Chapter Text
Saeyoung wakes up to an ache in his back. He groans sitting up. He hadn't even noticed V's presence until he heard the man's grumbles. What the hell… yesterday had been a mistake!
He trips over himself remembering. Scrambling to collect himself he leaves V how he'd come home dressed and on his way to bed.
The walk to the shower was no fun. The feeling of dread was sickening. With V still passed out on the couch Saeyoung just felt like going back to bed.
V wakes up to a pounding in his head. Drinking as much as he did the hangover was expected. Jumin's party had been grand and expensive, announcing an investment into V's photography. V, leaving rich social circles after his mother's death, thought it was a grand party for such a small thing.
The souring of his relationship with his father along with his mother's death was what made him realize the lifestyle wasn't for him. But he couldn't reject a sincere invitation from Jumin. He somehow came home with help from Jumin's bodyguard. The night had been blurry after being handed drink after drink by young heiresses.
The last thing he remembered was returning home and talking to one of the twins. He pulled the kid close to comfort him after some talking while his hands roamed the boy. God he hoped it hadn't gone farther than that. Taking a guess it must've been Saeyoung. Saeran didn't really like speaking to the man alone. Always stuck to his brothers side . They must've gone to bed soon after.
He gets up feeling the stickiness of his skin and heads to the bathroom. Knocking on the door he yells "Hurry up! I'm running late! `` followed by a loud bang inside the bathroom.
"Are you ok?"
"Y-Yeah the shampoo bottle just fell!" He turns around and heads to his room to change. With someone showering there was no time to freshen up. He grabbed his camera bag on the way out and headed out the door. " You two have missed half of school. Stay home!"
Saeyoung takes his time in the shower not wanting to get out til V heads to work. It seems to work but he feels a bit bad about not waking the man earlier. He finishes up, gets dressed and cooks some breakfast for his brother.
Breakfast is unusually quiet, both minding their own business on their electronics. Saeran knows something is wrong with his brother. Saeyoung seems distant and untalkative. The once self-conversationalist is now spacing out with a depressed aura around him. Saeran attempts to ask what's wrong but his brother acts as if nothing's wrong and fills the void talking once again. Saeran chooses to believe him this once but keeps an eye out for him.
Staying home is boring and uneventful. Time passes as Saeyoung waits for V to come home. They need to talk. V comes home with take out, greeting them before setting it down on the counter. Saeyoung makes his way over, shouting for Saeran to come eat. It's a pretty lively dinner, Saeran coming out of his shell more with Saeyoung around. Saeyoung talks enough to warren no worries from his brother. But it seems like holding eye contact with V's not so easy. Saeyoung is a confident speaker with no problems socializing at school or communicating with his therapist so this worries V. Dinner is fast and they get ready for bed.
Saeyoung washes the dishes after getting changed. It's better to do something productive then pace around in his room while worrying. It seemed like nothing was wrong with V at dinner which made him nervous. Had the man remembered or not?
Saeyoung hadn't noticed the upcoming footsteps and was surprised to see V behind him.
"Sorry.. must've scared you " the man chuckled behind him.
"No! I'm alright but..." Saeyoung just wants to go to bed and stop worrying over this so he asks V.
" Hyung? Don't you remember l-last night? ''
Saeyoung's nape flushes red. He looks down gripping the sink counter. V seeing this falls back. Did he really go farther than groping the boy? Which to be honest was already bad enough. He was the poor boys guardian for god's sake! He avoids that part of his memory and tries to pinpoint an exact moment in their conversation last night. It seemed like everything the kid had said slipped through one ear and out the other.
Oh
"You're gorgeous, I don't know why your father wouldn't want to father a p-pretty thing like you."
"A-Ah Saeyoung…last night's talk.. if that's what you mean I don't regret a word I said"
Oh
Is that all the man had remembered? A feeling akin to disappointment spreads throughout him. no no it's alright he'll be ok. Tears threatens to spill and they do.
"I'm terribly sorry if I overstepped… Saeyoung-ah don't cry" he steps forward wrapping his arms around him.
