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"Hey, I just had the thought that I've never seen you dancing," Wonwoo says.
They're walking down the street to their building after running into each other at the grocery shop. Wonwoo never plans it, but he and Chan find each other in the same places quite often. They met not long after Wonwoo moved to his new apartment, money finally enough to afford something better than a studio. He saw Chan going out one day when he was getting home during his first week. They live right next to each other and that first meeting was pretty normal. Chan welcomed him, they bowed politely and, even though Wonwoo noticed he was handsome, finding a person objectively attractive is very common, so he didn't think much of it.
After that, they started running into each other in the hall, the elevator and even the park nearby so, at some point, they started inviting each other along, their coincidental meetings becoming intentional. Having dinner or grocery shopping together are common activities for them now. Chan has a great personality, so just existing next to him is exciting and comfortable. Hearing Chan telling him about work has seriously become one of the highlights of Wonwoo's day. And they keep meeting accidentally too, just like this time.
"Well, I've never seen you organizing books," Chan says.
Wonwoo opens his mouth to refute that, Chan saw him reorganize a shelf in his living room the other day, but he raises his eyebrows and adds "not professionally" before Wonwoo can say anything.
Wonwoo lets out a little chuckle "You're right, but my job is not that cool, I look the same while doing it."
Chan scans his face, "mmm, I bet you don't actually look the same." Wonwoo looks away.
"The point is," he’s trying to stay on topic, Wonwoo's been thinking about asking Chan for a while, "I'd like to see how different you look when you dance."
He looks at Chan again, he seems amused now, a smile about to appear on his face. Wonwoo hopes there isn't anything blocking his path because he can't help but stare. Chan puts a hand close to his mouth then and leans closer, fake whispering "I must admit I look pretty amazing", then pulls away, laughing that big open laugh of his.
It makes Wonwoo laugh too, but he's also thinking he believes him. If the grace with which he moves while doing mundane things such as walking down the street or moving his hair out of his eyes is anything to go by, he must look pretty cool while dancing.
Wonwoo discovers soon that pretty cool doesn't even begin to cover it.
They're sitting on Wonwoo's couch, groceries forgotten in the kitchen counter, Chan's phone on his lap while he searches for the videos. As he scrolls down, Wonwoo sneaks a look at him. He seems nervous, maybe expectant. It's ridiculous, wanting approval from someone who knows nothing about professional dance. It makes Wonwoo feel weirdly proud, Chan's so cute sometimes.
He quickly looks back at the phone. When Chan finds what he’s looking for, he presses play and Wonwoo is immediately entranced by it. The way he moves is so clean, Wonwoo doesn't know exactly how to describe it, but it's like a flow. Like every movement, sharp or soft, is perfectly connected to the next, making the whole thing look smooth and powerful.
Wonwoo thinks Chan is pretty sure of himself most of the time, but this is on a different level. He has never seen him look so confident before, seeming in control of every part of his body. It's beautiful. Chan is beautiful, and even though Wonwoo already knew that, this makes him see it even more clearly.
When the video is over he lets out a whoa and looks at Chan with big eyes. He's smiling shyly, clearly aware of how amazing he is.
"You're so cool!" Wonwoo claps, "how can you make all that look so easy?"
Chan laughs a little, he looks happy and relaxed now, "I've been practicing for years, so,” he shrugs, “I have to be good.”
He's so ridiculously modest, Wonwoo wants to shake him a little, but also kiss him a lot. That is a very scary thought though, so instead he pushes Chan shoulder and asks him to show him more videos.
-
Wonwoo confirmed his suspicions about Chan liking men by accident, on a Sunday evening, one of the first times he invited him to eat dinner together. While they were deciding what to order, Chan got a text from his friend who was coming over and, not even a minute later, said friend was on the doorway, giving Wonwoo no chance of offering to leave.
Seungkwan was loud and funny, he took off his shoes quickly and then proceeded to hug Chan and squish his cheeks in the most annoying way possible. He made a pause to greet Wonwoo politely when he noticed him sitting on the couch, and then started telling Chan a million things. They moved to the kitchen and talked non-stop for a while, Wonwoo listening clueless but entertained, until the conversation came to a sudden stop. Seungkwan sent a look over his shoulder at Wonwoo and whispered, so loudly that it could be heard from the couch, "can I talk about Hansol in front of him?"
Chan looked at Wonwoo assessingly, squinting his eyes a little and making him feel judged for about two seconds before he said "yeah, it's okay.”
