Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A bell above the restaurant door rings as Sooho enters, his senior colleagues following behind. As the sound echoes, the woman wiping down the long table in the centre of the room turns towards the source. A smile spreads across her face as she puts the cleaning cloth down and makes her way over the door. Within a few quick steps, she is wrapping her arms around Sooho’s frame and squeezing him like a boa constrictor.

“Youngyi, you can let go now” Sooho squeaks out, hands frantically swatting at the woman’s back.

“Sorry, I’m just happy to see you!” she exclaims, loosening her grip and letting her arms fall back to her side. She looks towards the other suit-clad people standing awkwardly in the entryway and gives them a polite smile too. “You must be with the massive corporate dinner thing?” she asks, turning her gaze back towards Sooho.

“Yeah, it’s supposed to welcome all the new recruits to the company. They offered to let us choose and I suggested your restaurant. Thought you wouldn’t mind more money.” Sooho’s lips tug up in a sly smile as Youngyi lightly hits his arm. She doesn’t argue though. Sooho knows that she can’t because she was most likely internally thanking Sooho for the customers. 

Youngyi directs the company to the table she was just wiping before turning towards the door just as the bell rings again.

“Welco- Sieun?”

No…it can’t be.

“Youngyi!” a male voice responds. A male voice that Sooho could recognise anywhere. “I didn’t know you worked here?” Sieun says. 

“I own the restaurant you idiot!” she teases “Are you here for the company dinner?” Sieun must have nodded because Youngyi speaks once again “Sooho’s here too! He’s just at the end of the table, although you probably don’t need me to tell you that. Hopefully you haven’t forgotten what he looks like haha.”

Suddenly footsteps are echoing across the floor and Sooho is trying his best to not look up, pretending to have been listening to his coworkers’ conversation and not the one between his two friends. If Sieun still considers you his friend after not speaking to you for five years .

The chair beside him is quietly pulled out before a body occupies the seat.

“Hi…” Sieun mumbles in a barely audible voice. But Sooho is tuned into Sieun’s frequency, whether consciously or not, so he hears nonetheless.

“Oh Sieun!” He responds in what he hopes is a surprised tone “I didn’t know you worked for Somang Group! How long have you been with them for? What’s your role?” Did you know that I started working here?

“Woah one question at a time Sooho.”

“Well I haven’t seen you in five years” Sooho responds defensively. He watches as Sieun’s eyes widen and his mouth slightly drops open in shock. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” Neither one of them makes any move to speak. Sooho attempts to search Sieun’s face for any signs of regret. 

Does he regret not being by my side when I woke up? Does he care that he left without an explanation? Does he know how long I looked for him?

“I’ve been on the accounting team for one year if you were wondering” Sieun responds, eyes looking down at his lap. “What about you? You must be one of the new hires?”

“Oh. Yeah, I’m new to the marketing team. My first week was this week.”

“Well I hope you enjoy it here Sooho. I genuinely think that you will be a great asset to the team.”

Then Sieun is turning away and talking to someone else that probably now knows him better than Sooho does. 

