Chan sits at his kitchen bench minutes later, an ice pack to his head and his expression guarded as he eyed Younghyun beside him.
When Younghyun had appeared, not only had he screamed at him but he'd also fallen off the bed in his panicked haste, hit his head on his window sill, and embarrassingly lodged himself between his bed and the wall on the floor. He was like a cat stuck in a fishbowl.
Younghyun had been quick to dive forth and pull him up, whisking him into the kitchen, locating his freezer and literally slapping a packet of peas to his head. After Chan had groaned in complaint the peas were soon replaced by a proper ice pack in a tea towel and now here they were sitting face to face at the counter.
"Yenno, if I'd been filming that, we could have gone viral. No amount of planning could have successfully executed that kind of stunt," Younghyun chuckles before resting his head on his hand.
Chan narrows his eyes, gripping the ice pack against his head a little tighter.
"Like come on, you have to admit it was a little bit funny?" Younghyun jests.
Chan remains still, and Younghyun holds up his thumb and pointer finger. "Just a little itty-bitty bit funny?"
Chan rolls his eyes, if he had been watching through his screen, he probably would have laughed his head off, he probably would have sent it to Younghyun so he could laugh with him too.
"Ugggh fine." Chan admits in defeat. "It was kinda funny"
"Damn straight!" Younghyun grins, but then in a blink of an eye Younghyun's entire body language shifts, and the older sits up, clasping his hands in his lap. "So, I wanted to talk about last night..."
Chan sits up too, placing the ice pack on the counter. In the whole ordeal of the past 10 or so minutes he had forgotten the role Younghyun had played in last night's events, how he had been the one to tip Seungmin over the edge.
Chan grits his teeth as his own body language shifts to something more passive. "Yenno, you've got some nerve showing up at my house of all places"
"Ok, ouch." Younghyun winces. "But fair. I deserve that. I'm sorry for getting Seungmin drunk. I promise it wasn't my intention! I'm sorry for making you angry!" Younghyun rubs his hands together in a quiet pleading prayer for Chan not to kill him.
Chan huffs, he knew Younghyun was telling the truth, and Younghyun's face to face apology was already more than enough, he was just teasing him to make sure he never did such a thing again.
"I'm not angry with you," Chan eventually says. "I just thought you would have taken better care of him. But I can't completely blame you, he resorted to drinking himself because he was nervous. I should have properly introduced you two prior so he'd feel more comfortable with you"
Younghyun stares idly at his hands, the remorse clear on his face. Chan pokes at an apple on the bench until Younghyun's voice brings him back.
"I'm also sorry for telling Seungmin about Yugyeom too, that wasn't really my place."
Chan raises his eyebrows, allowing Younghyun to explain.
"I was just so shocked that this stranger already knew and cared for you so much but yet had no idea about your ex, or the significance he now holds in your life following your past relationships. I spoke with Seungmin for barely two hours, but yet I could already tell by the way he spoke of you just how much you had already changed. Or maybe you haven't changed, I don't know. You're just so secretive when it comes to dating and your life, really. I just hope you know you don't have to be so guarded or secretive with me. I'm not going to judge you, I will tease you, sure, that's the role of a best friend, but I'll never condemn you for the choices you make on who you choose to love"
Chan falters at Younghyun's change of direction, once again. Seungmin was important to him and he was glad Younghyun could see that, but was he really that secretive?
"I tell you things," Chan argues.
"Chan, you tell me a lot of things, in fact you tell everyone we know a lot of things, but when it comes to this-" Younghyun says, placing his pointer finger on his heart, "You're like a locked book. You tend to keep the things you care about most locked up, your home and family included. It was actually Seungmin that made me realise that"
"Oh?" Chan utters quietly.
"I pointed out that you don't like having people over and Seungmin pointed out that maybe you don't like having people over because it isn't completely your place to share. I never would have even thought of that. Like for me, my apartment is mine, it's all me, so when I have you or any of our friends over its sort of like showing another part of myself. But for you, sharing your home means family, your family and all its little...quirks? I just want you to know that you don't have to be embarrassed to have me over. Like I said before, I'm not going to judge you for living at home or for your blended family, and I know you would never judge me either, no matter what"
Chan averts his gaze, because truth be told what Younghyun had just said, it was exactly on the money. It's not that he hated the idea of having friends over, he just felt it wasn't entirely his place. Having friends over meant picking a time where his step-mum, dad and step-brother were all either out of the house or were comfortable with having people over. Given that they were such a blended family to begin with, there was this greater sense of thought before he had people over. In essence, Chan just felt more freedom to meet elsewhere instead. With all that aside, it was interesting to note that Seungmin had been the one to pick up on this considering they'd never discussed the topic.