“Well, you won’t believe what Hansol did this morning,” he said enthusiastically and then turned around to look at Wonwoo directly in the eyes. "Wonwoo-ssi,” he addressed him calmly, “Hansol's my boyfriend, I hope you're okay with that."
"Ahh," Wonwoo nodded, understanding the hesitation, "yes don't worry, I'm completely okay with that". And then, because sometimes he couldn't shut up and he felt strangely safe in front of this friendly stranger, he adjusted his glasses and added, "In fact, I like men too, so that's nothing new to me."
After saying it, he tried to subtly gauge Chan's reaction to his words, but then Seungkwan sighed with dramatic relief and added, "Great! That means I haven't hung out with a single straight person today, I hope it stays that way,” which made both of them laugh. He then proceeded to complain extensively and lovingly about his boyfriend's habits all throughout dinner, while Wonwoo tried not to think about Chan's not straightness too much.
-
They're on Chan's living room floor now and Wonwoo is sure he has a bright billboard with the word fond on top of his head, but he can't help it. Chan bought a new bedside table and is currently trying to assemble it without much success. He's been frowning at the plywood pieces that are supposed to become a drawer for at least ten minutes and Wonwoo is greatly entertained, just sitting there with his legs extended and leaning on his arms. He knows he should be helping, but watching Chan struggle seems like a better option.
"Hyung," Chan whines, slapping Wonwoo’s leg with the instructions he barely skimmed. "Stop laughing at me, you came here to help."
"I'm not laughing at you," Wonwoo throws his head back, holding his laugh in.
"Yes you are," he tries to look offended, but fails, letting out a breathy laugh."Ugh, you know what? I'm just going to screw together what makes sense to me first and then see where I go from there.”
Wonwoo cackles, "that's a terrible idea!"
But Chan is already smiling teasingly and getting up to go find who knows what in his room. When he comes back laughing, electric screwdriver in hand, Wonwoo decides he's had enough.
"Okay okay," he gets up, "turn that off, give it to me." He takes the screwdriver from Chan's hand. "The first thing we need to do is read the instructions carefully," he explains. Chan just laughs at him.
Watching someone trying, and barely being able, to use a screwdriver shouldn't be sexy, but apparently it is to Wonwoo. He's holding everything so Chan can screw it together and his forearms are just flexing directly in front of Wonwoo's face, veins all visible. Wonwoo is simply not strong enough to stop himself from looking.
He feels a little guilty though, like he’s not being completely honest with Chan. He tries focusing on his face then, but he catches him looking his way. Could it be? Is Chan staring at his arms too?
Wonwoo knows he looks good, people usually consider him attractive and he goes to the gym regularly. Chan's also into men, it wouldn't be weird if he was looking. But does it mean anything?
It does mean something for Wonwoo when he stares. It means he wants to be closer in more ways than one. Means he’s trying very hard not to reach out his hand every time Chan’s hair is dishevelled, or when his hands are cold on the street and Chan's ones are at holding distance.
Maybe Wonwoo is just lonely. After Soonyoung met Chan for the first time he told Wonwoo he was sooo relieved he was finally making new friends, as if it was something worrying. Maybe seeing the guys a couple times a week and his family a couple times a month is not enough and that's why he's feeling like this. His last relationship was two years ago and it wasn't even that serious, so maybe he’s just feeling needy. But it could also just be Chan and everything about him. Wonwoo hasn't felt this excited about a person in a very long time, so maybe he would be captivated by him in any other circumstances, even if he wasn't living alone.
Could Chan want something else from this relationship too? Wonwoo will have to ask eventually, he's aware of that, but just the thought of it terrifies him. Chan has been a wonderful addition to his life. It would be terrible to lose all the little routines they've created just because Wonwoo can't stop thinking about kissing him.
He focuses on the task at hand for now. The bedside table ends up looking pretty decent and if Wonwoo tries to flex his muscles a little more than necessary during the assembling process, no one has to know.
-
Wonwoo's head is resting on Chan's shoulder. They're on Wonwoo's couch while Chan checks his email on his phone. Wonwoo was playing on his a moment ago, but now the weight of the ending day is getting to him, so he just stays there, enjoying this moment of stillness.
"Hyung," Chan whispers, putting his phone down, "are you tired?" Wonwoo nods, the fabric of Chan's hoodie is soft against his cheek.
Chan sighs, melting into the couch, "me too, I should get going." Wonwoo squeezes his eyes shut, he knows he should get going, he understands. Chan lives next door and it's late, they ate dinner together and spent some time talking about their days, so the logical thing to do now is for Wonwoo to let him go get his well-deserved rest. The problem is, he really doesn't want Chan to leave. The proximity is so comforting he doesn't want to move ever again.
