Chapter Text
♡
If asked about whether or not tonight was up to him, he would have to say no. That’s both the downside and upside of having friends who enjoy the occasional night out. Sometimes almost every night of the week. But that’s during the summer, after four hour work shifts, and taking naps afterwards.
Joshua doesn’t have summer breaks anymore, opting for year round work because that’s usually the path after graduating. His friends, however, have at least a year or two or three before they step foot into careers and ‘grown-up’ life. It’s a different kind of adulting.
“I don’t get why we can't watch a movie or something and stay at home. It’s like every night we go to the same bars and someone gets too drunk and I have to make up my couch for one of you all while being awoken by someone stumbling into my bathroom. I have a real job now,” Joshua argues while combing Soonyoung's hair.
“Because it’s fun,” Soonyoung argues back like, yes that’s the utmost correct answer to getting drunk every night. “We deserve it, I think.”
“I’d call it functioning alcoholism,” Joshua cringes at his words. “But that’s too harsh so I redact my statement.”
“That is a little harsh but that’s not what we are. You have one drink at most, Wonwoo has like one and half, and I don’t have the highest tolerance,” Soonyoung explains.
“That is not what I meant. I guess we all know our limits,” he puts the comb down on the bathroom counter, “look good?”
Soonyoung moves his head around in the mirror, taking in all the angles. “Perfect,” he says, “and of course we know our limits. So what if one of us takes it a little bit farther, it’s not like we’re doing it just to make the night difficult.”
Joshua sighs. “I didn’t want to accuse us of alcoholism, I just wanted to know why we can’t stay at home and have an entertaining night that way.”
“I didn’t take it that way, honestly. You made an observation, that’s all.” Soonyoung smiles, “it was in good spirit.”
Joshua smiles back. “Don’t let the others know I said that, please.”
“No worries, now let’s go make sure Junhui is not reading food forums or we will be late and we will hear an earful from Wonwoo.”
Joshua notes the emphasis on ‘will.’ He nods, taking one last look in the mirror before following Soonyoung out of the bathroom. The tiny bathroom that seemingly feels a whole lot bigger than when Soonyoung and Junhui first moved in together. He had remembered the complaints from Junhui, taking out a measuring tape as his way of complaining. Joshua had to talk him through the pros which mostly consisted of reminding him he was not living in a tiny college dorm anymore. It has been almost a year and the bathroom has become a notable place for nights like this, especially since it’s used practically every night.
“Junhui!” Soonyoung shouts into the empty hallways, waiting for the response.
“In my room!” Junhui shouts back through a barely open bedroom door.
Joshua still follows his friend, this is their apartment anyways and hopes that one of his friends is ready to go. He may be older than Wonwoo but being lectured by him is not for the weak. It must be all the books he reads or playing all those games online. There has to be a correlation somewhere for how well he speaks and how well he articulates thoughts into something so comprehendible it makes you think.
“Junhui you better be ready, you know how Wonwoo gets about us being late,” Soonyoung speaks into the bedroom air as they walk into Junhui’s bedroom.
The first scene is Junhui tossing his phone aside, on his silk pillow, and the second scene is him flipping onto his stomach, on his bed, groaning into the other silk pillow. “I am ready, I’ve been ready and now I’m much more tired.”
“Do you want to stay inside, in this apartment, with me then?” Joshua asks. He has to ask, maybe there is someone else in his group that shares his sentiments. “We can watch a movie.”
Junhui laughs into his pillow and flips back over, pulling himself to his feet and stretching his arms into the air. He laughs again. “No, we’re still going out, Joshua. I’ll just drink as much as you and not over consume. I do have class tomorrow.”
“Let’s get going then! Wonwoo is already down stairs with a taxi and you all know he’ll leave without us if we are not down there,” Soonyoung says, moving Junhui and Joshua towards the bedroom door that they just walked through.
“I will find a new friend who wants to stay home with me,” Joshua says, not really whining, but getting close to it. “Then I don’t even need to leave my home and just invite them over.” He walks, being corralled with Junhui by Soonyoung and heading straight towards the front door. He now has to go out yet another night with his friends who do not know when to quit. Maybe his harsh assumption earlier wasn’t that crazy.