Why did I hope we could make up for the past five years in one night?

~~~

“How about we play a game?” one colleague asks, slightly swaying side to side as he stands. He abruptly claps his hands together before declaring to the table “King’s Game!”

Sooho catches Sieun rolling his eyes but the latter does not say a word. He assumes that this happens at every company dinner and wonders how Sieun has managed to survive. The King’s Game isn’t an easy game to play, especially if you are someone who hates things being out of your control.

The clearly drunk colleague procures a pack of cards from his pocket, quickly finds thirteen cards in one suit, before doling out a single card to each of his colleagues. 

Sooho notes the seven of clubs he holds in his hand before placing face-down on the table. 

“I’m the King!” a woman reveals, showing her card to everyone at the table. “I dare number three to down this pint of beer in one shot!” She holds the pint up to the crowd like she has just won a golden trophy and giggles as another woman to Sooho’s left sighs exasperatedly. She grasps the pint in two hands before chugging it down (with great difficulty) as her coworkers cheer her on.

The rest of game passes in a blur before a man laughs to himself and proudly announces “I dare numbers five and eight to spend seven minutes in the cleaning closet.”

Sooho glances at his card again - five of clubs - and shudders at the prospect of being trapped in a closet with someone he has only known for a week or, even worse, someone he is still yet to meet. 

Then the world seems to move in slow motion as Sieun shows his card to the table. 

The eight of clubs.

Sooho belatedly realises that he had failed to consider the real worst option; that he would have to spend seven awkward minutes squeezed into a cleaning closet with someone who once meant the world to him but now felt like a planet orbiting just out of reach.

Chapter Text

Sieun shifts uncomfortably against the wall whilst Sooho tries to stop himself from toppling into the shorter’s already limited space. Sieun clears his throat, clearly about to say something, and then stops abruptly. He quickly glances at Sooho, gaze seemingly flicking towards Sooho’s lips, before turning his head away (as red flushes his cheeks, but Sooho didn’t need to know that). 

If the circumstances were any different Sooho might have broken his concentration and leaned down to kiss the owner of the transparent gaze. But alas, it was Sieun that he was spending seven minutes in a cleaner’s closet with, and Sooho knew him well enough to know that he would not be thrilled with someone kissing him unannounced, let alone someone he has not spoken to in five years. 

Sieun clears his throat again, drawing Sooho out of his stupor, and finally speaks.

“How long have we been here?” he shyly asks. Sooho doesn’t respond. “Sooho…you did set a timer, didn’t you?” Silence again. Sieun lets out an exasperated sign, head falling into his hands.

“I…I thought you would’ve…” Sooho meekly responds. 

“ You always have a watch on I thought you would’ve!” Sooho flashes his wrist to show the lack of timer, causing Sieun to stutter. 

“Well we haven’t seen each other in five years, Sieun. A lot has changed in that time.”

Sieun is clearly about to retaliate before they hear talking which sounds a lot closer than Sooho wants it to be. 

“It’s been eight minutes, what are they doing?” one of their coworkers exclaims.

They hear a voice that is distinctly Youngyi’s say “You guys each owe me five-thousand won if they’re kissing”

Sooho whips his head back towards Sieun, searching his eyes for something - he doesn’t know what - but all he’s met with is a red-faced Sieun with lips slightly agape and eyes looking anywhere but Sooho. He looks back towards the door, hearing the voices getting slightly louder, then back towards Sieun. This time Sieun’s gaze is unmistakably zeroed in on Sooho’s lips.

That’s all the confirmation he needs before mumbling a quick “sorry” and diving in to catch Sieun’s lips in his own. One hand comes up to cup Sieun’s cheek as the other stays pressed against the wall, Sieun’s own hands coming up to grip Sooho’s shirt. Sieun kisses back almost immediately, surprising Sooho before he realises that the only reason why he hasn’t yet pushed him away is that the door is now open.

“I fucking knew it!” exclaims Youngyi “Everyone pay up.” 

At this, Sooho pulls back and turns towards his coworkers with a heated stare. “What the fuck guys! Is the time up already?”

“We can leave you guys alone for a bit longer?” one of their coworkers suggests

“Nah I don’t want them to start fucking in my work closet please, that’s enough time.” She lets out a little giggle directed at Sieun before turning on her heels, their coworkers following shortly after.

Sooho turns back towards Sieun and understands immediately why Youngyi laughed. The hair on the back of his head is tousled, his cheeks a bright red, and his lips spit stained and still agape.

“I’m sorry” Sooho laughs, fixing Sieun’s hair “Thought Youngyi might give us some of the money if we won the bet for her.” Lies.

Sieun avoids Sooho’s gaze, playing with his hands. “It’s okay, I understand. Can we go back to the table now?” And with that he’s ducking between Sooho’s arms and out into the crowded restaurant.

~~~

The rest of the dinner passed quickly after that, all of their coworkers avoiding bringing up the closet incident. Sooho still caught their eyes flicking between him and Sieun, but he hoped that Sieun wouldn’t notice. If Sieun was uncomfortable that would mean he would leave and Sooho would do anything in his power to stop him from running away again.

“I don’t feel too well, I think I’m just going to leave” Sieun says to the table before standing up. 

Shit shit shit . 

“I was going to leave too” he responds before turning to Sieun as the other walks out “I can drive you home?”

“It’s okay, I don’t want everyone to get the wrong idea”

“No no I’ll drive you home”

“Sooho. I’m fine.”

