Chapter Text
Since when had they been friends?
Haaneym knew perfectly well. For a long time now, possibly more than 10 years. From the moment he moved into the house next door and their mothers instantly connected, laughing as if they'd known each other forever after barely exchanging a couple of sentences. Since then, Haaneym and Vounglim had been inseparable. "Best friends," everyone said. As if that label explained everything.
And perhaps it made sense that, after so many years of sharing everything—secrets, entire afternoons, comfortable silences—Haaneym would start to feel something more for him. Although for Haaneym, that wasn't a blessing. More like a real misfortune.
Because Vounglim was an idiot. A complete idiot. And the worst part was that Haaneym knew it. He knew it, he was fully aware of it, and yet he couldn't help liking it. Maybe that made him even more of an idiot than he was.
That's why he never thought of confessing. He never planned it. He never imagined it, not even in a whisper. Until Sän'ru's party came along.
Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe that damn phrase "drunks don't lie" had more power than he wanted to admit. Because when the music started playing, and the lights flickered as if the whole world was dancing too, he saw him there. Vounglim. Laughing with someone else, as carefree as ever. And something inside Haaneym ignited.
He thought it was an opportunity. Maybe his only one.
So, without thinking too much about it—or thinking too much about what he dared to do—he approached, took advantage of his friend Neteyam's awkward situation. He touched him on the shoulder. And asked him to dance.
At first, Vounglim looked at him with that expression that always disconcerted him: a half smile, a raised eyebrow, as if he were about to make a joke. But he said nothing. He just nodded, raised a hand, and gently placed it on Haaneym's.
The touch was simple. Almost casual. But for Haaneym, it was as if all the noise of the party had suddenly died away.
The music was still playing, a slow, enveloping beat, almost out of place among the bustle of laughter and clinking glasses. But to them, it seemed like the perfect song. They glided to the center of the dance floor, though they paid no attention to anyone else. There was no need to.
They danced close. Not so close that it was obvious. Just enough. Just enough for their fingers to brush, for their gazes to linger a few seconds longer than usual. So that Haaneym could hear the rhythm of Vounglim's heart if she dared to lean in a little closer.
And for a moment, she dared.
He leaned his head against her shoulder, making a clumsy excuse that he mumbled lamely—something about dizziness, alcohol, or tiredness. But Vounglim didn't move away. He didn't say anything. He just let the moment stretch on, as if he were in no hurry to end it.
The heat of the other's body seeped through their clothes. His breath caressed her hair. And for the first time, Haaneym thought maybe he wasn't the only one pretending not to feel anything.
— You're feeling strange -. Vounglim murmured suddenly, but didn't move. — Are you okay? -.
Haaneym swallowed. The impulse was there, bubbling beneath his tongue, begging him to say it. To tell her everything.
But he only replied:
— With you... yes -.
A pause. Short. Awkward. Filling. Then Vounglim chuckled. And that laugh, though it wasn't mocking, stirred his chest.
— You're really drunk, Haan -.
— Maybe -. He whispered, closing his eyes.
The murmur of the party continued to vibrate around them, distant and diffuse, as if they'd both been trapped in a bubble where only the two of them and the anxious throbbing in their chests existed.
Haaneym kept his eyes closed, not knowing whether the worst thing would be to open them or for Vounglim to move away before doing so. But he didn't move. And little by little, that silence began to weigh differently. More expectant of the kind that was heavier.
— Haan... -. He said his name, and it sounded different. Softer. Closer.
Haaneym looked at him. Or tried to. But his gaze dropped to Vounglim's lips almost unwillingly, as if his body already knew what he didn't dare think aloud.
And then it happened.
The kiss was awkward at first, as if both doubted it was really happening. Their mouths brushed and drew back, as if testing the edge of something they didn't know they should cross. But then one of them—they didn't know who—took another step. And the rest became natural, inevitable.
It was like having held their breath for years and finally being able to let it out.
When they separated, barely a couple of centimeters, Haaneym's heart was racing. The world was still spinning around them, the music vibrating in the distance, but everything seemed far away. Unreal.
— Come -. Vounglim said softly, his half-smile barely trembling.
Haaneym nodded, no words needed.
They slipped into the people, amid laughter and lights, holding hands as if it were the most natural thing in the world. They climbed a staircase that creaked under their feet and entered a semi-dark room, the air heavy with old perfume and echoes of other conversations long gone.
The door closed with a soft click behind them.
