Gyuvin took the last available stool next to Yujin, who was playing a game on his phone, unfazed. He leaned into the younger’s shoulder to watch while he waited for his food. He was handed his pancakes and a coffee at the same moment Matthew exited Gunwook and Hao’s room wearing Gunwook’s sweater.
“He’s already at the gym!” Matthew flapped his hands in disbelief, the too-long sleeves threatening to slap him across the face. “Didn’t even wake me up to join him!” He huffed and joined Jiwoong behind the counter, immediately helping with filling up mugs of coffee before Jiwoong could even ask.
“Matthew, baby, that is completely fair. You could barely walk last night,” Taerae waved off the scandalized face Matthew made at the accusation. “Nobody was expecting you up before noon.”
“I was fine!” Matthew protested. Jiwoong turned away from the pancakes in the pan just to judgingly look Matthew up and down. “What? I’m a grown man, I’m allowed to let loose sometimes!”
“Letting loose should involve less trying to kiss people, I think,” Hanbin added. Gyuvin watched Taerae tense at the same time as him.
“Oh, c’mon!” Matthew darted around the counter and pursed his lips. Hanbin held him away with one hand while continuing to hold the straw for Hao with the other. “You don’t want a smooch from your favourite member?”
“No way you’re his favourite anymore,” Yujin quipped, generally gesturing to himself without looking away from his phone. Matthew changed targets. “Ew, Hyung! Get off of me! You’re gonna get your gross gym bro smell on me!”
Gyuvin watched fondly and almost forgets his worries until there’s a gentle click of a door opening from the hall behind them. Without even realizing it, he found himself stuffing his mouth full of pancake so nobody would expect him to talk.
Ricky walked into the kitchen with a yawn. “Mornin’.”
A chorus of returning greetings were flung at him. Gyuvin hummed around his mouthful of food, chewing slowly.
“Ricky! You’ll defend my honour!” Matthew detached himself from Yujin, much to the younger’s relief, instead taking Ricky’s hands in his. He pulled them up to his chest with pleading eyes. “I wasn’t that bad last night, right, man?”
Ricky shrugged nonchalantly. He replied in English, “Dunno,” then switched back to Korean. “I don’t really remember much past dinner.”
Gyuvin choked on his very full mouth of newly shovelled-in pancake. He didn’t?! Oh god, he was right. He really had taken advantage of him. He watched Taerae sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. He turned to wash down his mouthful with coffee before Taerae could catch his expression.
Matthew laughed. “I didn’t take you for such a lightweight!”
“Be nice, it’s the baby’s first time drinking!” Hao reached over Hanbin to flick Matthew in the arm.
“It was?!” Gyuvin heard himself say through his food. Oh god, oh god. This was getting worse by the minute.
“Why’re you so surprised?” Hao squinted. “You don’t normally drink either.”
“Yeah, but!”
“So, all these years you never noticed Hyung not drinking?” Yujin snickered behind him. “I’m glad you two are so close.”
“We are! Just-” Gyuvin cycled through all the times he’d gone out to eat with Ricky ever since they were trainees. How did he never notice? Usually they’d get matching smoothies or Ricky would get one of his horrible over-sweetened milk teas.
“Well I’ve tried alcohol before. I just haven’t had the time to go out like that.”
Ricky shrugged and gave Gyuvin a sympathetic look, but Gyuvin turned away the moment their eyes met. Looking too much brought up memories he wished he was as forgetful about as Ricky was.
“Sorry.” He mumbled under his breath.
“Yeah get your act together Gyu!” Hao finished his smoothie with an obnoxiously long slurping noise that reactivated Gyuvin’s headache. What was he going to do now?
