Ship/Member: seungkwan/vernon Major Tags: new year’s day Additional Tags: none Permission to remix: yes
When Mingyu invited Seungkwan to the party, Seungkwan wanted to turn him down. The idea of ringing in the new year alone on the couch in his single apartment was pretty bleak, sure, but the idea of ringing in the new year alone surrounded by couples in Mingyu’s perfectly decorated apartment didn’t sound much better. Seungkwan’s been dreading it since Mingyu sent him the invitation, and at — Seungkwan pauses to check his phone — twenty-seven minutes until midnight, it’s exactly as bad as he feared.
Seungkwan doesn’t begrudge Mingyu his happiness. What kind of friend would that make him? It’s just that he’s used to having Mingyu to himself at this time of year, fresh from the inevitable breakup just before Christmas that always leaves Mingyu sullen and moping right through til January.
But this year’s breakup never happened. Mingyu and Minghao are still going strong, have been since June. The last time Seungkwan braved the living room they were slow dancing, Minghao’s cheek pillowed on Mingyu’s shoulder as Mingyu held him tight. Everyone else was talking so loudly that there’s no way they could hear the music, but it was clear that didn’t matter. The two of them were in their own little world.
It seemed nice, Seungkwan had thought, with only the slightest sour edge. It’s not like he’d know, after all, not when he’s lived his entire adult life as the single friend. Successful in everything but love! Soonyoung’s always saying — yelling — with a teasing grin, and what little humour Seungkwan could find in it five years ago has long since disappeared.
It’s not like Soonyoung’s totally wrong, is the thing. Seungkwan is successful in almost everything. He has a great job, great friends. A cute dog. He talks to his mom every day, and his sister lives in an apartment building five minutes away from his. He has a lot to be thankful for. Every time Mingyu gets buzzed he asks Seungkwan if he’s okay, really, eyes wide and concerned as he leans into Seungkwan’s space. Every time he does it Seungkwan pushes him back, a smile on his face as he reassures Mingyu that he’s doing just fine.
It’s not a total lie, but it’s not the truth either.
Seungkwan checks his phone again — twenty-one minutes until midnight — and sighs. He’s usually better about this. He usually finds someone to talk to, flawlessly pulls off the role of graceful party guest until he can make a quick escape. But it’s just that it’s been a long year. It’s been a long year and he’s tired of it.
Eleven minutes til midnight.
Fuck it. Seungkwan’s just going to go, he decides. His wallet is still in his pocket with his phone. Everyone else is distracted, the murmur of voices and laughter a warm, steady hum suffused through the apartment. Mingyu and Minghao are already kissing, completely in their own world. They didn’t even make it until midnight.
Seungkwan drifts past all of them to get to the entryway, digging out his padded coat from the pile by the door.
No one stops him.
Seungkwan shrugs it on and slips into his shoes and no one stops him then, either, but when he opens the door to step out into the hallway the door collides with a soft body before it opens all the way.
“Oof,” says a deep voice.
“Oh god,” Seungkwan blurts out, shaken from his daze as he reaches for the other person on instinct. It’s a man, he realizes, taller than him, and steady on his feet even without Seungkwan’s hands on his forearms. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” the man says, smiling easily. “Were you getting ready to leave?”
Yes, Seungkwan opens his mouth to say, but —
“No,” is what comes out of his mouth, somehow. “I was just running out for some snacks,” he adds, but the man’s mouth twists into a disbelieving little smile.
“At 11:52?”
Seungkwan huffs, his cheeks flushing pink. He should be annoyed, honestly. He doesn’t know this man at all — what does he care if Seungkwan wants to make a snack run at 11:45 on New Year’s Eve? It isn’t this person’s business at all.
But when Seungkwan opens his mouth to snap it betrays him again.
“Maybe I was coming to find you,” he says instead, and the other man’s smile turns even more bemused.
“Do you even know my name?”
“I was hoping to ask you for it.”