“If you make a new friend we will just drag them out with us. You can’t escape us Joshua,” Junhui says.
Joshua only sighs, “I knew that a long time ago. I just need to stay strong and I’ll get my movie night one day.”
Soonyoung opens his door, pulling on his shoes and holding the door open so Joshua and Junhui can spill into the hallway. Soonyoung and Wonwoo have known each other longer than Joshua has known any of them. He met them through first year orientation when he volunteered to give tours during the first week of classes. Soonyoung was undeniably cute from the beginning and he dragged Wonwoo with him wherever he went. Like it was meant to be, they signed up for a tour with Joshua and the look on both their faces when they realized it was just them is something he will never forget. Junhui got caught up in that tour too, his confused face when Soonyoung dragged him along too. They didn’t know who each other were but from that day forward, Joshua happily spent most of his free time with the three.
They rush down the stairs, opting out from using the elevator because Soonyoung kept repeating that Wonwoo was downstairs. So they rushed, they didn’t run, maybe speed walked at best down five flights of stairs before stepping out into the warm air of late August.
Wonwoo indeed was downstairs, holding the taxi.
“Sorry Wonwoo, Junhui was looking at his food forums again,” Soonyoung says as they light jog to their friend. They don’t stop for any other greeting, piling into the taxi to take them to the place they need to be.
“It’s fine,” Wonwoo says, slipping into the front seat. “I wasn’t waiting that long.”
The car starts driving. “I read those food forums so I can take you all to a nice dinner one day,” Junhui almost yells. “Joshua and Soonyoung were taking forever fixing their hair.”
Joshua raises his hands, like a sign of protest. “I was combing Soonyoung’s hair. You know how he likes to have his hair combed.”
Wonwoo laughs from the front seat, “I said it was fine guys.”
“I tried to be quick,” Soonyoung says before shoving himself into the back seat of the taxi. Junhui and Joshua follow him in, Wonwoo taking the front seat.
Joshua stares out the window as the buildings zoom by and he takes a moment to bathe in the bliss that is calmness before the crazy. He’ll get a drink as soon as they arrive, the same drink he always orders and sit in the midst of chaos while his friends have fun in their little funny ways. And he’ll make sure his friends are safe, that’s what he does every single time. Maybe daydream about that movie night and how one day he will have it.
♡
Three hours into their night out, Joshua uses the restroom and orders another drink, despite his internal debate from his first two, in a corner of the bar where none of his friends can find him. He has work in the morning and he needs to get Junhui home soon and he just needs a breather from his friends playing drinking games he sometimes doesn’t understand the rules for. Even when Vernon tries to explain them to him, he simply doesn’t understand.
And the bar is pretty big, in the middle of the establishment. It’s similar to a sports bar but sports barely find their way onto the tv’s mounted to the walls that are used for displaying the menu or specials for the evening and on Thursday nights, karaoke.
It’s quieter in this corner, Joshua downs half his drink in relief and asks the bartender to take it away, he’s done for the evening.
“Tell me you aren’t here alone,” a voice bursts his little bubble of relief. “That would be really sad if you were.”
Joshua sighs, he had harmony for the short minute. He turns towards the voice, hands on the bar to steel himself since he definitely is starting to feel the two and half drinks he’s had tonight. More than he wanted but sometimes he does know how to let loose. What stands in front of him, or who stands in front of him, is a man with the greatest head of hair anyone possibly could have.
“I’m not here alone,” Joshua answers. He might’ve lost his moment alone but maybe this is better, talking to someone he doesn’t know. “My friends are the loud ones playing drinking games over there.” He points and watches the man spin around to find the group. The man is laughing when he turns back around.
“My friends joined them I think,” the man says. “I’m Jeonghan.”
Jeonghan . “Joshua,” Joshua responds and holds out his hand to the other. “Your friends should adopt my friends so I can have one peaceful night at home.” They shake hands.
“They can’t be that bad,” Jeonghan says with a quiet voice as he takes the seat next to Joshua. “My friends bar hop like it’s an olympic sport and I don’t think they know what the word limit or tolerance means.”
