Chapter Text
They’re out on the sea again.
Donghyuck is lazing about at the wheel of their boat while Renjun sits on the side, toes dipping into the crystal clear waters beneath them. The sky is a little paler today, with the sun just barely peeking out from behind some clouds and Renjun has to hold onto his hat a few times to stop it from flying away in the wind that whips around them in random intervals.
Renjun’s mind wanders back to a memory, a memory of a tall, handsome stranger plucking his beloved hat out of the air and returning it to him with a dopey, kind smile and a rumbling voice.
He feels a pang of guilt as he recalls the hurt look in Lucas’ eyes as Renjun pushed his way past him and into the night, leaving behind his friends and the stranger he had opened up his heart to.
“Are you finally ready to talk?” Donghyuck calls out. Renjun is jolted back to reality at the sound of Donghyuck’s voice and he blinks a few times as he regains his bearings. He glances at Donghyuck, who has his sunglasses on and appears to be staring out at the ocean instead.
“Talk about what?” Renjun decides to try his luck today, tries to dodge the question that he knows has been on his friend’s tongue ever since the party.
“It’s been a week, Junnie. I just want to understand why you ran out on us like that. Why you ran out on Lucas like that.”
A week.
The swell of a wave lifts their boat up and gently brings it down again but Renjun is caught off guard and he grasps for the edge of the boat to prevent himself from falling. He brushes the hair out of his face and adjusts his hat before replying, “I didn’t feel so good.”
Donghyuck scoffs and finally turns his head to face Renjun. “Bullshit. Jaemin said you took one look at Lucas and then bolted. Did you have a gay panic attack or something? I mean I know Lucas is hot as fuck but I didn’t think you’d be the type to react like that.”
“It’s not like that,” Renjun mumbles. Donghyuck takes off his sunglasses, putting them on his head instead, and peers at Renjun. He swings his leg around and hops off the side of the boat. He settles down on one of the little boat’s benches and sighs.
“I kind of met him already? Before the party I mean,” Renjun says after some time. Donghyuck doesn’t say anything but Renjun sees a hint of surprise flash across his face nonetheless. “I talked to him about some stuff and it felt good? I mean I assumed I was never going to see him again so I just unloaded everything. But now I find out he’s your boyfriend’s best friend? I can’t look at him again, Hyuck. He probably thinks I’m a hot mess.”
“So?” Donghyuck says cuttingly. Renjun looks at him incredulously.
“What do you mean ‘so’?”
Donghyuck shrugs and puts his sunglasses back on. He squints out into the sea as he answers, “Junnie, Lucas wouldn’t care about whatever kind of baggage you’ve got. He’s not that kind of guy.”
“How are you so sure he isn’t? Didn’t you just meet the guy a few days ago?” Renjun knows his voice is icy, knows he’s being a bit of an ass right now but he can’t find it in himself to stop. There’s a surge of anxiety and doubt swelling up in his chest and it feels like it’s going to swallow him whole.
Donghyuck is unperturbed by Renjun’s sudden hostility and shrugs nonchalantly. “I trust Mark. And Mark trusts him. I think I know my boyfriend well enough to know what kind of friends he has.”
The unwavering certainty in the other’s voice throws Renjun off guard for a second. A wave of shame washes over him and he shifts uneasily where he sits. “Shit, I’m sorry. I’m just,” Renjun trails off, glancing back out at the sea again. He takes a deep breath, letting the cool ocean breeze calm him down before letting out a sigh. “I guess it felt like everything I told him came back to slap me in the face when I saw him again? I don’t think I ever vocalised anything I’ve been going through until Lucas offered to listen.”
“Renjun.”
The boat sways a little as Donghyuck stands up from behind the wheel of the boat. He makes his way over to Renjun’s side and sits down, taking one of Renjun’s hands in his and squeezing it gently. “Whatever it is you’re facing right now, you know you don’t have to face it alone right?” Donghyuck says quietly. Renjun looks back at his best friend and feels a sense of relief wash over him as he sees no trace of hurt or disappointment on the other’s face.
“I know,” Renjun says. “And I know I can always talk to you bu-”
“But sometimes you aren’t ready and that’s okay,” Donghyuck says firmly. “You do what you need to do. If you wanna scream your frustrations out on a mountain top, that’s okay. If you want to unload it all on a stranger, that’s okay too. I’m here for you no matter what you decide to do, okay?”
