𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚

seonghwa  doesn't  know  what  he's  doing  here.  what  possessed  him  to  make  an  appearance.  well,  the  obvious  answer  is  that  he  needed  to  shake  hands,  smile  &  stay  on  good  terms  with  the  head  of  the  prince  empire.  after  all,  it  was  good  for  business⸺his  father  certainly  held  mr.  prince  in  high  regards,  so  of  course  he  wanted  his  son  to  show  up  as  a  representative  of  the  lee  conglomerate.  to  celebrate  mr.  prince's  son  in  finally  settling  down⸺just  as  seonghwa  would  be. 

but,  the  reality  of  the  matter  was  that  seonghwa  was  still  a  selfish,  selfish  man.  he  wanted  to  see  the  new  person  eric  had  finally  gotten  engaged  to.  (  so  soon  after  seonghwa  had  left  him.  what  did  they  have  that  he  didn't?  they  didn't  know  eric  like  he  did.  )  even  if  he  knows  he  has  no  right  to  be  bitter  about  it.  their  [  …  ]  connection,  starting  off  so  antagonistic  &  mean-spirited  had  shifted  into  something  more  real.  too  real.  too  soft  &  tender,  toeing  the  line  between  sexual  attraction  &  love.  something  seonghwa  couldn't  comprehend  happening,  because  who  could  possibly  love  him,  with  the  baggage  he  carried  deep  within  his  soul?  so  he  broke  it  off,  pushed  eric  so  far  away,  locked  him  out  of  his  heart  &  ran  away.  their  relationship  crashed  &  burned  after  that.  he  hasn't  spoken  to  him  in  weeks.

only  to  find  out  through  internet  articles  that  eric  prince  had  gotten  engaged  to  someone  from  another  highly  influential  family.  it  hurt.  it  hurt  more  than  anything,  that  eric  had  moved  on  so  quickly.  even  when  he  was  the  one  that  pushed  him  away.  seonghwa  didn't  know  what  to  do  with  himself,  &  the  moment  his  father  had  brought  up  the  notion  of  going  on  a  blind  date  with  his  business  friend's  oldest  child,  he  took  to  it  without  hesitation.  the  date  going  off  without  a  hitch,  their  fathers  meeting  &  discussing  the  idea  of  an  enagement.  of  a  wedding.

it  was  easy  enough  to  parade  minchae  around  in  public  &  at  events.  they  were  beautiful,  soft  around  the  features,  suiting  his  own  &  they  were  incredibly  kind  &  witty.  they  were  perfect.  but  they  weren't  eric.  he  wanted  eric.  he  wanted  the  man  who  looked  as  if  he  came  out  of  a  fairybook  itself,  tall,  handsome,  with  the  prettiest  eyes.  who  was  equally  witty,  knew  how  to  take  control  over  a  situation.  who  knew  how  to  handle  seonghwa  even  at  his  worst.  who  was  willing  to  handle  all  of  his  baggage  &  flaws  if  only  seonghwa  was  willing  to  let  him  in. 

he  &  minchae  made  their  rounds.  spoke  with  a  few  people,  but  after  awhile  he  had  to  excuse  himself  under  the  murmured  excuse  of  needing  to  use  the  restroom,  hurrying  out  of  the  main  room⸺only  to  run  right  into  the  man  of  the  hour  himself.  eric.  it  was  just  his  fucking  luck.

the  air  around  them  tense,  it  was  hard  for  seonghwa  to  even  look  him  in  his  eyes  as  his  throat  felt  just  about  to  close  up.  he  hates  the  way  that  eric  looks  at  him⸺the  way  he  speaks  to  him  in  such  a  scathing,  callous  tone.  as  if  they  were  nothing  to  each  other.  (  and  that  was  the  truth,  wasn't  it?  they  weren't  lovers.  certainly  not  friends.  ) 

“i  didn't  want  to  be  here.”  he  begins  with  a  hiss,  trying  to  make  himself  sound  just  as  flippant,  as  harsh  as  eric's  vocals  are.  “unfortunately  for  you,  mr.  prince,  my  brother  is  useless  when  it  comes  to  these  events.  my  father  knows  we've  worked  closely  together,  it's  only  right  he  sends  me  in  his  stead  to  give  both  of  our  congratulations.  this  wasn't  me  trying  to  …  slight  you."  seonghwa  tries  to  school  in  his  expression,  but  his  bottom  lip  trembles,  his  hands  shake  &  he's  quick  to  ball  them  into  fists  to  get  them  to  stop.

he  looks  up  finally⸺just  to  see  that  eric's  has  done  the  same.  he's  trying  and  failing  to  stay  strong,  because  seonghwa  knows  how  he  looks  when  he's  truly  upset.  he's  studied  his  face  long  enough  when  they  were  together  to  notice  the  difference.  it  makes  his  chest  ache.  it  makes  his  shoulders  slump,  hesitating  for  a  moment  before  he  takes  a  single  step  closer. 

