way. He had a few minutes to clear his thoughts.
What does he think of me now? That I'm desperate? I go and hold his hand after asking him to stay even though he made it clear that he didn't want to sleep in a bed with me. God, he must definitely think that I'm desperate. Or that I don't care about his feelings. Am I inconsiderate? Does he know that I wasn't in a clear state of mind? I crossed the line, didn't I? He probably thinks I took advantage of the situation. But he could've said no. He didn't. He probably pitied me and that's why he stayed. It's fine. Maybe he does know I only wanted comfort. He's not that dense, right? I hope he doesn't interpret anything into this now.
These thoughts had almost swallowed Wooyoung alive. Even after entering the room again, he didn't have any intention to speak. The fact of not knowing what went on inside of San's head somehow made him feel unsafe. He immediately started packing his things since they'd leave on the same day, and when San sensed Wooyoung's off vibes, he felt the need to say something.
"Do you feel better?"
Wooyoung turned around with a questioning sound, surprised that San even spoke to him. Maybe he was the one who thought too much into this. Maybe he was the one interpreting something into this when San didn't even think that far.
"I do, thanks for keeping me company." Wooyoung's voice was a little hesitant, but he definitely felt calmer now.
Maybe he overreacted. Maybe it was not that deep. But they didn't just sleep next to each other, they held hands throughout the whole night. Wooyoung was just confused. Was this a platonic thing to do? Probably. Holding hands with a friend was something that he didn't consider weird, something that he wouldn't have second thoughts about. But San was not a friend. Or is he? Whatever he was, the fact that he was also Wooyoung's husband just added a certain spice to this. It made it harder to think in one direction when there were many other roads to take.
But a road that San purposely blocked off wasn't passable so Wooyoung wouldn't try. He would just take the platonic road and carry on with a clear mind. Just like it was planned from the beginning.
"It's nothing. I'm just glad you feel better," San answered with a weak smile on his lips.
Wooyoung hummed and returned the smile. "When I still lived with my parents, my mother would sleep next to me whenever I had these nightmares. I think that's what I craved last night and you were the only one there with me, so-"
"No need to explain yourself. You needed me and I was there," he reassured, "and I will continue to be."
Wooyoung stopped moving for a moment, too charmed by San's words. They sounded like silk again, honey even, and he sighed internally. Platonic. Platonic!
"You promised to not leave me alone, I won't leave you alone either."
P l a t o n i c !
They had exchanged a soft smile before San went to take a shower. And when they were in the plane, San felt somewhat calmer too, holding Wooyoung's hand when the plane took off and landed. After that, everything kind of happened in a blur. Mingi and San fell asleep almost immediately after they started making their way to each of their homes. Yunho couldn't as he was driving, and Wooyoung? His thoughts didn't make it possible for him to rest his body, let alone rest his mind.
Just like now when he was on the sofa and staring at the ceiling of his apartment. And then he wondered how many more times he could look at it before moving into San's house. I'm the poor villager and he's the prince rescuing me to his super fancy, perfect, and clean castle.
He cringed at the thought and turned around in a quick motion to bury his face in one of the sofa's pillows, groaning frustratedly. Shut up!
A few minutes later his phone vibrated. He lifted his arm to grab it, tired eyes blinking a few times before reading the message he just got sent.
San
— Sleep well.
Wooyoung felt the corners of his lips starting to lift but immediately shook his head. Don't. Don't smile. He locked his phone again, turned it around, and let his face meet the pillow with another groan.
...
He skipped dance classes for the day and went back on Wednesday. After washing up, changing his clothes back to his regular ones, and exiting the dance academy, he saw a special someone that immediately caused him to break out in a big smile. He ran up to the person and embraced him in a hug.
"Seeing you feels like therapy right now."
"You must've missed me a lot..." Yeosang laughed, amused at the fact Wooyoung was practically clinging to him, arms locked around him and face buried in Yeosang's shoulder.
Wooyoung withdrew himself, now taking in his best friend's looks. He always looked like an angel to him. A wide smile, comforting eyes, and aura bright and vibrant. "Do you not have to work today?"
Yeosang shook his head at that. He explained that today was his day off and knowing Wooyoung would be back to his classes he couldn't miss out on paying his best friend a visit. He had missed him after all, and he was sure Wooyoung had some things to get off his chest.
They agreed on going to their favorite boba shop to grab each other's favorite drinks. Wooyoung got a milk tea and Yeosang got his special order. The workers there always smiled whenever they saw the boy, knowing exactly he'd ask for a portion of mixed boba in his bubble tea. Back then he had explained that it was always fun to not know which flavor he'd have on his tongue next and Wooyoung knew that he became friends with the right person.