Even if Renjun pushed him away, Donghyuck had always waited patiently until Renjun was ready to talk. The guilt of feeling like he couldn’t always tell Donghyuck everything ate at him, like it does now. But as Donghyuck smiles at him with nothing but warmth and genuine love in his eyes, Renjun feels overwhelmed by the affection he feels towards Donghyuck.
“Thank you,” Is all Renjun manages to get out. But Hyuck just smiles in understanding and squeezes Renjun’s hand gently before letting it go.
“Sorry for springing the Lucas thing on you though, I was just worried for you and for Lucas,” Donghyuck says apologetically. “He’s been kind of… mopey? I don’t know if that’s the right word for it but he looks like a kicked puppy and I wish was exaggerating.”
Renjun inhales and sighs. “I was kind of a dick to him at the party.” Maybe I should apologise.
Donghyuck hums in agreement. “If you’re looking for a chance to see him again, I was thinking of taking the gang out to stargaze at the cliff by old man Moon’s on Sunday night. You up for it?”
“First of all, Taeil isn’t that old and Doyoung would whip your ass if he heard you say that.”
“I’d like to see him try,” Donghyuck grins wickedly and Renjun scoffs. “So? Wanna come with us?”
“Sure,” Renjun replies with a shrug. “I’ve got no other plans anyways.”
“Solid.”
The sun starts to shine through the clouds, dispelling the gray spell that had hung over the sea and letting the waves glisten beautifully as they rolled past gently.
And as Renjun rests his head on Donghyuck’s shoulder, he feels nothing but gratitude and warmth in his heart for his best friend and co-captain.
I don’t know where I’d be without you, Hyuck.
☀
Working at a resort is fun.
It’s like Chenle’s High School Musical 2 dreams are coming true (though with a little less singing and drama involved). Chenle doesn’t really see it as a job when he’s having fun almost every single day. There was always something new to see and discover in the resort, whether it was Kun experimenting with recipes in the kitchens or even just hearing the rest of the staff gossip about the hotel guests.
Chenle thinks he loves the gossip the most.
Today’s hottest topic: the mysterious guest in room 219 who had arrived overnight without a word.
What was unusual about this arrival was that everyone knew that there were no ferries or boats arriving or departing from the island after the sun had set. The only way onto the island at night was by helicopter or plane.
And besides Johnny’s regular visits and Doyoung going on emergency meetings on the mainland with his father, the only other aircrafts allowed to land on the island were helicopters belonging to Sicheng and Renjun’s family (and Chenle’s, by extension).
So who exactly was the guest that had slipped into the resort unseen by most, if not all, of the staff there?
“I bet it’s a celebrity,” Xiaojun says, feet propped up on the table as he sips from his matcha smoothie.
“Nah. Ten comes here all the time but you don’t see him sneaking around in the middle of the night,” Hendery points out.
“Ten is a humble KING, whoever this is probably thinks they’re some big shot like the Kardashians,” Hendery defends.
“The Kardashians ain’t SHIT,” Yangyang says sagely. The rest of them murmur in agreement at this.
Chenle sips from his own drink as he eyes the lobby of the hotel surreptitiously. It’s technically their lunch break. The other three, family friends of Renjun and Chenle who helped out every summer to earn some spare cash, had been discussing this topic in fervor all morning and Chenle had been roped into it when he finished helping Jisung unload his delivery to the kitchens.
The smile that Jisung had given Chenle when he saw him that morning was still ingrained in Chenle’s brain and his heart flips at the memory of it. They hadn’t gotten to talk much, both being too preoccupied with getting the van unloaded, but Chenle managed to invite Jisung out for stargazing with the gang on the weekend.
“I’ll let you know later?” Jisung had responded with another shy smile. “What’s your number?”
Sadly, Chenle hadn’t received any new messages yet. It’s a little disappointing but Chenle consoles himself with the thought that maybe Jisung was busy helping out with his parents’ store.
“JAEHYUN!”
Yangyang’s shout jolts Chenle out of his thoughts and he blinks a little before noticing the older man. Jaehyun has an eyebrow raised, as if to ask why the four of them aren’t working, but he shakes his head and gives them a smile as he approaches.
“You guys are lucky Sicheng isn’t around this afternoon,” Jaehyun says with a grin. “He definitely would not approve of this kind of loitering in the lobby.”