“you  don't  mean  that.”  seonghwa  whispers,  tone  soft  &  almost  pleading  for  it  to  be  true.  “you  don't.”  his  fingers  twitch⸺he  wants  so  desperately  to  cup  eric's  face  &  hold  him  close,  wiping  away  his  tears.  he  doesn't.  he  can't  bring  himself  to  bridge  that  gap.  so  he  says  instead,  softly,  “i  don't  like  your  fiancé.  they  aren't  good  enough  for  you.” 

i didn't want to be here. it hurts more than he's expecting it to, probably because eric knows it's the truth. ( because why would seonghwa want to be here? there's no point. he can brush elbows with the elites on his own time. not on eric's. ) his resolve remains flighty, at best. eric's eyes are steeled, an attempt to hold himself together in front of the younger man. ( because how pathetic was he to break down in front of seonghwa, after all they'd been through? his begging and pleading didn't work the first time -- why would it work now? )

when seonghwa steps closer, eric feels himself rooted to the spot. his brows crease with something he can't say out loud, because he knows this look, too. the desperate, wanting look on seonghwa's face that gives him away. ( he can't help it, he thinks. those eyes are too expressive, too big to hide secrets. ) and he notes the way he flinches -- he wonders if they're thinking the same thing. ( about how easy it would be to fall into each other right now. ) but he can't. and he won't. because he can't give in like this.

until seonghwa's voice breaks, lowers in a way that makes eric's heart clench in his chest all over again. it's the same as that night -- when seonghwa ended things. when he was hiding behind excuses and clinging to realities that only existed in his head.

it's his words that bring back eric's disbelief. his lips part on a quick exhale, a noise of complete and utter shock at the pure audacity seonghwa has to say something like that. "that's not fair," he starts, head turned. "since when do you care about who's good enough for me, hmm? since when is my personal life any of your concern?" the words hold an edge to them -- something bitter, something that tastes bad when he speaks. "that's your problem, seonghwa -- you think you get to decide what works for everyone around you without taking a single second to think about what they want. you don't get to decide who is and isn't good enough for me --," he stops himself mid sentence, his voice dropping to a low, pleading tone when he tacks on, "you lost that right when you left."

his eyes flicker, wetness brimming at his lash line, and eric takes another dangerous step forward. they're nearly chest to chest -- if eric wanted to, he could simply reach out and touch him. ( and god, does he want to. but he doesn't. ) "if you won't leave," he presses on, "then i need you to tell me -- tell me you never want to see me again." the words hurt when they're spoken, and the last of eric's resolve breaks. tears begin to fall, spilling onto his cheeks as his lips part on shaky, shuddering exhales.

"i need you to tell me that you hate me. that this --," he gestures between them, lets his hands linger just centimeters away from seonghwa's heartbeat, " -- is positively, permanently over. i -- i need you to be mean. i need it to hurt more than it did before." he pauses, catches his breath, tries to find a way to save himself from drowning. ( because, right now, eric is positive he can't return to the party. not like this. he'll have to cancel, have to send everyone home, and his father -- god. his father will never let him hear the end of it. )

lips press together, and eric's gaze drops, focuses on the floor beneath them as he forces himself to speak. "and if you can't do that," he warns, "if -- if you still think my fiancé isn't good enough for me, then --," he swallows thickly, "i need you to stop being a coward and do something about it." his chest twitches as a strangled sob escapes his lips, and eric's head nearly lands on seonghwa's shoulder with how hunched he is ( an attempt to hide his face, surely ). "all i ever wanted was for you to fight for me." it's a pathetic admission, something that makes his cheeks burn a dark, crimson red. rolling his shoulders, eric forces himself to look up -- to meet seonghwa head on. ( a bad idea, his brain supplies, because the way he looks back at him is devastating. )

"stop giving me hope," he pleads. "if -- if there's nothing left here, then you need to let me go. otherwise," his shoulders sag as his lips part on a deep sigh, "i'll never get over you." there's a moment of silence, and eric lets his fingers curl against the material of seonghwa's blazer, a steadying grip that serves to keep him upright. nothing else. "please, sweet boy." the words are comforting in a way they shouldn't be -- saying them nearly knocks the air out of his lungs, but eric's been left with no other choice. "please -- let me let you go."

