Chapter Text
16th of February, 2016.
All the Shinhwa members were sitting around the table in Eric’s living room, loudly speaking over Korean hip hop music playing in the background. Despite their respective full agendas, they had finally managed to all gather for one night in order to celebrate Eric’s birthday.
After eating for what had seemed like hours, they had given the leader his birthday presents and then started playing a card game. Drinking and smoking like chimneys around the small table, they were catching up, talking about everything and nothing, from serious to frivolous topics. Only Dongwan was lying on the sofa, sleepily watching them play.
Eric gulped down another drink along with Minwoo, making the other members cheer, and grinned. He was officially drunk. Even Hyesung, who was watching him with a clearly disapproving look (no matter how glassy his own eyes were), seemed amused. Junjin poured more soju into their glasses.
“I’m telling you, the guy was so drunk… as much as Dongwan here…”
“I’m not drunk… I’m just resting a little…”
Dongwan kicked Junjin’s back, but Junjin simply ignored him.
“… he kept trying to French kiss him,” Junjin added while laughing, remembering the inebriated young trainee he saw a few days ago in a bar trying to kiss his horrified manager in front of dozens of persons.
Hyesung chuckled at Junjin’s story. At his right side, Eric smirked a little. Minwoo noticed.
“Well, he’s not the only one trying to French kiss his friends when he’s drunk. I think we have an expert here,” Minwoo said, wriggling his eyebrows at the main singer in front of him.
Hyesung scowled and threw several cards at Minwoo’s face, much to the hilarity of the other members. Even Eric smiled, the traitor.
“Look ! He’s blushing!” Andy unnecessarily exclaimed.
“I drank too much,” Hyesung replied defensively.
He touched his burning cheeks, trying to cool them without success, and lowered his eyes. At his left, Junjin heavily leaned into him, claiming a kiss but Hyesung pushed him back, protesting loudly. The others erupted in laughter. Hyesung couldn’t help but smile a little.
“You can kiss me if you prefer, I know I’m your favorite,” Dongwan proposed from the sofa.
“You’re not his favorite, I am” Minwoo protested.
“In your dreams, I am,” Andy said.
“Guys, stop it,” Hyesung whined.
“We’re kidding hyung, we know Eric is your favorite,” Junjin replied seriously to him.
Hyesung and Junjin briefly made eye contact, and the little prince stiffened when Eric took the opportunity to kiss his cheek by surprise, cupping his face in one hand. Their friends cheered and clapped their hands.
Eric sat back, lightly massaging Hyesung’s tense shoulder and gazing into the singer’s eyes. He smiled.
“I am.”
Hyesung didn’t answer, not trusting his own traitorous, wavering voice.
More drinks were poured and they resumed their game, but Hyesung’s mind was somewhere else. His eyes kept stealing glances in Eric’s direction, but the rapper was now focused on his cards. Hyesung held back a sigh and then watched carefully the other members around the table. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to think something was odd.
How would they react if they knew…
No, they could never know.
~~~
One hour later, the music was turned off. They all had had too much to drink to drive back home and Eric had generously offered his bedroom and guestroom to his friends. Andy had dragged Dongwan in one of them, quickly falling asleep beside him, while Minwoo and Junjin were doing the dishes in the kitchen of their host.
Hyesung had taken Dongwan’s place on the sofa, lying comfortably on his side. Eric sat before him on the ground, his head on the edge of the couch, within reach for Hyesung’s hand to play with his hair, his fingertips lightly scratching his scalp.
Eric’s eyes were closed, the rapper feeling obviously relaxed under his touch. Hyesung’s eyelids were closing too, his intoxicated mind numbed by all the drinks he had consumed.
A few minutes later, Minwoo and Junjin came back in the living room, and Hyesung discreetly withdrew his hand as they approached.
“It’s all clean. Let’s call it a night," Minwoo said. "Eric, you’re sure we can use your bedroom?”
Opening his eyes, Eric made a vague gesture.
“Of course, go ahead. Don’t worry about me, I’m going to sleep at my favorite neighbour’s home.”
Hyesung tugged his ear, making Eric smile.