“We are not loitering,” Hendery says indignantly. The others nod in agreement. “We’re in deep discussion about the mystery guest that arrived last night. While looking out for any guests that might need our help, of course.”
Jaehyun coughs a little at this. “The guest that arrived last night?”
“Yeah, did you manage to see them?” Xiaojun asks eagerly.
“Sicheng was on shift last night, you’re gonna have to ask him about this.” Jaehyun answers, voice sounding a little tighter than normal.
Chenle swears he sees the tips of Jaehyun’s ears turning pink but before he can dwell on it, he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He tries (and fails) to ignore the way his heart jumps at the vibration and he pulls his phone out quickly.
1 new message!
From: XX XXXX XXXX
hey, this is jisung!
i can make it for sunday!!
let me know if you need me to bring any food or anything
:)
The smile that breaks out on his face is difficult to hide and Chenle knows that he looks like a lovesick idiot as he grins down at his phone (he can feel Yangyang staring at him) but he doesn’t care. He chooses to ignore his friends for a moment to focus on Jisung’s message, fingers poised over his screen as he wonders what to text back.
“Chenle, you ready to go over the tour schedules for next week?” Jaehyun asks, bringing Chenle back to reality for a second. The younger looks up from his phone and nods, pointedly ignoring the looks his friends were giving him.
“Yeah, just give me a sec!” He says, before turning back to his phone.
To: jisung
hey!!
nah, you’re good just bring a flashlight it gets pretty dark on the hike up
i’ll see you again tomorrow right?
From: jisung
okay!
yes, i’ll see you tomorrow :)
☀
“Dude, stop moping it’s not a good look on you.”
“I’m not moping,” Lucas huffs, sitting cross legged on the sofa and hugging a pillow to his chest in a decisively not mopey move. Mark was never one to reciprocate his cuddling advances so Lucas had learnt to take out his cuddles on whatever pillow or stuffed toy was in reach. Back in their apartment Lucas’ cuddles were targeted towards a large Yoshi plushie he had won at some fair. Sadly, Yoshi hadn’t made it into Lucas’ luggage owing to lack of space.
“Um, you definitely are,” Mark says. He sits down next to Lucas and looks at him with concern. “What’s going on?”
Lucas fiddles with the corner of the pillow as he thinks about how to answer. How does he even bring up that he feels like he’d been rejected by the cute guy who was apparently best friends with his best friend’s boyfriend? It’s stupid to feel this way considering they’d only met once prior to the party and never even exchanged names but the hopeless romantic in Lucas who believes in fateful encounters, especially encounters with cute guys on a beach, is heartbroken.
“Is it about Renjun?” Mark asks tentatively. Lucas doesn’t say anything and Mark lets out a sigh. “I don’t know how I can help you if you won’t even tell me what even happened between you guys.”
“It’s not my story to tell,” Lucas mumbles, thinking about how raw Renjun’s thoughts had been that morning and how relieved he looked when he had poured out his heart. It didn’t seem right for Lucas to talk about it at all, never mind that Mark knew Renjun better than Lucas did. He wouldn’t betray Renjun’s trust, not with how clear it was to him that it was something not easily given.
Mark runs a hand down his face, clearly frustrated, but he settles on letting the topic go for now. “Fine, I can respect that. But I’m not going to just watch you go all moody because of this. We’re supposed to be having fun, remember?”
Lucas exhales. Right. He wasn’t going to be the cloud that rained on anyone’s parade. “Right, right,” He says, straightening up and relaxing his hold on the cushion a little. “Hyuck’s picking us up, right?
Mark stifles a yawn before checking his watch. “Yeah, we’re supposed to meet Taeyong and Johnny for dinner.”
“Johnny?”
“Taeyong’s boyfriend,” Mark says with a grin. He leans back into the sofa and rests his hands behind his head. “Apparently he flew in at like 1 am or something. I guess Taeyong spent the night with him. Sicheng always has a room at the resort ready for when Johnny visits.”
“Oh, so like a love den?” Lucas says slyly. Mark makes a fake retching sound and swats Lucas half-heartedly as the latter laughs. “Kidding, I’m kidding.”
“Hyuck really looks up to Johnny. He loves him,” Mark’s voice takes a softer tone now, and Lucas hears nothing but fondness in the words that follow. “Says no one’s ever made Taeyong as happy as Johnny makes him, even if they only see each other a few times a year.”