And then they kissed again. This time without fear, without hesitation. With everything they had kept quiet for years throbbing in their mouths, in their hands, in the urge to be closer.
The room was dimly lit by a lamp forgotten in the corner, casting soft shadows on the walls. It wasn't a romantic place. There were coats thrown on the bed, a couple of empty glasses on the desk, and the smell of cheap perfume wafted through the air. But none of that mattered.
Because Haaneym had Vounglim in front of him. And for the first time, he wasn't just his best friend. Not at that moment.
And when their lips met again, it was as if everything that had been building up for years began to overflow.
Vounglim's hands circled his waist, pulling him closer, as their mouths sought each other again and again, restlessly, wordlessly. Haaneym felt his own fingers tremble a little as they moved up the back of Vounglim's neck, tangled in his hair, holding onto him as if the ground were crumbling beneath them.
At some point, between kisses and ragged breaths, they reached the bed.
Their coats were clumsily pushed aside. They laughed a little, without separating, stifled by desire and by that nervous laughter that comes when you realize there's no turning back. Vounglim guided him gently, as if afraid the moment would be shattered if they rushed too far. They sat down first, exploring slowly, like someone opening a long-awaited book.
And when Haaneym lay on her back, breathing deeply, her pulse racing, it was he who reached out and gently pulled Vounglim towards him. Haaneym let herself go. She let herself fall. Literally, because they ended up sitting on the unmade bed, laughing a little when they almost tripped over the edge.
— You're a mess -. Vounglim murmured, his voice hoarse, but with a genuine smile.
— And you just kissed that mess -. Haaneym replied, resting his forehead against his.
— I know -. Vounglim whispered. — And I want to do it again -.
And he did. Slower this time. Deeper. As if time had turned liquid and only the skin, the touch, the trembling in his chest mattered. Haaneym felt fingers sliding under his shirt, the warm pads of hands that weren't strangers but now dared to touch him as if they were.
— Are you sure? -. Vounglim whispered, his forehead resting against his.
— I don't know if I am -. Haaneym replied, panting softly. — But I don't want it to end -.
The sincerity hurt a little, but it was also a relief. Like tearing away something that had been hidden for too long.
— So it won't end -. Vounglim said, and kissed him again, slower now. As if he wanted to memorize it.
His skin prickled instantly. The contact was warm, intimate, but not invasive. Their bodies drew even closer, until there was no space between them, only the touch of their labored breaths.
Haaneym let himself go, without thinking, without resisting, falling onto the mattress with Vounglim on top of him. The other's weight wasn't uncomfortable. It was comforting.
Haaneym wrapped his legs around his waist, feeling him closer, more real. His hands wound through Vounglim's hair, pulling him closer every time he tried to move away, even if it was just to look at him. He didn't want distance. Not this time.
The pace gradually quickened. It wasn't perfect. It was clumsy, messy, full of quick glances, stifled sighs, and low chuckles when they accidentally bumped into each other or their knees tangled awkwardly. But that made it more real. More intimate.
— Don't laugh -. Haaneym murmured through his teeth, his voice cracking with laughter and everything he was feeling at the same time.
— I can't help it... You look beautiful like this -. Vounglim replied, and kissed him again, this time slower, deeper, with that disarming sweetness.
The kiss moved down his neck, down his chest. His hands moved down as well, carefully, as if they didn't want to break anything. As if they knew that, although there was desire, what they shared went beyond the body.
Their movements became more fluid, more natural, as if their bodies had known each other before, as if this physical connection were an inevitable consequence of everything they had kept quiet for years. Haaneym gasped between kisses and caresses, arching his back as Vounglim's lips slid over his neck, his chest, his belly.
His moans were soft, almost secret. Each movement was a silent confession, an answer to all the questions they hadn't dared to ask for years. In the midst of it all, Haaneym felt it.
He felt that tingling in his chest that wasn't just about pleasure, but about something deeper. Something that told him he wasn't alone.
When they finished, they stayed like that, pressed against each other, breathing against each other. The sweat on their bodies glistened in the dim light from the hallway seeping in under the door. Haaneym's eyes were closed, but he wasn't sleeping. He felt Vounglim's fingers stroking his back in slow circles.
— Are you still drunk? -. He murmured in a raspy voice, without opening his eyes.
— A little -. Haaneym replied, smiling. — But not from alcohol -.
Vounglim said nothing. He just hugged him tighter.