@foundwild asked: 🎭 Kiss the receiver while on a pretend date (for a mission / wedding etc.). ( from garam im head tapping )

Woojin  had  agreed  to  the  whole  thing  because  it  seemed  easier  than  arguing  with  Garam's  mother.  A  fake  date.  A  few  pictures.  A  couple  of  convincing  smiles.  Nothing  he  couldn't  handle.  At  least,  that  had  been  the  plan.  When  the  moment  came,  Garam  leaned  in  as  expected.  The  kiss  was  supposed  to  be  quick  and  harmless,  just  enough  to  satisfy  anyone  watching.  Instead,  it  felt  awkward  the  second  their  lips  met.  Woojin  pulled  back  barely  an  inch  before  letting  out  a  quiet  breath.  If  anyone  had  been  watching  closely,  they  would  have  seen  it  immediately.  Nobody  kissed  like  that.  His  eyes  flickered  to  Garam's  for  a  moment. 

this seemed like a mistake. there's gulit that pulls at this stomach the longer they sit here. garam is already uncomfortable being put on the spot -- it's unnerving. it's unsettling. and his mother's sudden interest in his personal life was alarming. why did it matter who he hung out with? did she have to control another aspect of his life? the whole thing just seemed unneccesarry. ( but... woojin is nice. and woojin didn't make fun of him when he asked for help. and woojin even suggested the location -- something obvious, but not intentionally so. a good date spot, he assured him. familiar. popular. secluded to a degree. ) and, so, garam's thankful, despite the way he's awkwardly bumbling through the evening. because he doesn't have much experience on real dates, nonetheless fake ones.

and his attempt at a kiss is a prime example of just that. he knocks into woojin's nose, and bumps their teeth together, and his fingers rub soothingly at the crease in his brows as he tries to resettle. "sorry." it leaves him in a quiet rush, embarrassment flooding his senses. what he's not expecting is the way woojin pulls him back in, connects their lips in an actual kiss. it's over before garam even recognizes that it's begun, and he's sure the shock reads on his face -- eyes wide, cheeks a little flushed, lips warm, a small indent left behind by the ring nestled in woojin's lower lip.

maybe it's stupid. maybe he should say something. but the words die on his tongue. instead, garam dives in again -- his hand cups the underside of woojin's jaw, and he presses their lips together for another kiss. he's a little less tentative this time, offering a small sigh of relief against the other man. and he's sure he'll have to explain himself later, but... that's later. this is now. and right now, it feels really, really good to kiss him.

He  couldn't  help  the  grin  that  spread  across  his  face  when  Eric  laughed.  There  was  something  infectious  about  it.  Even  when  Eric  was  complaining  about  his  family,  it  never  sounded  rehearsed  or  polished  the  way  most  conversations  at  these  events  did.  "That  does  sound  awful,"  he  said,  though  the  sympathy  in  his  voice  was  accompanied  by  a  snort.  "You're  telling  me  you're  basically  running  the  company  while  your  father  sits  around  spending  money,  and  somehow  you're  still  the  one  getting  yelled  at?"  He  shook  his  head.  "I'd  quit.  Immediately.  I'd  send  a  strongly  worded  email  and  disappear  into  the  mountains."

The  joke  faded  as  Eric  brought  up  the  clock  again.  Woojin  groaned  dramatically  and  covered  his  face  for  a  second.  "You  know,  when  I  said  my  clock  was  running  out,  I  wasn't  expecting  to  get  absolutely  destroyed  for  it."  He  peeked  at  him  through  his  fingers.  "Broken  and  sold  for  parts?  That's  brutal."  Still,  the  smile  lingered.  It  usually  did  around  Eric.  When  Eric  leaned  forward  and  his  tone  shifted,  Woojin  found  himself  listening  more  carefully.  His  gaze  followed  the  gesture  around  the  room  before  returning  to  Eric.  He  knew  exactly  the  kind  of  people  Eric  meant.  Wealthy,  polished,  smiling  too  much  while  looking  for  reasons  to  judge  everyone  around  them.

eric watches with careful eyes as the tension in woojin's body begins to fade away. it's nice, he thinks, seeing him relax. even if it's only just slightly. his smile is a little softer as he nods his confirmation, and eric doesn't have time to stop himself before his tell tale wit seeps through. "the ocean," he corrects. "i'd escape to the ocean. hide myself in a tiny house on the coast line and just... become a fisherman, or something. which is far from the glamorous life i'm living now, right?" it's said with disdain, his eyes cutting to the very expensive glass of champagne in his hand. scoffing, he sets it down on the end table, abandons his buzz and what it stands for.

