Work Text:
Vincenzo came home after a drinking session with possible partners.
Han Seo was in his room, getting ready for bed. He was pulling the covers off of the bed when his door was shoved open. Vincenzo stepped in.
Han Seo stood there in a moment of shock, it was rare for his hyung to get to this state of drunkenness.
"Welcome back?..." he greeted.
Vincenzo stood there, holding onto the door frame, staring holes through Han Seo.
The younger one looked a moment longer and then decided he was too tired to understand what was happening so he carried on with changing into his silk pajamas.
Vincenzo closed the door to the room when Han Seo had sat down to pull on his socks, (he had cold feet syndrome), after he changed into his pajama pants.
"You're pretty," came a soft, yet somewhat slurred announcement.
Han Seo dropped his second sock.
He whipped his head to look at the older man in search of a stranger. He was looking for someone else, and yet, there he was, his hyung, sitting in an armchair, staring at him with eyes glazed over due to alcohol.
Han Seo huffed out a nervous chuckle, as he always did when he was unsure of himself. This was a first. "Thank- Thank you," he stumbled out in the end.
He managed to pull on the other sock finally dismissing the initial shock of those words. He did not expect for Vincenzo to stand up the next moment, when he unbuttoned his shirt. The older man was right in front of him, reaching out his warm palm, tracing his rough fingers over the scar just bellow his heart.
Han Seo froze. The touch was gentle, yet he could feel the fingers trembling every time they hovered over the whitened patch of skin on his chest.
"I should have saved you," Vincenzo uttered.
Han Seo grabbed his fingers moving his hand away from his skin. He lifted his eyes to see his hyung still staring at the scar. He smiled once more, lost as to where to look or what to do with the obviously drunk man.
Vincenzo moved, sitting himself down on Han Seo's bed. It gave some time for him to finish changing his clothes. He got under the blankets, ready to get some light reading done. He has been reading up on stock trading lately.
His plans were interrupted by the older man shoving himself up to sit between the wall and Han Seo, putting his head on the younger's shoulder.
After a while of getting comfortable, there was a warm hand on his chest once again. He tried not to think too much of it, after all it was rare for Vincenzo to show so much ... affection.
Han Seo sat there with his arms hovering over Vincenzo's body, uncertain if he could hug the man back.
"I should have stopped it," he said, almost angry. His voice did not rise, just the tone was harsher than usual. "I should have stopped the bullet."
"You might not have stopped the bullet," Han Seo said with difficulty, "but you stopped him. You saved me."
"I did. But still, that scar is a proof of my incompetence."
Han Seo finally made up his mind and placed his hands down on his hyung. He was hugging him in a lose grip, more like just placing his hands down in a relaxed rest.
"I think- To me- It's like a medal," he smiled under his breath, trying to put his feelings into words. "It's like ... a proof that I changed. I did the right thing for once. I thought for myself and I resisted him. And I did all that because you were there..." he stopped, thinking he said too much. He waited for Vincenzo to laugh at him, to make fun of his glorified image of himself.
After a moment, when no reaction came from the man lying snugly by his side, Han Seo looked down. Vincenzo had his eyes closed, lips slightly parted, his breathing even.
Han Seo smiled, this time confidently, with fondness he had never showed anyone.
It took him a bit of effort to wriggle the blanket from under the older man to cover him up. He tried not to change their position too much, he did not want to jostle and wake his hyung up. After all, he was so busy Han Seo wasn't sure if the man had slept at all lately.
After making himself and his hyung comfortable he closed his eyes.
In the silence of the night, their breathing following one rhythm. Han Seo brushed his cold fingers over the scar, feeling all the pain, fear and disappointment. And yet, at that moment he truly felt like the scar was marking him as a hero. A hero of his own story, a hero who managed to help his allies to defeat the monster.
He knew the road to healing was long and arduous. He knew the nightmares would come when he least expected them to. But tonight- tonight he had his Vin-hyung by his side so he knew he was invincible.