And so, between the shared warmth, the perfume mingling with their rumpled clothes, and the muffled sound of music downstairs, the night continued.
°*.╰─────.••✿••.─────╯.*°
The room was dim, but it was no longer total. A bluish light was beginning to creep in around the edges of the window, carrying with it the murmur of dawn. Outside, the party had died. The silence was different now: denser, more real.
In bed, between rumpled sheets, Haaneym and Vounglim were still together. They weren't sleeping, though at times they pretended to be. The warmth between them lingered, not only from physical contact, but from everything that had remained floating in the air, like an echo of everything they had said to each other without speaking.
Haaneym lay on his back, his head resting on Vounglim's chest, listening to his calm breathing. His fingers played with the seam of the sheet, distracted. He felt the weight of the night on his skin, his muscles, his chest. But there was no regret. Only a growing question: What now?
— Are you awake?-. He murmured, breaking the silence cautiously.
— For a while -. Vounglim replied, his voice low, hoarse from sleep or suppressed emotion.
— Are you okay? -.
— Yes. And you? I was a bit rude to you last night -.
Haaneym hesitated for a second. — Yes... Do you regret it? -.
Vounglim didn't respond immediately. His arms simply wrapped around him more tightly, pulling him against his chest.
— Nah -. He said finally. — It was fun, even if it was just a drunken anecdote. We could go out today, what do you think? -.
— Go out? -. Haaneym repeated, barely raising his head to look at him, one eyebrow raised. — Just like that? -.
— Would you rather I just lie here saying weird things after sex? Or we could go back to bed if you prefer -. Vounglim joked, though his smile trembled a little.
— I’d rather you didn’t do either of those things -. Haaneym replied, but he couldn’t help but laugh.
The atmosphere was charged, but less tense. Warmer. There was a new awkwardness between them, yes, but also a kind of strange lightness, as if they both knew they had crossed a threshold from which they would never return.
— And what kind of outing is this? -. Haaneym asked as he sat up, his eyes searching the floor for his T-shirt.
Vounglim gently threw him a pillow. — An outing. Food, a walk. Maybe an old movie. No labels, in fact, I have a meeting later, do you want to go? -.
— Sure, but I want to shower first -. Haaneym said, wrinkling his nose as he stood up and theatrically brushed his T-shirt off the floor. — I'm not going to come out smelling like... us -.
Vounglim laughed, leaning his head back against the pillow he was still holding. He looked at him shamelessly, with that twinkle in his eyes that betrayed more than he let on.
— I'd stay smelling like us all day -. Vounglim said with feigned melancholy, lying face up on the couch, his arms outstretched and his hair still tousled. — It's a nice smell, coffee and coconut, yummy -.
— You're a sicko -. Haaneym replied between laughs as he walked toward the bathroom, trying not to smile so much, although it was impossible to hide the curve of his lips.
They both left the club's private rooms and paid with a mixture of embarrassment and suppressed laughter for "the extra service," as the receptionist had put it with a raised eyebrow and a half-smile. Then they took the shuttle together, without saying much, although their glances spoke volumes.
When they arrived at Vounglim's house, it was as if the world breathed at their pace. The place was silent, except for the note taped to the refrigerator:
"We went to Aunt Sana's. We'll be back tonight. Don't make a mess. Don't blow anything up. – Mom."
— I'm surprised your parents haven't called you yet for not coming home -.Haaneym said, taking the note and reading it with a raised eyebrow.
— Oh, I told them I'd be staying with you, so it was no problem -. Vounglim replied as he slumped into one of the kitchen chairs, not bothering to feign innocence.
— Oh, right, you used me as an excuse -.
— Yes. Didn't you do the same? -. Haaneym looked at him sideways, biting his tongue before answering.
— Touché -.
Just before closing the door he stopped and looked at him over his shoulder, more serious, though his eyes still shone.
— Don't leave while I bathe -.
— Not like I'd run away from my own house -. Vounglim replied, without looking away.
Haaneym closed the door behind him, and the water began to run. Meanwhile, Vounglim flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His fingers played with the wrinkled sheets, still warm from Haaneym's body.
A smile crept onto his face, slow, awkward, as if he still couldn't believe what had happened. There was something different in the air.
After a few minutes, Haaneym emerged from the steamy bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.
— You didn't get dressed -. He commented, raising an eyebrow.
— I was considering not doing that, to see if I could convince you to stay -. Vounglim joked, with the same limp smile as before.
— Tempting. But I'm hungry -.