"I don't mean to shut you out," Chan apologises. "When I'm with you, or our friends, I just want to talk comfortably, and I've always just felt more at ease away from home"
"You let Seungmin in though. That accounts for something"
Chan pinches his lips between his teeth. "Seungmin's different though, he's been over countless times back when he was dating my brother- and yes I know how weird that sounds -but he's only been over once since and that was all purely coincidence and me being...indulgent. It was the middle of the night, everyone was sleeping, and when Min told me he planned to sleep in his car, I wasn't just going to let him. It was cold outside and I'm not a dick. I'm not going to throw someone out just because I don't want them over...just, for example, why I'm not throwing you out"
Younghyun picks at a jumped stitch in his pants. "What about Yugyeom...you had him over, I know his presence wasn't a coincidence"
There it was, Yugyeom, the unofficial crux of the situation. Chan sighs. "Yugyeom was also different. It took me ages to invite him over. He and I were similar in so many ways but also very different. But then once we got together, he started to invite me to his house, I met his parents, his siblings, and his family. It felt wrong not to offer him the same respect. But it's not like I had him over all the time, he never stayed for longer than a couple of hours, and usually when he came over everyone was out, or just one person was home and out of earshot. I wasn't necessarily embarrassed to have him around or anything, it was just more manageable for me to have him only interacting with one of them at a time. To be honest, he really only met my parents maybe half a dozen times, and briefly at that, it was In-ah who he saw the most"
"So, when it comes to Seungmin, will you treat him the same? Once your relationship progresses, I mean." Younghyun leans forwards to meet Chan's eyes. Chan could see the genuine curiosity there.
Chan sits up. "I can't really say. He knows In-ah just as well as I do, and he knows my parents better than Yugyeom ever did. Having Seungmin over would be different but I know right now I could never have him over properly because of the relationships he already has with my family. I guess I have to figure out how to tell them what Seungmin means to me now, and if they're comfortable, I think maybe I'd invite him around, but it would be very dependent on how comfortable they are with having him around again"
"Is there something holding you back from telling Jeongin and your parents about your relationship? It doesn't sound like you're afraid,"
"I'm not, but considering we only started dating officially last night, I think we still have time to grow and figure shit out," Chan says, honestly.
Younghyun shoots up. "Wait, wait, wait! Last night?!"
"Yeah? We've been speaking to each other for about three weeks, and we've been seeing each other even less. I kinda declared he was my boyfriend last night on a whim...it's actually the reason for that scene you walked in on. It wasn't entirely romantic, and though Seungmin was a little more sober, I didn't really give him a choice to say no. He didn't dispute me though, so... Ugh I don't know Hyun-ah"
"It's nice to know you're an idiot even when it comes to Seungmin," Younghyun chuckles as he face-palms dramatically. "I guess I am an idiot too. Here I am assuming you're holding back, taking things slow whereas in reality you're sputtering out that Seungmin's your boyfriend and not giving him a chance to opt out!" Younghyun pauses, "Please tell me you have at least contacted him to confirm your relationship since last night?"
Chan's eyes go wide and he looks down at the floor.
"Not even a message?" Younghyun prods.
Chan keeps his eyes downcast.
"Ahhhhhh Chan. I was going to suggest we all hang out, but I think someone needs to contact their boy friend and confirm whether you're actually boyfriends. Did you ever think that Seungmin might not even remember last night? If he was intoxicated enough to puke maybe his memory may be patchy too? I know mine usually is"
Chan sits up, staring off into space in thought. "I hadn't thought of that," he says more to himself, but out loud so Younghyun could hear him too. Chan suddenly jumps off his chair, "I should message him-"
Younghyun raises his eyebrows, inclines and shakes his head.
"I should... call him?"
Younghyun shakes his head again. "Chan it's a Sunday, just go visit him, he's not at school"
"Really?"
"Yes Chan, really. If he's your boyfriend like you so evidently declared him to be, then just go visit him. He's not going to hate you for it, he'll probably thank you for giving him an excuse to avoid his homework. -And, let me give you this little slice of wisdom while I'm at it. While relationships have to grow and they take time to develop, some longer than others, some of the best relationships I have had have been made stronger by the fact that I take the time to get to know the people in their lives early on, whether it be friends or family. So just show up, show him that you want to be in his life, just like he did for you last night. You don't have to go in with a marching band with banners to say that you're dating, but by just showing up it shows initiative to strengthen your relationship"
"What if he doesn't want me there?" Chan pouts.
Younghyun rests both hands on his shoulders. "Trust me. He'll want you there. He adores you. Just while you're there, apologise on my behalf for me and let him know I've still got his camera he threw at me. Also, tell him that the three of us should hang out sometime, bake cookies or whatever. I don't care. Whatever he wants. Because Chan, I care about your life, so let me be an example to you on how to take initiative." Younghyun slaps Chan on the shoulder. "Go get your man!"
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