#gdae

YOU GUYS LOOK AT DAESUNG'S EXPRESSION HE LOVES JIYONG SO MUCH 🥹

Playful and touchy kitty ฅ(ᵔ꒳ ᵔマ

Seeing these two makes me smile 🥲💛

it's another hidden stall in a seedy backstreet that they know only because they've been there a lot. from their youth till now. there are not many thing left preserved under the test of times, but at least this place is.

he takes a left turn, waits for the last of the crowd to disappear in a distant gaggle, head down, cap lowered and he crosses the last of the main street leading there. then onwards, it's his own shadow and dulled footsteps under flickering streetlights. he should have brought his manager but that wouldn't be right. this is their time. exclusively theirs and it will remain so until they die.

he hears the other set of footsteps to his right, the quickening run and anticipates the crash to his right before the force collides and he stumbles sideways with a snickering laugh. the arm thrown over his shoulder in long ingrained camaraderie makes his heart swell and he joins in the childish giggle. hushed to keep quiet.

"where is your scarf?" he tugs the cap down and gets poked at his flank for the trouble.

"didn't feel like it." then a lower, more throatier, "ya, you don't call me hyung anymore. you think i didn't notice?"

"what are you talking about, hyung nim," he feigns innocence and gets his face squished tightly until he bursts out laughing.

jiyong lets him go then, their chuckles trickling into silence as they continue the journey to their shared destination. not long later, jiyong sniffles. "you think youngbae's already there?"

"i think he already ordered for us."

"i think he ordered for himself but waiting for us to order for ourselves."

he turns to him, "after all these years?"

"you know he stopped mothering us after he got married." jiyong chuckles. there's humour in it but there's also something underneath that stinks of sweet death. nostalgia. reminiscence. daesung nods in agreement.

"it's not like what we order is different from what he does," he kicks the pebble that interrupts his path.

next to him, jiyong hums. seconds later he says sagely, "you need a wife."

he laughs. dry. he doesn't know what to say to that so he says, "you and me, both."

jiyong doesn't respond more than a chuckle and they walk the rest of the way in companiable silence. once in a while, he loops a hand through jiyong's elbow to yank him slightly left when he threatens to stray out of the path while being engrossed in his phone. his own is quiet in his pants pocket because everyone who knows him knows he won't be awake at this hour.

but here he is anyway.

the tent flaps when they push into the stall. the owner greets with a silent nod and they wave at the only other customer in there besides them. the man of the night.

"dong youngbae hyuuung, happy birthdayyyy!" he emphasizes on the honorofic just to rub it in jiyong's face and steps away before his kick comes into contact with his hip.

he lets them two hug it out before embracing youngbae in a tight hug, josstling him for the heck of it. "i already gave you your gift," he reminds with a gentle slap to his back when they part. eyeing the obnoxious pink silver glittery box that jiyong fishes out of his jacket pocket.

"oh! what did you give?" jiyong perks up, nosy, while thrusting the box unceremoniosly into youngbae's hands. he grabs his head in a headlock and gives a loud kiss to the top of his head which youngbae futiley swats at.

"secret," daesung chuckles at the display, taking a seat next to youngbae at the roundtable. jiyong sits on the other side, both of the flanking the birthday boy and they wave the shop owner to order.

"the usual," jiyong does for both of them, noting youngbae already has his beverage on the table, half drunk, and he turns to him. "should we add something?"

"should be good," youngbae says, although he looks at the lady and says, "make it for four. and do you still have yanggaeng?"

daesung and jiyong look at each other. the same shock reflective in their eyes as he tries his best not to clench up.

"i have the last of the stock. about five."

"we'll take them all." youngbae beams, eyes crinkling, making the lady blush as she bustles away behind her workstation to work on their orders.

daesung is the first to ask, "seunghyun hyung's coming?"

"i don't know," youngbae simpers. "he texted me this morning and i told him we're meeting up here like always."

"did he say anything?" jiyong asks, his voice more sober than they've heard in years.

youngbae glances at him and shakes his head, reaching for his diet beer (because he's on some caloric restriction plan again - when is he isn't?) like somekind of anchor. "just.. double ticks."

