Chapter Text
Boo Seungkwan is not a very secretive person. In fact, he can never really keep a secret for far too long because one , he’s a bad liar, and two , he just erupts with it before he can even control his mouth.
However, he’s been hiding something for several years now- maybe more? But not because he wants to! He’s aching to tell everyone!
To tell him .
But he also knows there are some things better left unsaid.
So again, Boo Seungkwan isn’t fond of secrets, but this one, he has to keep.
“Ya, what are you doing so far behind? Let’s go, the bus will arrive any minute.” Hansol’s voice broke his thoughts. That was when Seungkwan realized that he had fallen behind his best friend and he stands there looking at him expectantly.
“Coming, coming!” Seungkwan sped up to catch up with him and just in time, the bus arrived so they scrambled to make a run for it.
When Hansol got to the door, he held onto the railing and made space for Seungkwan to get in first. This has been something the other man had been doing ever since Seungkwan can remember.
In turn, he would find seats for both of them. Or if there are no vacancies, he would get the best spot on the bus where it’s not too crowded and they can stand beside or behind each other. Either way, it works just as long as they are within each other’s reach.
They were lucky to get some seats today, though and Seungkwan was happy because that means he got to sleep a little before school. He wasn’t able to get as much sleep the night prior because he had to meet deadlines.
Also, he conditions himself every night that Hansol is just his bestfriend and can never be anything more- that the secret can never go past his lips because the relationship they have right now is everything to him and cannot be ruined just because he wants more.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Hansol asked him, frowning and looking at him with those wide-set eyes that translates to “you’ve been really weird this morning.” The other man knows him too well that he can predict the things he would do and the things he would say but hopefully, he doesn’t know him enough to see through him.
Seungkwan closed his eyes, feeling sleep coming up. He has to make the most of his little nap if he wants to be able to focus in class today. But before he can even fully doze off, he hears Hansol ask again, “Why aren’t you sleeping on my shoulder?” and he asks him that as if it’s the most natural thing for two grown men to do. Although probably, in Hansol’s defense, it’s because Seungkwan has done that ever since they were little. He would lean on his shoulder and sleep while Hansol listened to music. It’s been a routine that they had established quite early on in the friendship.
“I’m trying to be independent here,” Seungkwan tells his best friend and that statement earns him another look from the latter. “Why? I’m not going anywhere.”
Seungkwan is happy to know that. He really is. Because Hansol might not be someone who’s extremely vocal when it comes to saying sappy things but in his own way, that sentence translated to him promising that he’d never leave and that they can carry on with the routines they have come to establish.
That he doesn’t need to be independent because he can always depend on him.
Seungkwan’s reply was to finally lean onto Hansol and suddenly, he forgets everything he’s been thinking so early in the morning. Every thought gets washed away by the faint scent that Hansol emits.
Hansol smells like eucalyptus. Or at least, that’s what he smells like for Seungkwan because an individual’s scent is different for every person. Especially since Hansol is an alpha. Alphas like him smell differently to people around them.
Seungkwan, on the other hand is an omega- which, in reality, makes their close friendship a bit of a problem because their second gender poses an issue. It’s been known that constant close exposure of an omega to an alpha can trigger their heat and rut respectively.
And in their case, it’s not just constant close exposure because they live together. So in a way, it’s both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because they have already gotten used to each other’s scent and they do not pose the risk of getting affected but bad because they can never really know when and if that might change.
And maybe if Hansol’s scent isn’t this faint then maybe he had long triggered Seungkwan’s heat. Or it could also be that they just really don’t have that effect on each other, hence regardless of their second gender, they are able to stay close to each other without any problems.
Seungkwan felt the alpha relax, leaning his head against his and this gesture lulled him to sleep faster.
They get to the campus right on time- or more like, thanks to Seungkwan dragging Hansol, they are able to get to class five minutes early.
“Oh! Our resident married couple is finally here!” Seungkwan immediately glared at the owner of that voice- none other than Kwon Soonyoung. “Hyung, I’m sleep-deprived. I suggest you don’t.”
Leave it to Soonyoung and Seungkwan to bicker not even minutes of the latter arriving.
“Ya, kids settle down.” A senior named Jeonghan passes by.
“Good morning hyung.” Hansol immediately greets him with that smile that’s quite possibly only meant for Jeonghan.
“Good morning Hansol-ah, Seungkwan-ah. Ignore Soonyoung, he's just sulky because Jihoon is absent.”
They both nod and Jeonghan excused himself to go back to his seat. Seungkwan noticed that his best friend’s gaze followed the older student and in all honesty, he wants to erupt in jealousy and hate Jeonghan even just a little but he cannot find it in himself because even he gets why a lot of students are into Jeonghan. He’s just really– ugh . Like, in the best way.
Plus he’s super nice and has the patience of a kindergarten teacher. He’s a really lovely person in and out and Seungkwan knows there’s no way he can even match up to him.