Seungkwan’s cheeks are burning even before he’s gotten the words out of his mouth — he doesn’t know where this daring is coming from. This is something Mingyu would do, not him. Maybe now that Mingyu’s in a committed relationship he’s bequeathed him his flirtatiousness with strangers, Seungkwan thinks, a little hysterically. It’s not like Mingyu needs it anymore.
But it’s working, somehow — the other man is smiling down at him, still.
Seungkwan’s still got his hands on his forearms, he realizes with a dull throb of embarrassment. When he snatches them back the other man’s smile widens to a grin.
“Chwe Hansol,” he says. “I know Jihoon from work.”
Seungkwan barely knows Jihoon — he’s a friend of a friend of Mingyu’s, and as far as Seungkwan knows he didn’t even make an appearance tonight. Seungkwan nods anyway.
“Boo Seungkwan,” he says. “Mingyu’s my best friend.”
Hansol nods, too, although Seungkwan’s not sure Hansol knows Mingyu any better than Seungkwan knows Jihoon.
“Well, Boo Seungkwan,” Hansol says, then, leaning down a little. The door is still open between them, the sounds from the party filtering out from inside. “Weren't you looking to make an escape?”
No, Seungkwan opens his mouth to lie, to try to shrug Hansol off again, but just like before, he can’t do it.
“It’s New Year’s Eve,” he says, instead, the barest edge of a question in his voice. “Shouldn’t we — ?”
“You want to leave,” is all Hansol says, an easygoing shrug to accompany his words. Seungkwan blinks up at him, just a split-second longer, and then —
Hansol’s the one to put a hand on his forearm, this time, pulling him gently out of the way to shut the door behind him, and Seungkwan swears he can feel the warmth through his coat. This is the craziest thing he's ever done, he thinks, smiling up at Chwe Hansol in the hallway outside Mingyu's apartment, but when Hansol smiles down at him Seungkwan can't make himself to feel any regret.
“I do,” Seungkwan agrees, smiling back, surprised by how strongly he means it. “I really do.”
[FILL] don't read the last page, but—
Major Tags: new year’s day
Additional Tags: none
Permission to remix: yes
When Mingyu invited Seungkwan to the party, Seungkwan wanted to turn him down. The idea of ringing in the new year alone on the couch in his single apartment was pretty bleak, sure, but the idea of ringing in the new year alone surrounded by couples in Mingyu’s perfectly decorated apartment didn’t sound much better. Seungkwan’s been dreading it since Mingyu sent him the invitation, and at — Seungkwan pauses to check his phone — twenty-seven minutes until midnight, it’s exactly as bad as he feared.
Seungkwan doesn’t begrudge Mingyu his happiness. What kind of friend would that make him? It’s just that he’s used to having Mingyu to himself at this time of year, fresh from the inevitable breakup just before Christmas that always leaves Mingyu sullen and moping right through til January.
But this year’s breakup never happened. Mingyu and Minghao are still going strong, have been since June. The last time Seungkwan braved the living room they were slow dancing, Minghao’s cheek pillowed on Mingyu’s shoulder as Mingyu held him tight. Everyone else was talking so loudly that there’s no way they could hear the music, but it was clear that didn’t matter. The two of them were in their own little world.
It seemed nice, Seungkwan had thought, with only the slightest sour edge. It’s not like he’d know, after all, not when he’s lived his entire adult life as the single friend. Successful in everything but love! Soonyoung’s always saying — yelling — with a teasing grin, and what little humour Seungkwan could find in it five years ago has long since disappeared.
It’s not like Soonyoung’s totally wrong, is the thing. Seungkwan is successful in almost everything. He has a great job, great friends. A cute dog. He talks to his mom every day, and his sister lives in an apartment building five minutes away from his. He has a lot to be thankful for. Every time Mingyu gets buzzed he asks Seungkwan if he’s okay, really, eyes wide and concerned as he leans into Seungkwan’s space. Every time he does it Seungkwan pushes him back, a smile on his face as he reassures Mingyu that he’s doing just fine.