Joshua laughs, not at the irresponsible habits of people he doesn’t know but at the familiarity of the situation. The similarities he can draw. “My friends go out every night and I kind of have to go because even the second responsible one overdoes it sometimes.”
Jeonghan is laughing too, sipping on his pint of beer. “So you’re the responsible one?”
Joshua doesn’t know how he got into this conversation. One second he was chugging half his drink after finding comfort away from his friend group to have a moment to himself and one second later someone is worried he might be at the bar alone. “I like to think I’m the responsible one.”
Jeonghan chuckles and Joshua finds it endearing, he could listen to that sound over and over and not tire of it. “Did the group not designate roles?”
He thinks back to college, when he liked going out every night to drink and party and laugh and have fun. No one was ever considered the responsible one, they all drank their weight in alcohol and someone would come to their senses enough to call a cab or two. And they all somehow survived. Somewhere in the second to last year of university for Joshua, he found himself tired of partying and he in a sense became the responsible one. He called the cabs, carried bottled water, drank so little, the change in lifestyle could’ve given him whiplash. Now he has a career and an apartment and a car payment and monthly income, partying is no longer his thing.
“Not officially designated. I got tired of partying and slipped into the role no questions asked,” Joshua explains.
“I see, so what are you doing out tonight if you’re tired of partying?” Jeonghan asks.
Joshua looks him in the eyes, smiles and catches his cheek in the palm of his hand, his arm holding him up on the bartop. “They drag me along with them despite my protesting. Doesn’t sound real right?”
“It doesn’t. You must love them a lot then?” Jeonghan questions.
“I do, unfortunately. I want them to be safe.”
“That’s sweet.”
“It is but I called them alcoholics earlier tonight out of frustration,” Joshua says not really knowing why he had to say it. Maybe he feels guiltier than he thought. “They’re not, I was trying to make a point but used the complete wrong wording.”
Jeonghan lets out a loud laugh, almost like a screech but he sips on his beer still giggling to himself. “That’s funny,” he says, putting the glass on the bartop. “So, tell me their names Joshua.”
Joshua looks back over to his friend group, playing a made up drinking game that Soonyoung and Junhui might’ve started.
“The blonde one pretending to strangle Soonyoung is Junhui. And the one pretending to be strangled is Soonyoung,” Joshua starts explaining and takes notice of Jeonghan turning in the bar stool. “The one laughing at Soonyoung being strangled is Jihoon. The two next to him are Wonwoo and Mingyu, Mingyu is the taller one and the one with the glasses is Wonwoo. Vernon is the one wearing the hat. And the rest are your friends, I believe.”
Jeonghan spends another second observing before turning back to Joshua. “Looks like a fun group,” he says.
“How about your friends?”
Jeonghan doesn’t turn around, instead he smirks and brings his pint of beer to his lips. “That's for next time,” he says before drinking.
“Next time?” Joshua questions. He doesn’t know if there will be a next time, maybe, but there’s not much to show that they’ll know each other after this.
“Yes, next time.”
“How sure are you there will be a—” Joshua starts to ask but is interrupted by Soonyoung and Junhui pulling him off the bar stool. How did they get here so fast?
“Mingyu is acting like he knows English, we need you to stop him. Vernon and Wonwoo are useless in times like this,” Soonyoung explains before turning to Jeonghan, “we’ll bring him back, don't worry.”
Joshua doesn’t get to see Jeonghan’s reaction, just the bewilderment in his voice when he says ‘okay.’ So he gets dragged away by Soonyoung and Junhui because he also understands the predicament of Mingyu using English. He’s not fluent but Joshua knows he knows more than everyone else in their friend group apart from Vernon and him. But when he drinks too much, it’s a whole different story. And Joshua had taught his friend some of the phrases he uses so it’s kind of his fault too.
After a brief talk and having Wonwoo take Mingyu out for fresh air, Joshua realizes that it’s definitely time to start getting everyone back home. Soonyoung and Junhui have started using Jihoon as a pillow which only frustrates Jihoon though he won’t ever say anything about it and he’s not pushing them off so he’s passed his limit. And Vernon is stumbling to the restroom so he too has passed his limit.