Still, the part of him that has a crush on Hansol cannot help but feel just a tiny bit sad because what if Hansol acts up on his attraction to the senior, and what if Jeonghan ends up liking him back?
After all, Hansol is a very popular alpha with his talents and looks, and chill personality.
“Seriously, what’s up with you today?” Hansol faced him. “You’re unusually quiet and broody.”
“I’m just–” Seungkwan can’t put it into words. “I don’t know. I just feel a bit off.”
“Do you feel sick? Are you hungry? Do you want me to get you anything?” Seungkwan smiles. When Hansol is worried he tends to throw questions like this- plus he has the cutest frown on his face.
Seungkwan had always liked how attentive his best friend was to him. Like one time he bumped his head on the door and from there on, whenever he would pass by that door and they were together Hansol would always put his hand between his head and the door just to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
He sees Seungkwan struggle one time and he takes a mental note of it and would make sure the omega wouldn’t go through it a second time.
Honestly, it’s one of the reasons Seungkwan is really attracted to him. He may seem passive and uncaring but really, he catches all the little things and he’s the most thoughtful guy Seungkwan has ever known.
“I’m alright. Just a mood thing.” Seungkwan assured his best friend. The latter looked like he was going to say something but then the professor walked in and the class started.
It’s an elective that they share because they tried to get as many classes together as possible. They have different majors. Seungkwan is in theater and Hansol is a music major. Every student in this elective belongs to different departments and year levels which is why seniors like Jeonghan from the acting department and Soonyoung from dance are in the same class as them.
After their shared class, they had to part to attend their major classes. “I’ll be waiting in the same spot.” Hansol tells him as he leaves.
“Ah, I actually have extended rehearsals today because of the play so I might finish late. You can go home first.”
“What time will you finish?”
Seungkwan pressed his lips together to think, “I don’t know, maybe around seven?”
“Alright, then I’ll wait for you.”
“But your class ends at four. You can go home first, I’ll be fine.”
“I can just wait by the–” but Seungkwan interrupted him halfway. “Hansol-ah, I can go home alone, okay?”
“Fine.” the alpha sighed. “But I’ll wait for you for dinner.”
Seungkwan rolled his eyes. Hansol is just so cute.
Fortunately, he was able to get his earlier thoughts off of his mind throughout the remainder of his day. Classes kept him busy and rehearsals are his healing time and singing takes away all his inhibitions which is why Hansol might be his crush- but singing will forever be his first love.
Time flies by fast when he’s performing so he doesn’t mind the long hours. In fact, he’s even sulky towards the end because if he could, he’d perform every hour and every day of his life.
He’s also very excited about an upcoming play where he’s one of the lead roles. He’s extremely happy about it because not only is it going to be his first starring role, he’s always doing it with his role model- theater senior Seokmin.
Packing up his things and getting ready to go home, he fished for his phone to send Hansol a message. ‘I’m on my way home.’
He immediately gets a reply. ‘K.’ It read. Seungkwan shook his head. He thinks he can never get used to Hansol’s texting style.
When he got out of the auditorium, he heard someone whistle. Looking to his side and much to his surprise- there stood his best friend. Seungkwan was stunned. “What are you doing here?”
“Obviously to go home together.”
“But I said–”
“And I didn’t listen.” Now it was Hansol’s turn to interrupt him. “It’s dangerous to go home this late so it’s better if we go together.”
“So you just waited there until I finished?”
Hansol nodded. “Don’t worry, I barely noticed the time. I was writing a song.”
Seungkwan nodded, still with a frown on his face. Sometimes, he wishes his best friend is not as caring as this, just so his heart can rest a bit from thumping so hard and the butterflies in his stomach would lessen even just a little.
When they got home, Seungkwan’s mother was quick to greet them. Hansol has lived with them ever since his parents moved to the States.
Seungkwan remembers that time when Hansol’s parents announced their plan to move. They were 9 years old then, so that was over 10 years ago. He remembers them making such a huge fuss about it- or more like, he did as he clung onto Hansol and kept repeating that he will never let his best friend go.
What’s funny was that Hansol clung back to him too- with just as much determination in his eyes although minus the verbal pleadings.
In the end, Hansol’s family and Seungkwan’s family had agreed that the best friends would stay together- quite literally as they would come to share the same roof.
That was all fun and games for both of them growing up. It meant that they had unlimited time together and during the earlier years, they would even sleep in the same room. However, as a precaution and to give them privacy when they became teens, they started sleeping in different rooms.
Sometimes, Seungkwan can’t help but miss the feeling of Hansol sleeping beside him. All those nights when he would rant endlessly and the other one would just attentively listen to him. Or Hansol would tell him about the new song he’s composing and he would even ask Seungkwan to sing it for him.
Those were really good times.
That night, Seungkwan slept hugging the pillow tightly wishing they could be like how they used to be back then.