It’s not a total lie, but it’s not the truth either.
Seungkwan checks his phone again — twenty-one minutes until midnight — and sighs. He’s usually better about this. He usually finds someone to talk to, flawlessly pulls off the role of graceful party guest until he can make a quick escape. But it’s just that it’s been a long year. It’s been a long year and he’s tired of it.
Eleven minutes til midnight.
Fuck it. Seungkwan’s just going to go, he decides. His wallet is still in his pocket with his phone. Everyone else is distracted, the murmur of voices and laughter a warm, steady hum suffused through the apartment. Mingyu and Minghao are already kissing, completely in their own world. They didn’t even make it until midnight.
Seungkwan drifts past all of them to get to the entryway, digging out his padded coat from the pile by the door.
No one stops him.
Seungkwan shrugs it on and slips into his shoes and no one stops him then, either, but when he opens the door to step out into the hallway the door collides with a soft body before it opens all the way.
“Oof,” says a deep voice.
“Oh god,” Seungkwan blurts out, shaken from his daze as he reaches for the other person on instinct. It’s a man, he realizes, taller than him, and steady on his feet even without Seungkwan’s hands on his forearms. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” the man says, smiling easily. “Were you getting ready to leave?”
Yes, Seungkwan opens his mouth to say, but —
“No,” is what comes out of his mouth, somehow. “I was just running out for some snacks,” he adds, but the man’s mouth twists into a disbelieving little smile.
“At 11:52?”
Seungkwan huffs, his cheeks flushing pink. He should be annoyed, honestly. He doesn’t know this man at all — what does he care if Seungkwan wants to make a snack run at 11:45 on New Year’s Eve? It isn’t this person’s business at all.
But when Seungkwan opens his mouth to snap it betrays him again.
“Maybe I was coming to find you,” he says instead, and the other man’s smile turns even more bemused.
“Do you even know my name?”
“I was hoping to ask you for it.”
Seungkwan’s cheeks are burning even before he’s gotten the words out of his mouth — he doesn’t know where this daring is coming from. This is something Mingyu would do, not him. Maybe now that Mingyu’s in a committed relationship he’s bequeathed him his flirtatiousness with strangers, Seungkwan thinks, a little hysterically. It’s not like Mingyu needs it anymore.
But it’s working, somehow — the other man is smiling down at him, still.
Seungkwan’s still got his hands on his forearms, he realizes with a dull throb of embarrassment. When he snatches them back the other man’s smile widens to a grin.
“Chwe Hansol,” he says. “I know Jihoon from work.”
Seungkwan barely knows Jihoon — he’s a friend of a friend of Mingyu’s, and as far as Seungkwan knows he didn’t even make an appearance tonight. Seungkwan nods anyway.
“Boo Seungkwan,” he says. “Mingyu’s my best friend.”
Hansol nods, too, although Seungkwan’s not sure Hansol knows Mingyu any better than Seungkwan knows Jihoon.
“Well, Boo Seungkwan,” Hansol says, then, leaning down a little. The door is still open between them, the sounds from the party filtering out from inside. “Weren't you looking to make an escape?”
No, Seungkwan opens his mouth to lie, to try to shrug Hansol off again, but just like before, he can’t do it.
“It’s New Year’s Eve,” he says, instead, the barest edge of a question in his voice. “Shouldn’t we — ?”
“You want to leave,” is all Hansol says, an easygoing shrug to accompany his words. Seungkwan blinks up at him, just a split-second longer, and then —
Hansol’s the one to put a hand on his forearm, this time, pulling him gently out of the way to shut the door behind him, and Seungkwan swears he can feel the warmth through his coat. This is the craziest thing he's ever done, he thinks, smiling up at Chwe Hansol in the hallway outside Mingyu's apartment, but when Hansol smiles down at him Seungkwan can't make himself to feel any regret.
“I do,” Seungkwan agrees, smiling back, surprised by how strongly he means it. “I really do.”