"That girl clearly likes you," Wooyoung snickered once they were outside again, Yeosang just laughing at that.
"I really don't think she does! I don't know why you always say that on days she serves us."
Wooyoung shook his head amused. "She always puts a ton of extra boba in yours! She's clearly flirting with you! Look at mine."
After Yeosang looked at his best friend's drink and saw that he had almost half as many as Yeosang in his cup he realized Wooyoung was right. He investigated his bubble tea afterwards, eyes widening at the fact that his cup was filled to the half with random colored boba, even stirred already. Usually, whenever they got served by a different worker, he'd have to stir the boba himself to mix them the best way possible.
"Maybe you're right..." Yeosang's words only left his mouth in a mumble. "So she adds extra balls because she wants mine?"
That statement caused Wooyoung to choke on a tapioca pearl when he started to laugh and hit Yeosang's shoulder. "I hate you!"
Yeosang just giggled and both of them continued to walk to the park that was nearby. They sat down on a bench comfortably, Yeosang eventually breaking the silence and asking what went down on the weekend. Wooyoung sighed, not even knowing where to start. What he should tell, what he should leave out, and what he should emphasize.
He started telling about their arrival, what he saw in Las Vegas, how the wedding went down and how exhausting traveling there was. He left a few details out though. Details Yeosang didn't have to know and Wooyoung didn't want to think about again.
"So you're really married now. Wah... Time flies so fast. I remember when you were still walking around in diapers-"
"Yeosang, what the hell!" Wooyoung hit his arm laughing, the lie just looking ridiculous in his head as both of them were around the same age, and the thought of Yeosang in diapers really looked funny. Wooyoung thought that he must've been the absolute loudest crybaby ever and even felt bad for his parents for a moment.
They had met in high school and Yeosang would claim how amazing Seoul was once he had moved to the city. For both of them, it had always been clear that they'd want to live there at some point. So when Yeosang moved to the city, it didn't take long for Wooyoung to follow.
Yeosang wanted to pursue a singing career and Wooyoung wanted to be a professional dancer. It just fit. Sometimes they joked about how when Yeosang would finally be famous, Wooyoung could just be his background dancer and never be jobless thanks to that. Now, however, Yeosang owned a café and was a successful barista. And Wooyoung was married, tied to a rich guy, and probably not going anywhere near to being his best friend's potential background dancer in the next two years. Sorry, Yeosang.
"I don't know why, but something about you is different..." Yeosang stated, eyes inspecting Wooyoung thoroughly. He lifted his arm by his jeans jacket, sniffed his neck, and even let his hand brush through the black hair strands once. "What is it?"
Wooyoung furrowed his eyebrows slightly. He had noticed that too when he looked at his reflection in the hotel, still couldn't put his mind to what it was though. He shrugged, eyes following Yeosang's that still looked for a clue on his best friend.
His eyes stopped at Wooyoung's hand, the ring, to be more clear, and he suddenly had a realization. "Of course! Now I know what it is!"
"Mind sharing?" Wooyoung asked and drank some of his milk tea afterwards. Yeosang put his head on his shoulder, looked at Wooyoung with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and bit his lip.
"You like him."
Wooyoung, who was chewing on a tapioca pearl a second ago, now looked at Yeosang in disbelief and froze. He stayed in place, eyes not leaving Yeosang's, and pulled on the straw for the next pearls to enter his mouth. While chewing, he let the words sink in.
"Absolutely no way," he scoffed, "I don't know what could've caused something like that. That's definitely not it."
Yeosang narrowed his eyes. "I have a few ideas about what could lead to that."
Wooyoung laughed. He asked Yeosang to go ahead and share his thoughts since he was curious. Feel a connection to San? Yes. Like him? That just didn't sound right. Wooyoung refused to believe that he had already lost himself when he had firmly decided to take the platonic road only the night before.
"Well... A kiss, holding hands, deep talks at night. Realizing the person actually has a personality." Yeosang laughed softly at the last part and Wooyoung almost felt offended at what his friend had to say. He didn't like how much it actually did apply to the weekend he experienced with San, but he wouldn't let him know that.
"Sadly, for you, we did none of these things! Drop it, I don't like him."
"Sure," Yeosang smirked, "We'll see."
______________________________
Hi everyone! Thank you tons for 500 reads on this story! I appreciate it a lot and am happy about every vote, comment, read, and love you've shown this story so far. I hope you will continue to enjoy it as it progresses.
Stay safe and much love,
cheriyun <3