Weak (for the) He(te)ro (in) Class 1

10 - More than Friends, Less than Lovers.

"Sorry, I missed your birthday—I didn't know what to get you, so I got you nothing at all," Sieun starts, slightly lifting his head from Suho's shoulder to look at him. The two lay unmoving, basking in what was left of the daylight, neither of them having got up since they first laid down. Suho laughed, refreshed by Sieun's straightforwardness, before he thought back to the morning of his birthday, wondering if Sieun's birthdays were ever celebrated with such enthusiasm.

"It's alright; I didn't make much of a big deal out of it—I just had a nicer breakfast than usual; typical family stuff." Suho counters, turning away from Sieun and yawning into his shoulder. The silence remained, acting as a blanket of comfort and isolating the pair from the outside world. "I'm having a party, though. We decided to have it on the same day—Seo and I—because his birthday's on the 4th. A real day of events, to get rid of all the skeletons in the cupboard as such."

Yeon Sieun tuned out of the conversation as soon as he heard the word 'party', not at all interested. He brandished his 'people' face and remembered to nod and hum at intervals, giving off the impression that he was listening. He wasn't fond of social gatherings; the mention of a party put him off even more. He wondered what Suho meant by 'skeletons in the cupboard' and envisioned a party gone wrong with splattered cake and crushed spirits. Thank God he hadn't been invited.

"Oi, Yeon Sieun! Are you listening?" Suho snaps his fingers in front of Sieun's face, breaking him out of his daze. Sieun never ceased to amaze him—not that Sieun needed to know that. He took his head out of the clouds and turned over to lie on his side, facing Suho, as an unwavering crease on his forehead formed as he opened his mouth, clueless about what Suho had been talking about.

Suho sighs, waving his hands dismissively, and Sieun closes his mouth, blinking sluggishly. He waits for Suho to continue speaking. "Don't answer that; I can tell you weren't listening... Don't worry, it wasn't anything important—just that I'm inviting you."

Sieun bolts up with a jump, feeling the blood rush to his head at the sudden movement, dizzying him a little. "What?" Suho laughs loudly at his reaction, sitting up as well. He stretches and yawns, rubbing warmth into his joints and shifting about.

"The big birthday bash, the turnout of the century—the gathering of kings, if you will. I want you to be there. Think of it like an official welcome to our friend group—or don't, and just make an appearance for the sake of good food; it doesn't matter. As long as you're there." An Suho smiles warmly, wholeheartedly hoping to see Sieun at the party.

"I don't know... Group meetings aren't my thing, you know? How many people are going to be there? Do I need to bring anything? What are your friends like? "What if they don't want me there?"

"Come on, they won't bite. They're good people; I wouldn't have been friends with them otherwise. I wouldn't have even thought of inviting you if they weren't nice people, Sieun-ssi. But if you're uncomfortable and stuff, it's alright—you don't have to show up."

Sieun stills, worrying his lip with his teeth and giving thought to going to the party. Suho drapes a heavy arm around his shoulders in solidarity. "I'll stay by your side the whole time, and if you feel like you're going to explode, I'll get you out of there. We can play it by ear, how does that sound?"