But they have already done what they usually do together, both of them have work tomorrow. Wonwoo knows he can't ask anything else from a neighbor, even one who has become a close friend at this point. He also knows he hasn't told Chan about everything he's been thinking and feeling. Knows he should tell him he craves his closeness more and more every day, but especially on days like this one, when he's sure he'll feel lonely in his too-cold bed after Chan is gone, leaving traces of warmth and laughter everywhere in the apartment.
Wonwoo knows he has no right to ask him, but he does it anyway.
"Stay here?" he says without moving.
"Huh?" Chan asks, distracted. He really didn't hear him, voice sounding sleepy already.
Wonwoo lifts his head to look at him then "stay here tonight," he says a little louder, but Chan just frowns, looking genuinely confused. "Why?” he looks around, “where?"
Wonwoo sighs, he’s tired, but he’s also ready to be brave.
He carefully takes one of Chan's hands in his. "Chan-ah," he says, looking him in the eyes, "I want to tell you something."
He seems more awake now, looking at Wonwoo with big, interested eyes. "Okay," he nods, "tell me."
"Well, I really don't know how to say this without talking for an hour trying to explain what has been going on in my head since, I don't know, since we started hanging out, but especially for the last couple of months.” He’s rambling already, he needs to focus or his heart is going to beat out of his chest. “The thing is Chan, he looks down at their hands, “I have feelings for you that... are not really what a friend should be feeling. I mean, romantic feelings and,” he pauses, “I kind of want to act on them, like, all the time.”
He looks up at Chan then. He’s just making a tiny o with his face, eyes round, not saying anything. Wonwoo is going to die.
"Ohh,” he says after a couple of seconds “I thought you were just being a kind neighbor." Oh no. Wonwoo immediately lets go of Chan's hand and leans away.
"No, of course I am, I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable it's just-"
"No, no,” Chan interrupts him, moving his hands in front of him. “Hyung, you're not making me uncomfortable, it's okay". He shakes his head like arranging his thoughts. "I have romantic feelings for you too, but I thought I was being delusional,” he laughs disbelievingly.
All Wonwoo’s worries dissipate. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” he nods emphatically, “you have been a very kind neighbor since the beginning and, I don’t know, I somehow convinced myself that it was just kindness and I was the only one catching feelings here."
Wonwoo chuckles. “You were not.”
Chan puts his hands on Wonwoo’s cheeks. He's smiling like crazy and Wonwoo must be doing it too, but he can't be self conscious right now, he's focusing on Chan.
“I’ll stay,” he tells Wonwoo.
“Can I kiss you?” Wonwoo whispers back, moving a little closer.
He nods and Wonwoo closes the space between them, finally getting a taste of Chan’s lips. When they separate, he immediately kisses him again and then again. He can see now Chan wants it too.
-
"So... why did you want me to stay here tonight?" He's teasing him, sprawling on the couch while Wonwoo starts picking up their dishes from dinner. He doesn't know if Chan’s actually trying to look innocent, but if that's the case he's not making it. Such a terrible actor.
Wonwoo can't help but laugh. "It's not like that," he clarifies, "I just wanted to spend more time with you and thought we could just sleep on my bed. Or not. I didn’t really think it through."
"It can be like that." Oh shit. Wonwoo pauses, brain short circuiting for a second. He wasn't expecting that.
He must've made a funny face because Chan snorts and adds "just not tonight, okay? I’m too tired." He's closing his eyes now, about to become one with the couch.
"Oh, okay yes, that's great," Wonwoo says, leaving the dirty dishes on the kitchen counter to quickly come back to the couch.
Chan opens one eye and smiles up at him "is it?"
"Yeah," Wonwoo answers, putting both arms next to Chan’s head on the couch and closing the distance with a deep kiss.
After making out for a few minutes, Chan moves away. “Wait, I should really go get my toothbrush and my cleanser.” He gets up then, walking backwards towards the door.
“I’m literally one door away from my house,” he tilts his head, “it would be stupid not to.” Wonwoo pouts ridiculously at him and Chan laughs loudly, “don't worry I'll be back in a second.” He’s still laughing when he gets out the door.
Wonwoo stays on the couch, smiling at the ceiling like a fool. His heart feels light, dancing with the satisfaction of everything going well. They probably need to discuss some things, but he has a feeling he and Chan will keep each other company for a long, long time.