But Joshua remembers he was talking to someone only twenty minutes ago. And they never finished their conversation that Joshua kind of wants to finish because it could mean they might see each other again. Because in that short amount of time, he felt something to want to know more and to want to see him again.
So before he starts calling taxis he goes back to see if Jeonghan is still at their spot in the corner waiting for him.
Joshua smiles to himself when he sees the other in the same spot he left him in.
“I have to send them home,” Joshua says, walking back to where he was sitting to face Jeonghan. “I also need to head home, I have work in the morning.”
“I didn’t know you had a career,” Jeonghan responds. “I know you were around my age but I assumed you were in university.”
“Graduated not that long ago,” Joshua answers. “And I hardly call my job a career, it’s not really what I want to do with my life.”
“I graduated not that long ago too,” Jeonghan says and he reaches out, palms up, expecting Joshua to know what he wants. Joshua kind of knows what that action means too, unsure but lets his palm rest on Jeonghan’s. Jeonghan laces his fingers with his, hands laced together, holding tightly for the final minutes they’ll see each other. He clears his throat, face red and shyly smiling. “We’ll see each other again, okay.”
Joshua squeezes tightly too, feeling the warmth from the other’s palm radiated not just in his hand but through his entire being as well. “Okay,” he whispers and Jeonghan let’s go, letting the coldness of the bar make Joshua shiver.
“Okay,” Jeonghan whispers back, still smiling. He turns to the bartop and grabs something but Joshua doesn’t notice because he’s too focused on Jeonghan, his eyes, his nose, his lips, his hair, his everything. “Here’s your phone.”
“Thank you,” Joshua says, pulling his attention away from the other and taking his phone he didn’t realize he had left behind. And with much regret he knows it’s time for him to go. “I have to go now.”
Jeonghan doesn’t hide the disappointment in his eyes or the way his smile falters and it hurts Joshua in a way that has never hurt him before. “Okay, be safe.”
“I will.” Joshua forces his feet to move and his hands to start calling the taxi company he always calls. And he walks away from Jeonghan, leaving him there with a sinking feeling in his chest and butterflies in his stomach.
Moreso he thinks this how everyone supposedly, maybe, meets the love of their life.
♡
August turns into September and Joshua finds Jeonghan sitting outside his apartment.
He picks up the pace to reach the man quicker, dazed that the other is right there in the flesh for the first time since that night in the bar almost a week ago.
“Jeonghan?” Joshua asks into the air to grab the other’s attention.
Jeonghan looks up from his phone and stands and almost runs to Joshua and holds onto him like in those romantic dramas. Joshua holds him back, letting himself feel the warmth of the other this time not just from his hand but from his entire being.
“I told you we’d see each other again,” Jeonghan says into Joshua’s chest, running his hands against his back, like he’s trying to comfort the latter. “I think I like you too much,” he says, a confession so quiet Joshua has to release his grip to believe he actually heard it.
“I think I like you too much too,” Joshua says, this weight he’s been feeling since he had to leave Jeonghan in that bar being lifted. He thought about it a lot too, how insane it must sound to realize that the one was someone who almost pitied him for being alone in a bar on a weekday night. But he remembered the conversation, memorized every detail, and waited for fate to bring them together because Jeonghan had promised and Joshua kept his promise.
He also knew he met more than just a friend in him that night. The way he let his dreams be filled with him and the way he waited in the same seat, at that same bar two nights in a row when he didn’t fight against his friends. But the world was just waiting for the perfect time and the world finally brought Jeonghan back to him.
Joshua breathes in Jeonghan and needs to know how. “How did you find me though?”
“Be grateful your friend Vernon is oddly endearing that my friend Seungkwan fell in love with him that night” Jeonghan explains, the smile dominating the way he speaks and the relief that fills his sigh. “And I know how to get information out of people.”
“That's… enticing,” Joshua laughs and he lets go only to lace their fingers again like that night in the bar. “You want to come up?” he asks Jeonghan.
Jeonghan only smiles and nods. “I have something else to say when we get out of the cold, okay?”
“Okay.”
And with that, Joshua is sure this is where their story starts.
♡