— Party pooper -. The taller one said, putting on some clothes and drying his hair.
They laughed. Really. The kind of laughter that makes your stomach churn and takes away your fear. After everything that had happened that night, everything felt lighter. And that scared him a little more than any confession.
— What do you want for breakfast? -. Vounglim asked, standing up. — I know how to make cereal. And... cereal -.
— Wow, quite a chef -. Haaneym replied, pretending to be impressed.
— Not everyone boils milk with such grace -.
Haaneym rolled her eyes but couldn't help but lean in closer. He stole a kiss, soft, slow, as if he had time. As if there really was no rush. And when he broke away, he stayed a second longer than necessary with her forehead resting on his.
— I like this -.
— The cereal? -.
— No -. He smiled. — We -. Vounglim looked at him, serious for a moment, and nodded.
The afternoon slipped by peacefully. After a disastrous breakfast and an impromptu nap on the couch, Vounglim had suggested going out for a while before going to the meeting. It wasn't a date, at least they didn't say so out loud, but walking together downtown, sharing an ice cream, laughing at a couple making a scene with selfies in front of a fountain... it had that soft tinge that settles between two people when something has changed, even if they don't know what to call it yet.
— We could not go -. Haaneym suggested, as they sat on a bench in the shade, their legs barely touching.
— We could -. Vounglim replied, looking up at the sky. — But I already promised Liro I would go. It's her birthday. And if I don't go, she'll kill me -.
— And you're going to introduce us as...? -.
— As whatever you want to be -. Vounglim said without hesitation, and looked at him with a crooked smile that melted Haaneym's chest.
They didn't speak of it again. There was something about that afternoon that felt unreal. As if everything was too perfect, too peaceful. Maybe that's why he didn't see it coming.
The party was in a house with a large garden, colored lights, and music that vibrated through the floor. People they barely remembered, others they didn't even know. Haaneym felt out of place, but Vounglim seemed to fit in effortlessly. As if he'd never stopped being that charming guy everyone greeted with backslaps and wide smiles.
— I don't know a soul -. Haaneym murmured as they walked in, taking a step back.
— I don't remember everyone either, but it's okay. Just stay close, and I'll make sure you don't die of boredom -. Vounglim said, winking at him with that easy smile that had saved his day so many times.
For a while, it worked. They chatted with a couple of Vounglim's acquaintances, laughed at silly things that made no sense out of context, and even sat in a corner of the garden with plastic cups in their hands. Haaneym watched him, trying not to make it too obvious, but feeling something soft spark in his chest every time Vounglim leaned toward him or touched his arm to share something.
It felt real. Comfortable. Intimate, even in the crowd.
Until, at some point, Vounglim broke away.
— I'm going to say hi to someone I haven't seen in the last year -. He said, absentmindedly patting him on the leg before standing up.
— Sure -. Haaneym replied, biting his lip. — I'll get something to drink -. Haaneym said, leaving Vounglim talking with some acquaintances by the card table.
— Bring me something nice too, pretty -. He ordered, without even turning around, caught up in the conversation.
A few minutes passed. The place was beginning to smell more of perfume and sweat than grass and drinks. The table was inside the house, next to the kitchen. There were glasses, open bottles, and juices that no one knew had been mixed with liquor. As he carefully poured, he heard a high-pitched laugh, a laugh drenched in flirtatiousness that he didn't recognize, but that caught his attention.
He turned his face, distracted, not looking for anything in particular.
And he saw it.
Vounglim. Against a wall in the side hallway. His arm resting on top of a girl's head, his body half-leaning over hers. An Omega. You could tell by her soft, sweet scent, all too noticeable amid so many floating pheromones. She laughed, playing with the collar of his shirt, until he leaned closer.
And he kissed her.
It wasn't a fleeting or accidental kiss. It was a full-bodied kiss. One that spoke of desire and habit. Vounglim's hand circled her waist with an ease that took Haaneym's breath away. Because he knew her. Not her, but that gesture.
It was the same one he'd held it with the night before.
The glass in his hand trembled. It didn't fall, it didn't break. But everything in him shuddered. His body tensed as if he'd been hit in the chest with something cold and without warning.
A part of him wished he hadn't seen it. Another, crueler one, whispered to him that it had been inevitable. That it made sense. That an Alpha like Vounglim wouldn't stay with someone like him, that she was more doubt than certainty, more affection than spectacle.
And above all, that she wasn't an Omega, she was an Alpha just like him.