Saeyoung sobs into the older man's shoulder. The warmth makes him tired after exhausting himself with his crying. They say some awkward goodnights and head to bed. The awkward atmosphere continues for a couple days and V's struck with guilt over his actions.
It’s not like Saeran didn’t feel the weird vibe between the 2 of them. Something had changed the night he came out of his room to find the two huddled together on the couch. Saeyoung’s flushed face and V’s glazed eyes focusing intensely on something under the blanket. Being too tired to care he just went to bed not thinking much about it.Well he should have because that must’ve been the reason Saeyoung had been quiet in the morning. Ugh well now he had to deal with the consequences of yesterday's nights him.
Saeyoung’s behavior had been weird. Making dinner,drawing baths, tidying the house and making them lunches. Where did he even learn to cook? His behavior was just as they'd seen on TV recently. It was a show they'd watched together after dinner about family life. Saeyoung's behavior mirrored the wife's but if he was the wife who was Saeran and who was V???? It'd sent Saeran into a dilemma and what made it worse was when Saeyoung started making dinner for 3 and would push his portion to the side, choosing to talk through Saeran's dinner time and later eat together with V. Saeran had tried convincing him to eat a little before V came home but he'd say he wasn't hungry. The man came home fairly late and the pair would then eat in relative silence from what he'd seen.
A few words are exchanged at the end of each night but Saeran not being so close to the kitchen can't really hear what's being said but he hears the word "dad" ring out when it leaves his brother's mouth. Saeyoung blushes and V scoffs into his arm doing the same. It's not like he cared but did his brother really see V as a father figure?
The word had just come out while the two were talking after dinner. Some thoughts led to others and it slipped out after some mumbling. The word seemed to have left a deep impression on V. Life moved on and Saeyoung continued to eat his dinners with V.
This particular night the two were sitting right next to each other at the dinner table. Making small jabs at each other when V's joke makes his breath stop.
" You act just like a housewife. I don't think you have any room to speak Saeyoung-ah"
" R-Really? I hadn't noticed.. "
" You draw my baths,cook and set my coat on the rack as soon as I come home. You seem just like my wife." V rubs his hand on the back of his head feeling like he made things awkward.
" Oh I'm sorry if I bothered you, Hyung." Saeyoung just feels embarrassed hearing from someone else how he's been acting.
" It's not like I hated it. I actually quite liked it but I don't think it's enough.."
God damn it. V knew he was a terrible person. A horrible one for doing what he was about to do.
" A wife has other duties. I don't think you've gone there yet."
" What should I do, Hyung? Please tell me. I'll learn if it makes you happy." Saeyoung pleads, placing his hands on V's knees.
"I'm not sure you can handle it. Nevermind" V gets up regretting even mentioning any of this. He'd just gotten out of a horrible situation. Who was V to put him into another ?
"Hyung… why are you leaving? We haven't finished talking. Have I done something wrong ?"
"Saeyoung-ah I really n-need to go… we can talk later."
He walks away, hands to his head. He really went there. The poor kid. He needed to stop being a creep and let him go
" No! " Saeyoung throws his arms around V's waist.
"wait- wait wait "
Pause
His brother could come out of his room any minute.
" Saeyoung. I'm going to need you to let go. Now. " V grunts feeling Saeyoung on his back
" You're being mean… please dad? I'll do it."
Saeyoung hears V's sharp inhale muffled by the pounding in his ears. He hadn't even noticed the tears staining his cheeks. V pushes his arms off harder than he intends and storms off to his room. Saeyoung cries in the kitchen for what feels like hours. He stumbles reaching for the table, their half eaten food having gone cold. It feels cold and lonely. He feels a mix of emotions. Anger that V can't own up to what he did. That he makes him feel like lying to Saeran about what they might be.He makes him sick to his stomach. He makes him upset. He makes him feel dirty and unwanted.
V may not have remembered their shared night in the living room but Saeyoung sure did. He felt gross.
He runs to the bathroom feeling the food come back up. He's utterly exhausted after vomiting his dinner. Saeyoung makes his way into Saeran's room and Saeran doesn't say anything when he wakes up to Saeyoung curled up in his bed.