“Thanks Eric, ‘night guys, ” Minwoo said, yawning.
“‘night”, Hyesung and Eric answered together.
“Good night hyungs, and behave yourselves!” Junjin added with a mischievous wink.
At these words, Hyesung lifted up his eyes, watching Junjin’s retreating back. Their friends quickly disappeared in the corridor, the sound of the closing door of Eric’s bedroom echoing in the silent apartment.
Hyesung sighed. His hand went back on Eric’s head, caressing his hair for a moment before touching his jaw. His thumb slid over his cheek, stroking it tenderly for a couple of minutes until Eric captured his hand within his own.
Hyesung’s pulse quickened as he watched Eric slowly kissing his way from the palm of his hand to the inside of his wrist. Finally, Eric brought his hand to his cheek and sighed, his face turned towards him, tired eyes lazily focused on his.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, lost in their thoughts, and Eric stood up. Carefully pushing Hyesung against the back of the couch, he lied down next to him Then, grabbing his right knee to put it on his own legs and not crush it, he brought them even closer together.
They were still gazing at each other, Eric stroking absentmindedly Hyesung’s thigh. After a little while, Hyesung smiled.
“Happy birthday.”
Eric smiled back and gave him an eskimo kiss, his eyes shining brightly in the subdued lighting.
“You look amazing tonight.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Hyesung murmured timidly, averting his eyes, clearly embarrassed but smiling anyway. His fingers played with Eric’s collar.
They had been together for more than five years now, even if it remained a secret that even the other Shinhwa members didn’t know. Sometimes, Hyesung wondered if they weren’t suspicious though, especially Junjin who regularly made some odd comments and allusions about them when Hyesung and Eric did things together or disappeared simultaneously for whole week-ends without telling anyone, travelling here and there like newlyweds.
Nonetheless, if they had their suspicions, they'd never clearly confronted them about it.
Hyesung’s thoughts wandered, recalling the beginning of their relationship.
They had always been close since their debut. Close but also awkward with each other because of – what they admitted now in their most intimate conversations – their mutual attraction, inwardly mortified as they realized that people around them and fans too were suspicious about the real nature of their relationship and made fun of it, not thinking that this attraction was indeed real and not as innocent as they probably imagined.
Despite their unconfessed proclivities, they both had had several relationships with girls, getting even close to marry a couple of times under their parents’ and tradition’s pressure. However, after years of beating around the bush, more than ten years of friendship, their relationship had gradually evolved.
Being neighbors all this time had certainly made things easier. They had always had common hobbies, shared life’s tears and laughs, the good and the bad things. They had hurt and forgiven each other so many times. And when they had needed each other, it had only been natural for them to get deeper and deeper in the intimacy of the other to find the shelter they needed.
After many discussions, flirting and bickering, long afternoons at each other’s house, sitting side by side playing videos games, late nights, drinking together and sharing drunken kisses and skinship, the best friends and neighbors had finally, one day, with the help of beer, admitted that maybe, they wanted each other.
That maybe, they were in love with each other.
Hyesung could feel himself blush just by remembering their awkward conversation that night and the timid, then passionate kisses that had followed it.
Nearly six years later, despite the arguments and difficulties of everyday’s life, they were still together, and Hyesung regretted nothing.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Eric said.
Hyesung stopped fiddling with Eric’s shirt. Feeling Eric’s intrigued eyes on him, he smiled.
“Just thinking about us,” Hyesung admitted, slightly embarrassed.
Eric’s dark gaze caressed his face for a moment, and then slowly, he tilted his head, his lips getting closer until they finally touched his, tenderly kissing him.
Hyesung immediately responded to his kiss, letting his hands wander on Eric’s waist.
The kiss deepened, intensifying as their embrace became more passionate. Their caresses were still slow and careful though as Eric changed their position, getting on top of Hyesung and interlacing their legs. Soon, they were moving together, undulating and arching into the other’s body as their hands lovingly touched their faces and bodies, occasionally sliding in the other’s hair.
Lost in each other’s arms, kissing amorously, they didn’t hear it as a door opened, nor as light feet stopped dead at the end of the corridor, shocked dark eyes fixed on them.