He took a step back. Then another. He said nothing.
He just walked out the back door, silently, clenching his fists so as not to break the glass he was still holding.
And when he was far enough away, he placed the glass on the edge of a flowerpot, leaned against a wall, and stayed there. The music and laughter were gone. Only the muffled sound of the party behind the walls, mixed with the chirping of some cricket lost in the night.
He sat there, elbows on his knees, the plastic cup—half-full of a drink he could no longer remember—dangling from a trembling hand.
He wasn't crying.
Not at first.
Because crying over something like that was ridiculous, right? He and Vounglim were never "anything." Not officially. They never used words like boyfriend and girlfriend or couple. They were only together for one night and they only fucked. Just a few hours ago, they'd kissed as if the world was ending, and he'd wanted to believe that was enough.
He wanted to laugh. Make fun of himself for imagining things.
But the lump in his throat grew.
And then, without warning, a tear fell down his cheek.
Just one. But it was enough.
Like opening a floodgate.
He covered his face with a hand. His chest ached. Not like a blow, but like a hole, as if someone had taken something important out of him and left him without warning, until they stopped.
— Haan? -. Vounglim's voice.
Haaneym didn't lift his head. — Are you here? -. He insisted, and the concern in his tone wasn't enough to erase the weight of what had just happened.
Then, a pause. A subtle change. As if the Alpha had finally seen him.
— Hey... -.
Haaneym lowered his hand from his face slowly, revealing his wet eyes and broken expression. He said nothing. He just looked at him.
And the impact on Vounglim was immediate.
He stood still. As if he hadn't expected to find him like this. As if he'd come with another intention. As if the words he'd prepared dissolved in his throat.
— Did you see? -. He finally asked, in a low voice. Clumsily. Without excuses.
Haaneym nodded. Barely. But it was enough.
— I didn't know you were around, friend -. Vounglim continued, taking a step closer, then stopping. — I didn't know you liked her. Honestly, I don't know who she is, but I was going to go with her -.
That "I was going to go with her" sounded like a razor. As if he still didn't fully understand what he'd done to him.
Haaneym laughed through his nose, bitter and shaky.
— So why didn't you do it? -.
— Do what? -. Vounglim didn't know what to say.
— Shit Vounglim, you kissed me and we fuck together, damn it! -.
— It was just the alcohol, something that just happened as an anecdote -.
— And what was it supposed to be for you?! -.He finally blurted out, his eyes shining, his voice cracking. — A game? A way to pass the time until you met an Omega who was a good fit for you? -.
— I didn't think you'd be mad at me. If you like the Omega, I'll back off, and you can fuck her all you want and stop making a big deal out of it -. The guy said as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
— That's not the problem! -.
— I don't understand why you're so upset! -.
— That's the problem. You don't understand nothing, and I… -. He swallowed, lowering his voice again. — I got carried away and came off like ... an idiot -.
— I don't know what you want me to say -.
— Nothing -. Haaneym whispered, turning away. — For once… just shut up -.
And he left. Just walking into the darkest night. Leaving behind a confused, guilty Alpha, and perhaps — for the first time —
┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
Yeah. Double chapter in two consecutive days.
The devil is fast, but I'm faster.
VOUNGLIM YOU ARE A REALLY FUCKING MORON
FUCKING SHIT, I just made myself mad with this and I'm writing it.
Truly the most personal chapter. Haaneym and I are the same shit. We are rogues
Little one, I understand you baby 😭
Go Haaneym
I've been working on something that I sincerely hope will eventually become a project that comes to fruition. I put it off for like two years and I want to get back to it with a good friend of mine.
It's a Visual Novel, and I'd love for you to give it a try. Here's the Tumblr link to my Raven Inc. project: "Coffee and Red Velvet with Cream."
I'll post the links to the rest of my humble project's social media accounts later.
Please comment if you have any suggestions to spice up this humble fanfic.
Also follow me on my social media, where I upload cool stuff like fan art and headcanons.
On Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, you can find me as:
"@Eidarnox," or the links are in my profile information.
Thanks 🌿✨
In other news, I'm currently opening commissions. If you're interested, the pricing information is on my Twitter profile under a pinned tweet to get in touch.
https://twitter.com/Eidarnox_666/status/1674480197393850388?t el=eSVYF191s5jcUcBJoI8uVA&s=19
(I'm also including the images with the information.)
Please, I'm hungry.
I also now accept PayPal.