instead, he's intent to focus on his friend. his own woes and sorrows can be saved for another place. another time. another day. right now, he wants to keep that smile on woojin's face. so, he leans forward, his gaze attentive as he scans the room curiously. and... well, he's got a point. no one in this room would give either of them more than a passing glance until they figured out how to best benefit from them -- their business, their wealth, their names. it makes his stomach churn.

quickly, eric stands. his fingers fumble with the buttons of his blazer, connect two in the middle haphazardly, before his hands slide into the pockets of his slacks. "so let's leave." it's stated casually, like it's easy. like abandoning obligations can be as simple as breathing. motioning with his head towards the door, eric shows he's serious by taking a few steps. "we can go somewhere else. spend time with real humans, not people who see is as walking bank accounts." a brow raised, his smile curves into something a little mischievous. "you in?"

he  pauses  for  a  moment,  staring  at  eric  with  wide,  stretched  eyes,  laughing  sheepishly.  “you  uh  –  you  really?  you  weren't  supposed  to  …  reply  like  that.  i  thought  you  were  going  to  get  flustered  and  all  stuttery  and–”

"really." it's spoken casually. conversationally. his brow remains raised, and eric simply crosses his arms over his chest. "you might have be confused with someone else if you think something like that is going to get me flustered and stuttery." he leans forward, voice lowering. "i can handle it. it's alright."

his  breath  is  held  as  he  keeps  his  eyes  fixated  on  the  tv.  he  wasn't  sure  what  nerves  compelled  him  to  finally  blurt  those  feelings  he  held  in  for  so  long  out,  but  [  …  ]  it  felt  as  if  a  weight  had  been  lifted.  weeks  spent  getting  closer  to  garam,  learning  to  understand  him  after  rumors  &  first  impressions  initially  soured  his  opinion  on  him.  now,  though?  he  doesn't  know  how  he's  really  functioned  without  the  softspoken,  sweet  man  in  his  life. 

seonghwa's  hand  twitches  from  where  it  rests  on  garam's  side,  unable  to  stop  the  visible,  shocked  expression  on  his  face  as  he  finally  turns  his  attention  to  face  him.  “you  do?”  he  asks  softly,  brow  raising  as  his  eyes  automatically  shift  downwards,  taking  in  his  visage,  captivated  by  the  way  that  garam  stares  at  him.  like  he  was  something  [  …  ]  someone  valuable.  it  makes  his  heart  thrum  in  his  chest,  his  mouth  almost  feeling  dry,  forcing  him  to  swallow  continuously.

he  melts,  instantly,  against  his  fingertips,  eyelids  feeling  heavy,  starting  to  slowly  lower  under  the  weight.  his  gaze  is  still  intense,  never  wavering  from  the  opposing  man.  “i  don't  think…"  his  voice  soon  fades  the  moment  their  lips  meet.  it's  new  &  exactly  what  he's  been  imagining  for  days.  the  softness  of  those  lips,  the  way  they  slot  so  perfectly  against  his  own  [  …  ]  he  almost  wants  to  scream.  but  he  doesn't.  his  hands  move  to  garam's  hips,  guiding  him  closer  so  he's  flushed  against  his  chest  while  he  kisses  him  slowly.  “i  don't  think  i  could  ever  tell  you  to  stop.  so  don't.”  he  mumbles,  tilting  his  head.

there's something so comforting about being held like this, he thinks. it's not often that garam lets people close enough to see the cracks in his visage. the way his life is, seemingly, a lie. and yet, when seonghwa turns, bends down to grab his hips and keep him close, he has to wonder what took him so long to let his walls down. it's still nerve wracking to a degree -- garam's breath gets caught in his throat, despite the bravery it took to admit that he'd been thinking about this for just as long as seonghwa had.

and the way he keeps him close, tucks him against his chest with a soft affirmation that he won't pull away... it does something to him. unravels an emotion he's worked very, very hard to keep on a shelf for much longer than he wants to admit out loud. his eyes nearly cross with how close seonghwa is, how sweetly he talks against his mouth. and garam's hand is quick to find the back of his head, fingers threading carefully through the short, soft hair that rests there in order to maintain the closeness he managed to build.

his lips part on a soft sigh, and garam's body suddenly awakens. the want, the need, for seonghwa hits him all at once. like a freight train. the muffled hum that leaves him is a little embarrassing, he thinks, but there's no time to doubt himself as he surges forward, body arching and lips parting as an offering. with careful movements, garam presses into seonghwa's space, swings a leg over his lap to settle comfortably on top of him. and maybe it's presumptuous, but... he has to imagine this is okay. that he's allowed to be selfish for once and take something for himself. "i won't," he promises, the words spoken quietly, but urgently. like he might fall apart if he's anywhere else that's not right here, in seonghwa's arms.

BTS (방탄소년단) ‘NORMAL’ Official MV