“Right, Johnny doesn’t live here.”
“Nope, he’s a pilot. Non-commercial though, he mostly flies celebrities around the region.”
“How’d he and Taeyong meet then?”
Mark laughs and pats Lucas’ shoulder. “Johnny loves telling this story, you should ask him later. Fair warning though, expect a lot of gross sappy smiles.”
“You know me, Markie. I’m a sucker for a good love story.” Lucas grins, holding his hand to his heart.
It takes another hour before Donghyuck arrives. He’s a whirlwind of colours as he breezes past them, not forgetting to kiss Mark swiftly on the cheek as he does so, and changes his clothes in a blink of an eye before running back downstairs and grabbing both Mark and Lucas’ hands and dragging them out the front door.
“Those goddamn boars were out on the roads again, it took me an extra fifteen minutes to get out of the traffic,” Donghyuck huffs, practically throwing the two of them at the car before running to the driver’s side. “I don’t understand why they haven’t looked into relocating them someplace safe. I mean, we owe it to them after taking their homes away, don’t we?”
Donghyuck rants on and on about the boars and wildlife while Mark sits back and listens, eyes never once leaving Donghyuck’s face. Lucas listens too, but he mostly tries to stop himself from squealing at the almost dopey expression Mark has as he stares at Donghyuck.
It’s cute, Lucas thinks. Love is a good colour on Mark.
Taeyong and Johnny are already at the table when the three of them arrive. Lucas does a double take at the sight of the man holding Taeyong’s hand and smiling at him tenderly. Taeyong is glowing , and it’s not just because he seemed to have styled his hair or wore nicer clothes.
Lucas takes back his earlier thought. Love is a good colour on anyone.
“We were just about to start ordering,” Taeyong laughs as he motions for them all to sit down. Donghyuck immediately occupies the empty seat next to Johnny and drags Mark along with him, leaving Lucas to sit down on Taeyong’s other side.
“Who’d you fly in this time?” Donghyuck asks without preamble. Johnny chuckles and pinches Donghyuck’s cheek.
“Missed you too, Hyuckie.”
“Johnny!”
“Lips are sealed, Hyuck,” Johnny says with a wink. “Mark! How’s college going?”
Lucas preoccupies himself with the menu while the rest of them catches up. Johnny seems charming, kind, and very clearly devoted to Taeyong. He had noticed a familiar ring on Johnny’s left index finger, one that was identical to Taeyong’s own.
This is Mark’s second family, Lucas thinks to himself, unable to stop the smile on his face. It warms his heart to know that his best friend had another place to call home and that he had people here who loved him as much as Lucas did and as much as Mark’s own family did.
“You okay?” Taeyong’s soft voice shakes Lucas out of his thoughts. “Is the food here not what you like?”
“No, no, the food looks great,” Lucas replies. “I was just thinking.”
“Thinking about what?” Taeyong’s eyes are alight with curiosity and he tilts his head a little as he stares at Lucas.
“About how lucky Mark is to have you guys.”
Taeyong looks taken aback, mouth slightly open in his surprise. But his expression quickly melts to one of fondness as he reaches over for Lucas’ hand. He squeezes it gently and gives Lucas a warm smile.
“You have us too now, Lucas. I hope you know that I mean that with my whole heart.”
If it wasn’t so inappropriate to suddenly leap out of your seat to tackle hug four people in the middle of a relatively fancy restaurant, Lucas would have done just that. Instead, he settles for a smile and squeezes Taeyong’s hand back. “That means a lot to me, thank you.” He says sincerely.
Conversation starts to flow throughout the table once the food and drinks arrive. Mark introduces Lucas to Johnny, who greets Lucas warmly. “You know, I think I know someone who’d be a perfect match for you,” Johnny says slyly, elbowing Taeyong lightly in the side and wiggling his eyebrows at Donghyuck and Mark. The couple look at each other in alarm while Lucas watches the exchange in confusion.
“Johnny, don’t be like that,” Donghyuck whines. Johnny shrugs and finishes off the wine in his glass.
“I’m just saying, I think Lucas and Renjun would really hit it off. You guys should introduce them.”
Lucas can’t stop himself from choking on his food and he coughs and sputters pathetically while Taeyong thumps his back in panic. Donghyuck looks lost for words while Mark struggles to hide his giggles.
“Yep, we’ll
definitely
think about that. Thanks, Johnny.”