"typical," jiyong huffs, taking off his cap with an attitude as he runs his fingers through his hair, messing it up. they're trembling.

daesung keeps his own gaze lowered, his hands locked tightly on his lap. whether in acceptance or prayer, he doesn't quite know. even after all these years, when it comes to the older seunghyun, he can't chase away that sliver of hope.

he thanks heaven and the lady when she puts down their beers. he takes a swig then another long drag and meets jiyong's eyes when he puts down the glass. he doesn't say a word but there's knowing in his gaze and what exactly he knows, daesung's not sure. what exactly went down between them or any of them with their hyung, he is not sure either.

as someone who willingly stays out of loop, some questions, he thinks will never get their answers, and he'd made peace with that. despite however difficult it was to swallow the news of seunghyun hyung leaving the band, he thought he accepted that. so then why does his heart still pounds with hope in his chest?

looking at jiyong, he sees weary exhaustion lining his pale face. even youngbae, who's meekly sipping on his beer has his feet tapping incessantly under the table. the atmosphere all around them, trapped in this man made cave of a simple road side stall full of rich memories of their still growing years is sombre. nervous, and despite how beaten and broken it may be, he can still see the hope standing there. bleeding in the middle of it.

"i got a matching pair of shoes for hyung and his family," he breaks the silence. "did noona approve, hyung?" he addresses youngbae as jiyong waves the owner for another glass of beer. he looks over to daesung, and puts two fingers up.

"yeah, we got it on. here, let me just -" youngbae taps at his phone, pulling up a picture of his little family as daesung and jiyong huddle close to him to take a look.

jiyong's fingers dart, pinching and zooming into the shoes as he makes a face. "is that teddy bear?"

"it's floral."

"floral?" he zooms until it's maxxed and brings his nose close to the screen.

"where're your glasses?" youngbae yanks his phone out of his grip and jiyong huffs, messing up his hair somemore.

he huffs and puffs and finishes his first glass of beer just as the second round lands. daesung watches the tremble in his fingers grow and cease and grow again as he licks his lips off the foam and asks, "what about you? what did you give him?"

"huh?" he looks up, distracted.

youngbae shakes the small box and grins, "shall i open it."

"don't you dare!" jiyong protests then quickly demures, meeting each of their eyes in fleeting glances. "yeah, whatever," he bats the air, taking another large gulp and daesung accompanies him, racking through his brain to find a way to chase this nervous energy that's visibly eating him.

"is it better than mine?"

"of course it's better," jiyong scoffs, meeting his eyes in a challenge and daesung grasps hold of it.

"naah, i think mine's better. i gave him three. you gave only one."

"yah, mine's more expensive okay."

"sentiment is more important hyung. more value than money."

"that's excuses," jiyong points an accusatory finger at him, that's no longer shaking and daesung smirks at him. small victory singing in his veins as he turns to youngbae to play the devil on his shoulder.

"open it," he says. "let's see what's so valuable."

"probably some jewellery."

"yah! i made it custom okay. it's my design."

"you have so many designs," daesung sniggers.

"is it daisy? with G?" youngbae jests then winces, knocking the underside of the table, likely in his effort to avoid more kicks from jiyong.

daesung turns his legs away just to be safe, laughing at his friend's pain. the food arrives then, rolls and rolls of meat with grilling stone and countless side dishes. they thank the owner joyously as she blushes and preen and leaves them to be.

"never once did she ask for our photos," jiyong mutters when she's back behind her counter.

"probably not our fan," youngbae chuckles, accepting the chopsticks and spoons daesung hands over.

jiyong does the same and he checks for his hand. now steady as he starts laying the meat on the grill. youngbae mixes the sauce, arranging them neatly in a row while daesung picks at the vegetables.

the tent flaps and the owner greets with her sweet annyeong. he's in the middle of getting the end of his chopstick unstuck from the cooking meat so he's late in looking up at the new guest. but he sees the fine tremor in jiyong's hands start all over again and understands.