“You were going to catch the bus home, right? Or order a taxi? It’s free for me to drive you, just let me do this one thing.” Sieun gives him a weird look and the debate in his mind shows clear on his face. “I won’t come inside either if that makes you happy?”

“Ok fine. But you said it, not me. No coming inside.”

Sooho throws his hands up in surrender. If that’s what Sieun wants he’ll do it without question.

As they walk over to the motorbike he has kept since all those years ago, he watches Sieun’s face light up in recognition. Before he can turn back to grab a helmet for Sieun, he grabs Sooho’s wrist causing him to turn back. Sieun’s gaze hardens and a slight pout appears on his lips. Sooho can’t tell whether he’s trying to be intimidating or not.

“Are you still riding that death trap?” Sieun questions, grip tightening. “After everything that happened?”

“Sieun,” Sooho responds soothingly “the accident only happened cause the boys tampered with the brakes. I’ve been riding it for the past five years and am yet to have another accident.” 

Sieun seems somewhat content with this answer as his whole body visibly relaxes. Sooho offers his helmet to Sieun, holding it above his head in silent question.

“I’m not a baby, I can do it myself” Sieun says, snatching the helmet away and attempting to fasten the helmet. Sooho watches this sorry attempt with amusement before signing in mock exasperation and lightly pushing Sieun’s hands away from the clasp.

“Not much has changed for you, huh?” he says, fastening helmet and knocking on it. He swears that he hears a quiet ‘shut up’ before the shorter weaves back towards the bike and sits down with a grumble. 

~~~

Sooho somewhat does and doesn’t break his promise of not coming inside - does break it because he comes into Sieun’s building, but doesn’t break it because he stops at the door to Sieun’s apartment (Sooho has the decency to not exploit the loophole he found too much, especially since Sieun doesn’t seem to notice them as quickly as he used to). 

Doesn’t notice or doesn’t care?

“Thanks for taking me home,” Sieun says after his door is successfully unlocked. “You should probably get going. Good night Sooho. I look forward to seeing you around.” 

Suddenly a hand shoots out to grab the door before it closes. 

“Wait!” Sooho exclaims. “I have to know before I go, what happened?”

“Sooho, not now ple-”

“No, Sieun. It’s been five fucking years, I deserve to know. Do you know how many times I asked Grandma about you?” Sieun goes quiet, looking down at his hands in what Sooho can only read as guilt. “Every single time she told me that you had moved schools and it was the middle of exam season and that was why you couldn’t make time to see me. She covered for you full well knowing that you weren’t going to be visiting any time soon. That you had chosen to lea-”

“I did it for you Sooho!” Sieun suddenly bursts out. Sooho swears that he can see tears beginning to form in the other’s eyes. “Everything I did since that accident I did for you! I got expelled from the school for being too violent because seeing you in that state drove me insane with rage and sadness and guilt , and I couldn’t bear to see the people that did that to you live guilt-free when it was eating me up alive. Everything that happened to you was my fault, so I decided that the only way to make your suffering stop was to leave and make you forget me.”

“Well clearly your plan didn’t work cause you’ve been all I think about day and night Sieun,” Sooho laughs, moving forward and reaching up to cup Sieun’s cheek. “I love you so much that it consumes me. You do too, don’t you? Why else would you leave me, huh?”

Sieun’s gaze flicks all over Sooho’s face but no words come out. Sooho's smile drops.

“Please say something. Please tell me to stay.” Sooho whispers.

Sieun doesn’t respond, but Sooho can see and feel the tears that drip onto where his hands rest on the other's face.

“I don’t want to leave but if you do, I’ll do exactly what you ask, just tell me.” 

Silence. Sooho steps back, letting his arms weakly fall to his side.

“And here I was thinking everything you did was for me.”

Just as Sooho turns to leave, Sieun’s hand darts out to grab the back of his shirt. 

“Stay,” Sieun breathes.

And because he can’t say no to him, Sooho follows Sieun inside and kisses him in the entryway.

Because he can’t say no to him, Sooho lets himself be dragged into Sieun’s room.

Because he can’t say no to him, Sooho let’s Sieun use him however he wants even though he can tell that the latter is new to it all. 

And because he likes teasing him, Sooho whispers “were you waiting for me?” into Sieun’s ear, watching his face turn red and his eyes go wide.

And Sooho realises in that moment that just like Sooho had been waiting to find Sieun…

…Sieun had been waiting to be found.